I like to think of everywhere as a potential pickup scene: the gym, the grocery store, the waiting room at my therapist’s office. We’ve all got things to do with our days, but why waste a moment possibly meeting the guy of your dreams by not looking fabulous? That said, wearing too much makeup to the gym can go horribly wrong. I once saw a girl on a treadmill wipe half her face off into a white towel… leaving it looking like the Shroud of Turin… if Jesus happened to be a Real Housewife of Vancouver…
Guys aren’t exactly expecting us to look our best at the gym, and it’s an embarrassment to all of us ladies who actually break a sweat to see a girl with full hair and makeup pretending to use the elliptical while she scours the scene for fellas. Nevertheless, you can find middle ground between going full glam and looking like Oprah on a camping trip. Here’s the best (virtually) sweatproof makeup that can withstand a heavy-duty workout without streaming down your face like you’re Marilyn Manson in a monsoon.
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara Waterproof
I get that doing makeup for an hour’s workout seems a little ridiculous to some people, but a little mascara just makes your eyes look brighter when they’re bulging out of your face while you’re trying to keep up with the rest of the BodyPump class during the painful squat reps. Even if you stop halfway through the exercise and have a public meltdown, a waterproof mascara will withstand all the tears and sweat. I like this one by Maybelline for the gym because it’s an old classic that’s totally affordable, so you won’t feel bad about putting it on and taking it off an hour later.
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Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black
I never bother with any foundation or powder, or even eye shadow for that matter, when I’m going to the gym. Nothing turns a guy off more than looking down at your sweat towel and seeing what looks like a dirty mechanic’s rag hanging from your treadmill. If you’re going to wear makeup, you’ve got to stick to stuff that won’t block your pores and definitely won’t slide off your face like hot fudge off a sundae. Normally, I just wear mascara, but when I go to a class that I know is packed with hot guys like Zumba (Ha! Just kidding!), I wear a tiny little line of this amazingly waterproof liner by Stila that never ceases to amaze me. It’s lasted longer than some of my relationships.
Lancome Baume in Love
Right now, this is my favourite lip gloss in the whole world because it has just the right touch of pink that you look like a baby cherub, but in the best way possible, obviously. Red lipstick at the gym looks ridiculous because it’s the kind of thing any real athlete would wipe off, unlike a little bit of eye makeup, which people assume you wore to the office earlier and just left on. (No one needs to know that you woke up at noon and got all did up for the lunchtime businessmen crowd at the gym. No one!) This stuff is glossy enough that you don’t feel like a total poser in full makeup and just pink enough that the hue could be attributed to your amazing heart rate and super healthy lifestyle. Go on and hit on the guy sipping a protein shake by the abs master!
Kiehl’s Vanilla & Cedarwood – Aromatic Mist
I know what you’re thinking: What kind of weirdo wastes a few spritzes of perfume on a trip to the gym when you’re just going to sweat it off? How about the kind of weirdo who always gets told she smells amazing when she walks by the pecs blaster to the water fountain, that’s who! I use a light perfume in both scent and price for the gym, and it seems to give off a little extra spice the higher my pulse gets. This fragrance by Kiehl’s is $38.00 for 100ml, and it smells unbelievable. It won’t make the your work out burn less, but you’ll definitely set some hearts on fire as you walk, squat, and lunge on by.