6 Beauty Gym Bag Must Haves

This post is for all of my Beauty Mates who have made it their 2016 resolution to become a regular at the gym. If there is one thing that can keep a girl from hitting the weight rack and elliptical, it is often the prospect of looking like we just hit the weight rack and elliptical, am I right? So many of us are constantly busy and on the go, so heading home for a shower, blow dry, and full face of makeup is not going to be an option.

So, here are my 6 absolute gym bag must haves for looking refreshed and lovely after breaking a sweat! But first, an important note: always strive to grab a shower post-workout if you can! Most gyms will have showers on-site, so bring your shower shoes and a towel. If a time crunch is eminent, simply throw your hair up in a loose bun and get to it! We will have a gym bag essential to take care of that ;-) .

Essential #1: Your Favorite Facial Cleanser – Let me make this clear: always, always, always make washing your face post-workout a priority. The sweat and oil on your skin will not be your friend if you allow it to sit there for hours on end, so always budget your time to allow for a cleansing after you get your exercise in. Foaming cleansers are especially wonderful for removing sweat, dirt, and oil in a pinch.

Essential #2: Tinted Lip Balm – You usually don’t go from gym to full glam without putting in a bit of work, so we are striving for fresh and gorgeous with this tip. Always keep a tinted lip balm on hand! You can apply this pre and post workout for lips that are hydrated and have a beautiful flush to them. I am a huge fan of YoungBlood’s Hydrating Lip Tints! These little beauties deliver moisture, SPF 15, and the perfect (subtle) pop of color to make you look put together in a very natural way.

Essential #3: A Trusted Mascara – I personally love BLINC’s Amplified Mascara for its ability to lengthen and volumize my lashes while offering some seriously fabulous "Life Proof" properties (i.e. smudge-proof, sweat-proof, water-resistant, flake-proof). If you are getting an AM workout in, wait until you are post-workout and fresh faced to swipe this on. If you are putting this on before you hit the gym, you can rest assured that your lashes will still be on point once your workout is over (yes, no more terrible raccoon eyes)!

Essential #4: A Highlighting/Bronzing Quad – It goes without saying that a touch of highlight or bronzer can really pull together a look. I have talked about this particular product many times before, and it is with good reason: La Bella Donna’s Vision of Mineral Lights. With four different quads to choose from, you can select the colors that will work best for your skin tone and enjoy. Each quad delivers four gorgeous shades that can be used as your highlight, bronzer, and eyeshadow. These quads are the ultimate for pulling together a full-face look that is both natural and ethereal.

Essential #5: Try a Dry Shampoo and Dry Conditioner – I know what you’re thinking: dry conditioner, say what?! Yes! For everyone who has tried all of the Dry Shampoos out there and simply cannot get onboard, this might just be the missing link! I have been a long time fan of Pureology’s Fresh Approach Dry Shampoo (which leaves hair clean, refreshed, and fabulous), but their Fresh Approach Dry Conditioner takes it to a whole new level of perfection. This allows you to not only refresh your strands, but to inject some much needed moisture and shine post-workout. It also happens to be fantastic at zapping hair static, which can be extra prevalent during the cold, dry winter months!

Essential #6: Deodorant – Last, but certainly not least, you are going to want to keep a deodorant on hand! I am always on the lookout for the latest and greatest in Aluminum Free deodorants, so if you have any suggestions, be sure to leave them in the comments for me below! I currently have Dermalogica’s Environmental Control Deodorant in my gym bag and love the fact that, yes, it is Aluminum Free, and that it leaves zero white residue on my clothes! It also happens to lack SD Alcohol, which is a common ingredient in deodorant that can cause irritation on the skin.

So now that you know my top gym bag essentials, I am curious: what are the things you could never go without in yours?!