Tried and tested

Marathon-approved Make Up: We’ve Put Products Through Their Paces

Having battled with the elements as part of my training for the London Marathon, I’ve experienced first hand the havoc this can wreak on skin and hair. Whether you’re training in torrential rain or sweating buckets in your spin class, these nasty aggressors don’t make for a happy face! Here are my top workout beauty essentials, to ensure you look ‘fit’ while keeping fit…

{Pre-Workout}

In the famous works of Baz Luhrmann: ‘If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it’. Sun damage is the biggest cause of premature ageing so make sure you’re protected – especially if training out of doors. Even when it’s cloudy (and inevitably raining) the sun’s rays are still wreaking their cell mutating havoc (*shudder*).

I swear by Jouer’s {Matte Moisture Tint}, which grants a really light, sweat-resistant veil of coverage, complete with SPF 15 to block offending spring-time rays. I know it might seem silly to be worrying about my face before a 26 mile run, but you never know who’ll pap you on race day (or if you’ll be caught on the telly-box).

Followed with a spritz of REN’s {Flash Defence Anti-Pollution Mist}, I feel ready to take on whatever the elements choose to throw at me. This boosts moisture levels and creates a featherweight protective veil between complexion and the daily urban grime, while encouraging detoxification (so you get more for your efforts).

I usually forgo mascara immediately before a workout, but if run after work I’m always ay-mazed by the lasting power of d.j.v. MIARAY’s {Volume Lash} – even after a sweat-fuelled HIT session, there’s never a smudge or a lash out of place.

With more exercise comes more hair washing, which can prove über drying for my already over-bleached/styled/stressed-out mane (my dark hair has been stripped and coloured every shade of rainbow in the last two years).

I like to apply a hair treatment just before I workout – the heat helps it to penetrate and maximises the replenishing benefits (plus, it saves me precious minutes in the shower). I’ve found that YUNI Beauty’s {Hot Head Microveil Hair Treatment} works wonders and won’t ‘melt’ when I’m treadmill-ing, and its intensely nourishing. Plus, it comes in a convenient, easy-to-carry spray that doesn’t feel like a brick in my bag!

{Post-Workout}

With all of the excessive sweating comes clogged pores, so careful cleansing has never been more crucial. I always make sure to double cleanse, to melt all of the sweat, oil, pollutants and toxins that have ‘stuck’ to my visage (*gross*).

I cleanse with a balm-to-oil formula – I LOVE Su-Man’s {Purifying Cleansing Gel Oil} to eliminate every last trace of residual grime – then follow-up with my trusted {Cor Silver Soap}. I’ve raved about its clarifying benefits {before}, to cleanse my complexion without leaving skin feeling too tight or dry.

A quick sweep of Pixi {Glow Tonic} then brightens and refreshes – eliminating any persistent dead cells to prepare for the next, all-important replenishing step. I slather my face with Vintner’s Daughter {Active Botanical Serum}… but that’s a whole other {blog post}

SHOP ALL WORKOUT BEAUTY >>

by Chikay Lo



Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...