Barely There Beauty: Gym Edition

If you are someone who, like me, would prefer not to look at themselves with a completely bare face and has in the past let out a pterodactyl shriek in front of the mirror upon gazing at their #Iwokeuplikethis au naturale complexion, the idea of going sans beauty products can be a little unnerving.

I love going makeup free some days and force myself to love my face without meddling, however sometimes its nice to indulge in a lite beauty routine that still looks natural and fresh but with a little joojing, for while you workout.

You may have heard that going to the gym with makeup on is a big no no as things like foundation block your pores and mess with the bodies sweaty detoxifying system- however this barely there skin routine is ideal, focusing on minor coverage and hydration.

I personally have blonde hair and blonde eyelashes, so for me a world without mascara is the stuff of nightmares, thus I usually adopt this routine before my daily gym sesh.

Product List below! I have included a mix of affordable and some more expensive products.

1. Keeping your skin well hydrated is a given every day, however if you are going to be sweating and only wearing a thin layer of BB cream/ foundation over the top, a generous amount of moisturiser will help you thin your product out- meaning less product used and a more natural look. I use Simple’s  hydrating, light moisturiser as it is super cheap and you can get it from the supermarket. This product was recommended for my kit when training to become a makeup artist as it works well with most skin types and is water based-  so pretty safe if you are someone with sensitive skin.
2. Next, I apply Avon’s BB cream which is quite thick, making the moisturiser in step 1 necessary, but is very dewy and provides great coverage, however any BB cream or tinted moisturiser would do. If you are passionately committed to your foundation, wear something mineral based or a liquid that you can sparingly buff into your skin with your fingers or a buffing brush. (Again you can’t do this unless your skin is well moisturised.)
3. Apply a little under eye concealer, however don’t go overboard and avoid smothering any blemishes- They need to breathe and sweating underneath your makeup could potentially lead to more breakouts.
4. Brow gel, whether tinted or clear can make you look more polished in seconds.
5. Brown mascara will look natural but also make a huge difference (I can’t live without mascara) and if you, like me, tend to get blinded by sweat dripping in your eyes waterproof is the way to go.
6. Finish with freshly scrubbed lips and lip balm.
7. After your workout, dry shampoo is my personal saviour. I use Toni and Guy’s casual dry shampoo, to give sweaty hair some bounce back. For extra va va voom use a sculpting powder for volume and simply massage into your scalp.

Extra Tip: Ever looked at an athletically themed magazine editorial and wondered if models just have superhuman sweat that makes them glow like freaky gym godesses with enviably dewy complexions? To recreate this sort of wet, highlighted look all you need is some strategically and sparingly placed vaseline– some on your cupids bow, down your nose, cheekbones and under your brows for skin that glows.