Working Out in Makeup?!
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| (Image via Snapchat- not gym wear.😉) |
Right around the holidays, I ended up walking in the gym hallway with a lady who was somewhat new to our Zumba class. She said something to the effect of “I don’t know how you front row girls work out with all that make up on your faces.” It was said in derogatory way. I was very taken aback and didn’t know really what to say but said something like, “I didn’t put on make up specifically for the gym, I already had it on from earlier.”. She didn’t ask or comment further. It bugged me that she had the impression that I felt the need to get all dolled up for the gym. She herself has super short hair, wears no make up and dresses very masculine and I would never have a thing to say about it as I respect that that’s how she wants to present herself. It made me super annoyed that she felt the freedom to question mine.
So let’s discuss. I do wear make up to the gym- and everywhere else I go. When I wake up in the morning, I take 10 minutes and get made up. I do this because my eyelashes and eyebrows are naturally white and I look sickly without darkening them and adding some definition to my face. I like the way I look with make up. That is how I choose to present myself and it’s part of expressing who I am.
Mornings I go straight from the kid’s school to work and then straight back to get them. Once we are home again, it’s homework, household duties and dinner and then I’m off to the gym. Our afternoons and evenings can be nonstop. For me, removing all my make up before going to the gym would take three times as long as just powdering my nose and swiping on lipgloss on the way out the door. Some of my gym friends come directly from work. The majority of women at the gym, with make up on, are coming from somewhere else, not getting made up specifically for the gym.
Supposed someone did put on make up just for the gym though, why is that so looked down upon? Are we not at the gym to make ourselves look and feel better? For some women, makeup does this instantly!
There is also the stereotype of a woman with a face full of make up, very revealing clothes, who is just there for attention. It’s very obvious when a woman is attempting that. It’s the actions though that betray that motivation more than the make up. It’s wrong to assume every woman in make up is that stereotype.
I really think this is an issue where we need to step back and say “You do you.“- and mean it! The gym is the place to focus on self and health. If one is looking around in disapproval of other people there, they are not going to enjoy the mental health benefits that working out gives.
So what are your thoughts, make up at the gym, yeah or nay? Either way, let me know your thoughts in the comments!
