Confidence, Beauty, Fitness & Girl Bossing

So far 2016 has definitely been a year of inspiration and innovation for both beauty and fitness. More than ever we are spurred on by Insta stars, Olympians and bloggers as social media allows us sneak peaks of BTS action and super accessible tips and tricks. With all this exposure to women world wide girl-bossing their way through tough workouts and hectic schedules, there's also the matter of the rest of us having internal meltdown's because that level of productivity and endless energy (all the while looking oh so fresh faced) just isn't quite as achievable as the press says it is. So, less of the unrealistic schedules and unattainable goals, here's my take on how to keep your confidence high and endorphins' buzzing in the most stylish way. 

1. Lashes and Brows

Lashes and brows really had their moment last year and show no sign of fading into insignificance any time soon, along with something super plumping and nourishing on the lips those type of products are my staples regardless of my agenda that day. Forget the grief over working out with make up on, if you are short on time, or it simply makes you feel better to have a flick of mascara, then you do that! The bottom line is your commitment to your gym session and wanting to feel great whilst doing it. If possible however, a light tinted moisturiser or oil free foundation would be your best choice for a base giving you a great glow but ensuring your skin can still breathe and your hard earned sweat droplets aren't trapped under your make up. A layer of water resistant mascara will give you a confidence boost for an early bootcamp session and wake up a tried face when coffee just isn't cutting it! CODE VLM mini is the perfect product for your gym bag and can be counted on pre and post sweat sesh to enhance your lashes. It's won't budge a millimetre and has brilliant buildability for a second application to transition your look to something a little more dramatic. A good eyebrow pen, brush and setting gel are tools worth having to nail active beauty and frame your face, brushed brows round off a polished yet fresh faced gym look perfectly. 

2. Activewear to die for

Sports luxe vibes are still booming and with continual advances in technical fabrics and stylish editorial to look to, there's no excuse for not nailing this trend, your way. The choice is vast for a variety of styles and budgets. High end and high street are offering incredibly versatile pieces both influenced from catwalk and street style, globally and locally. Whether your vibe is crazy Rio inspired print leggings, or cool London monochrome mesh, I advise you to treat yourself to a killer outfit that's secure, comfortable and flattering and feel empowered to push boundaries in your session. 

 3. Max effort and max hydration

Embrace the sweat. Enjoy the feeling you get after you complete a brilliant workout and accept that getting super sweaty is just part of the process to looking and feeling great, sustainably. Your brain loves the endorphin release and your body loves to move so don't shy away from giving max effort at the expense of being self conscious. Most people in the gym are so focused on themselves they won't bat an eyelid to what you're doing. Don't concern yourself with outside judgement, focus on your intrinsic motivation - because nothing makes you feel better than when you accomplish something to better yourself, by yourself.  Be aware of your hydration and re-hydrate/re-fuel sensibly to give your skin and everything internally all the goodness it needs. 

4. Pamper and positivity

Try to be mindful of how your treat yourself and get to understand what makes you feel good. How can you be kind to your mind and body and allow it to rest and recover from stressful days at work or a really hard spin class? Stress plays such a huge part in how we feel, how our bodies recover and how we then behave so be aware of triggers and find techniques you can use to unwind. Getting enough sleep is no.1 priority for staying on the wagon of health and happiness, try to ensure this isn't scarified at the expense of a guilty reality TV addiction. The more sleep we have, the better we function and arguably we're at our most beautiful when we feel refreshed and re-charged, confident and ready to tackle whatever comes our way. 

Becca Pow x