Unfortunately this rather laborious post-workout beauty regime doesn’t fit well with my tight schedule. It also means that I’m laden down with a big bag of stuff – since my gym stopped hiring out permanent lockers I have to carry my trainers, kit, towel and oodles of toiletries each time I go.
So, I’m constantly on the lookout for products that can both save me time getting ready and also rationalise space in my gym bag. Over the years I’ve found some pretty natty time-saving, space-saving beauty essentials.
Gelert Soft Fibre Travel Towel
OK it’s not a fluffy number but it is made of super soft microfiber material and the main thing is that it’s compact. It occupies next to no space in my bag and yet it’s bath-size (130x70cm) - think of how much space towels of that size normally command! It’s super absorbent, so dries you off very quickly after a shower. I got mine from Sports Direct for £7.99 here.
Escentric Molecules 02 Body Wash
I am in love with Escentric Molecules. All of their scents meld with your own natural pheromones, so not only do they smell different on every person but they are also super sexy. This Escentric O2 body wash has a powerful punch to it, and lingers on the skin long after a shower. I use it in place of a main fragrance.
Bottom notes here are ambroxan (a synthetic and aroma-identical alternative to the scarce and costly ambergris), grassy vetiver and musky muscone. At the top there’s orris, elderflower and hedione. £20 for 200ml (decant some into a smaller bottle to save space) from Cult Beauty here.
Konjac Facial Sponge
A recent discovery and one I raved about on the blog a few weeks ago here. I’ve thrown out my facial wipes (drying on the skin anyway) and now use this instead to cleanse my face after a workout. It’s more compact and efficient at cleansing, it feels awesome (super soft) on the skin, and it is environmentally friendly (unlike its predecessor).
There are various shapes and sizes of Konjac sponges to choose from. Prices start at £8.99. You can check out the range here. My full review is here.
Color Wow Speed Dry
A blow dry spray that’s designed to dramatically reduce styling time – heat damages hair. While this doesn’t save me a huge amount of time with a hairdryer (roughly 2 mins) what it does well is lock moisture inside the cuticle, protecting hair and making it look glossy. £16.50 for 150ml here.
Bagsy Hair Wonder – Dry Shampoo
I use Batiste dry shampoos a lot, as they do the job of soaking up my post-workout greasy locks pretty well and they are very cheap. But if I need to save on bag space then I’ll push the boat out and get this handbag-sized one from Bagsy. It’s finely fragranced (light and fresh), so I’ll use it in place of a perfume. £5 for 75ml from Feelunique here.
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