The Pro-Approved Ways to Wear Makeup at the Gym Without Wrecking Your Skin
If you’re lucky, your favorite studio’s locker room is already stocked with luxe beauty products to help you get nice and clean post sweat-sesh. When it comes to what you should be doing for your complexion before of your workout, however, the lines are a bit blurrier. Many women don't actually think to remove their foundation and mascara before they hit the elliptical, while others intentionally choose products that will stick with them while they're sweating it out.
The truth is, you may really like the extra boost that mascara gives your lashes while you're doing burpees. Or, maybe you want to conceal a self-confidence-busting blemish while you're feeling like Superwoman in spin class. Whatever your reason for turning to makeup while you work out, I can promise you: It's not a pimple sentence for your complexion. In fact, plenty of brands are actually introducing gym-happy cosmetics such as the Clinique Fit range, which includes foundations, mascaras, and a lip stain.
So, I asked Gina Ghiglieri, a Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist (who shares her love of running on Instagram) about the cosmetics that have real staying power while you sweat. “The greatest challenge to keeping makeup on all day is the environmental and physical elements," says Ghiglieri. "So, I do a lot of trouble-shooting to find the best long-wearing products that truly work.”
The flip-side of makeup gripping to your skin, of course, is that it could cause a breakout, and so I also spoke to dermatologist Mona Gohara, M.D., who's also been known to shown off her treadmill affinity on Instagram to suss out the real risk of wearing cosmetics while you sweat. Here, the pair shares not only the products that work, but also how to wear them so that they don't spell trouble for your skin.
Keep scrolling for the products that stay put no matter how hard you sweat.
Choose a foundation and concealer that stay put
“Honestly, the best sweat-proof makeup is Revlon ColorStay Makeup, $9. It goes on beautifully and holds onto skin even through heavy sweating,” says Ghiglieri. Dr. Gohara seconds the idea of using a water-based foundation during a class or at the gym because "these formulas tend to have less grease and pore-clogging ingredients." If you're looking to spot-treat, Ghiglieri suggests tapping on YSL All-Hours Concealer, $34, because it "seriously won't budge" once it's had a chance to set.
Keep your mascara from running while you are
Waterproof mascara isn’t for everyone, especially those with sensitive eyes. The no-budge formulas can often be too harsh to remove and involve a lot of rubbing to get every last stitch of formula off. Ghiglieri, instead suggests Blinc Mascara Amplified, $26. “It forms tubes around your lashes, is water-resistant, and holds better than a traditional waterproof formula,” says Ghiglieri. “At the end of the day, you don’t need any crazy makeup removers. You just need warm water and a cloth to slide the tubes off your lashes."
Consider SPF while you sweat
Guarding yourself from the sun is ultra-important during your workout, when sweat could cause some SPF formulas to slide right off of your face. "The first natural sunscreen I tried that genuinely works is Coola Sport Sunscreen, $36” says Ghiglieri, of the mineral-based formula that also touts antioxidant protection from free radicals that could bombard your complexion during an outside workout. Both Gohara and Ghiglieri love Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush-On Suncscreen SPF 50 for outdoor exercising. "It dusts on like a powder and is absorbent," Dr. Gohara says, "which makes it perfect for wicking off extra sweat," while also keeping you shine free.
Slather on a lip tint
Because many traditional lipsticks are either super emollient to make them creamy or ultra-powdery to keep them matte, opting for a lip tint at the gym can save your lips and still give them a dash of color. "I’m a huge fan or Tata Harper Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tints, $25" Ghiglieri tells me. At the end of your workout, dab on lips again, to help them perfectly blend with the après-sweat flush of your cheeks.
Once you've worked up a sweat, you're probably going to want to shower right? Here's why you should apply a body oil before you get in and here's a really awesome $3 buy that will make your shower into a full-on spa.
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