That's Fit

Generally speaking, if I go to the gym, I try not to plan anything immediately afterward. Ideally, I like to go home for a shower and get ready in my own bathroom, or at the very least, I'll take a full shower at the gym and get ready there. Either way, it takes some time for me to go from hot, sweaty mess to looking hot (or at least not scary).

But then again, there are those times when you get out of work at 5:00, have plans to meet a friend around 6:00 or 6:30 for a bite to eat, and while your house is on the other side of town, your gym is between work and the restaurant. It would be a shame to miss out on a quick workout just because you don't have time to wash your hair and get all dolled up, right?

In that case, check out the suggestions below for overcoming common post-workout beauty complaints (courtesy of FitnessMagazine.com, with a few of my own suggestions added in for good measure).

• Ponytail crease: The best offense is a good defense, so try to avoid the crease in the first place. Using a looser, fabric covered ponytail holder will minimize the indentation. However, you might also consider working out with a low ponytail, or bringing along a clip so you can twist your hair into a funky knot. Also, if you have long hair, pile it all up in a high, messy knot and wear a scarf as a wide headband -- problem solved!
• Flushed cheeks: Cool your face down with a blast of cool air from the hair dryer or with some cold water. Once your face is cool (or at least no longer hot to the touch), apply a bit of moisturizer and a touch of powder to minimize shine. Avoid heavy foundation -- for one thing, if you're still hot at all, you'll sweat it off, and for another, you've got a beautiful, natural, rosy glow. Why cover that up?
• Melted mascara: It's always a good idea to keep cleansing pads in your gym bag so you can clean up your face after a workout. You can use a corner of one to remove any mascara or eyeliner that has smudged. Generally, I would say just wash off what you have on and start over, but Fitness Magazine's suggestion is to "curl your lashes to revitalize what's still on them." I'm not super handy with an eyelash curler, so I'm thinking that wouldn't be a great idea for me post-workout and in a hurry, but if you're a curler, I think this would totally work.

A few other things to keep in mind:

• If you did a really hard workout, you'll probably need to wait about half an hour to apply any makeup, aside from mascara. Plan your time accordingly.
• If your hair got sweatier than you'd planned and you don't have time to wash and dry it, allow your body temperature to cool down and then blow dry your hair at the nape of your neck and the hairline for a couple of minutes to reduce the sweaty look. Then, when your hair is nearly dry, use a small amount of styling serum to smooth out the frizzies.
• Bring clothes to change into that breathe -- you'll likely still be a little warm after your workout and superfast beauty session, and the last thing you want is to put on clothes that trap all your body heat. Layers are a really, really good post-workout plan.