It’s no secret that we all usually feel pretty damn great after a workout – pair the endorphin rush with a smug sense of accomplishment and you’ve secured yourself a serious pleasure-kick.
But let’s be real; considering we’re generally flaunting a post-cardio flush and an updo that’s just suffered through several sets of burpees, we’re not always looking as top notch as we feel – definitely cause for concern when we’ve got to be in the office ASAP.
So, how does one take oneself from sweaty mess to fresh-and-ready-to-face-the-day in mere minutes? It all comes down to an expertly packed gym bag. Load yours with these time, face and hair-saving heroes and you’ll be able to master the workout to work transition seamlessly (and super quickly) every single time.
CliniqueFIT ™ Workout Face + Body Hydrating Spray
Give your flushed face the cool-down it deserves (after rinsing away any sweat via the sink or the shower, of course) with this replenishing and renewing post-workout spray. It acts as a toning-hydrating hybrid, hitting the complexion with a cooling, calming shot of moisture, while also helping to balance the skin and reduce redness.
Don’t worry about drenching your skin to the point where it looks like you’ve just done a whole other workout, though; the oil-free formula is ultra-fine and absorbs super quickly, so it leaves your face dewy, not damp. Shoutout to the portable packaging, too – the 30ml size will slot seamlessly into any gym bag.
Sukin SPF30 Sheer Touch Tinted Sunscreen
Loading full-coverage foundation onto post-workout skin is never a nice feeling, so go in with a fresh-finish tinted sunscreen instead – choosing the right one will allow you to combine a few essential steps into one, too. This fancy formula provides protection (featuring natural zinc oxide to offer defence against both UVA and UVB rays) as well as subtle, sheer coverage perfect for the workday.
It’s also loaded with a whole host of skin-soothing ingredients such as rosehip oil, green tea and cucumber, allowing the tint to calm the cause of redness while also concealing the appearance of it. Magic.
Clarins Glow-To-Go Highlighter Stick
For those who don’t tote their entire makeup brush collection to the gym (aka all of us) dab-and-go style products are serious saviours when you need to add colour in a flash. Case in point? This highlighter and blush duo, which offers balancing and boosting benefits in one streamline stick.
The chrome-coloured highlighter will get you glowing in a good way once you’ve sorted the sweat situation, but its cool purple undertones will also help to brighten and neutralise any remaining redness – a welcome bonus. As for the peachy-pink blush on the other end, try tapping it onto eyes, cheeks and lips for a polished tonal look bound to convince your co-workers that legitimate trend-driven thought (and more than ten seconds) went into your office aesthetic, when it absolutely did not.
e.l.f cosmetics Sweat Resistant Mascara & Brow Duo
Few elements take your face from fatigued to fresh like lifted lashes and brushed-up brows, so be sure to keep your gym bag stocked with this dual-ended mascara and brow gel duo, perfect for polishing off your five-minute face.
Not only does it house both formulas in one tube, but the mascara’s waterproof status (and the brow gel’s sweat-resistant one) ensure the results will stay full and feathery all day long – in other words, this is a smear and smudge-free zone that will leave nobody any the wiser to the fact that you flew through your makeup routine.
Dyson Corrale™ straightener
Let’s be real; even dewy skin and groomed brows can’t save your look if you keep your sweaty strands tied up into a topknot – if hairstyles could speak, this style of disheveled updo would be shouting “don’t let the dry shampoo fool you; I obviously just came from the gym”. A sleek straight style or freshly woven waves, however, scream ‘put together’ in a way that leaves you looking fresh from the salon, not a sweat session.
We know what you’re thinking, though: how on earth can we expect you to heat-style your hair within the very limited time you have to sort your mess of a mane before work? Well, it’s because with the Dyson Corrale™ straightener you legitimately can – it’s the only styler of its kind, with flexible plates that shape to gather around hair, allowing for extra control with less heat, which means that you don’t have to repeatedly keep going over and over the same section. The result? The same silky straight strands or beautiful bouncy bends in far less time.
And as for the precious nature of gym bag real estate, there’s no need to stress: the Dyson Corrale™ is balanced in the hand to allow for optimal cord-free styling, plus being cordless in nature makes it super portable, significantly reducing both the amount of space it takes up in your tote and the length of time you’d usually have to spend unwrapping tangles or searching for a plug within mirror distance. Ideal, right? Just pop it on the charger the night before and you’ll have up to 30 minutes of cord-free styling ready for the day ahead. What a dream.
