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The Post-Gym, Pre-Work Makeup Routine

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My personal relationship with exercise is the same relationship I imagine a lot of 20-somethings have. I always got a good amount of exercise as a kid (gymnastics, horseback riding, tennis…). But after college, it all stopped. Working and working out? It's too much! So I didn't. Until my boss started playing posture police and pointed out my horrible slouch during a meeting. Can’t blame him—it was true. Since then I made it a point to find a workout routine that works for me and my work schedule.

Turns out that was surprisingly easy to figure out—it’s pilates at New York Pilates weekday mornings at 7AM. With that set in my schedule, I had one thing left to sort out: my routine after working out. In other words, everything I'm going to do to freshen up, fix my hair, put my face on, and run out the door to get to work. All within 10 minutes. (Before everyone gets grossed out about the fact that I don’t shower after class and pissed that this isn’t an article that will teach you how to shower in two minutes, let me preface everything by stating that the pilates classes I take don’t make me too sweaty. So, fortunately, I don’t need to factor that time in.)

The theory behind my method is simple—find high-impact and easy-to-use products that don’t require any special tools. Fingers only! I also watched a bunch of Violette videos to get a little inspiration. She’s always doing her makeup in restaurants and on stoops, so it’s probably easy enough for the gym, too. Once my class ends, I’ll run and change into my clothes and throw some dry shampoo into my hair, take a seat, and slap on some makeup.

First I start off my skin with a spritz of rose water (the one from Trader Joes is 3.99 and dispenses a beautifully fine mist). Then I’ll follow with Dior Essential City Defense Sunblock and spread a thin layer of Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer over the areas that need some coverage. I feel hydrated and sun-protected and evened out in roughly 3 minutes.

While that sets (an additional 1 minute), I’ll do the extra, non-skin related stuff: curl my lashes with my trusty Super Mario x Shu Uemura collab lash curler (gifted by my good friend and coworker Kate Park). And now that there's finally a non-waterproof but smudge free mascara, I apply some Lash Slick! Then it's a quick swipe of Boy Brow with some added definition from the Burberry Eyebrow Definer. And finally I’ll roll on a little of my Byredo Rose of No Man’s Land Perfume Oil.

Now that my skin is set, I’ll go back and dab on a little Clé de Peau concealer if there's an emergency. Then, from this point on, it’s all about bringing in some color and depth into the face (since the Chantecaille tinted moisturizer actually packs some pretty good coverage) so I’ll swipe on the Burberry Contour Stick at my lash line and right below the cheekbones and rub that in with my fingers. And to finish it all off, I dab a bit of the Chantecaille Radiance Gel Bronzer across my cheeks and nose, and dab on some Pat McGrath Skin Fetish in Gold. It’s an additional two minutes that brings us to six in total.

If I’ve got a little extra time left, I’ll dab on a little of whatever red lipstick is within quick reach and push it with my fingers to the edges of my mouth (that’s a direct tip from Violette, and since learning it I haven’t worn my lipstick any other way). Then I grab my things and run out the door. Bye!

—Sherry Son

Photo via Getty.