By Koromone Koroye
Staff Writer

I am a gym rat. I run, squat, lift, jump, plank and sit up. I work out six days a week, mostly in the mornings, which means I have to constantly pay attention to my skin care routine.

Along with being a fitness junkie, I am also a beauty lover. I collect lipsticks and perfumes like they will be out of supply in the upcoming future. I am a weird mix between a wannabe bodybuilder and a MAC makeup artist and because of that I have had to work twice as hard on balancing an active exercise life with a much needed skin care regime.

Usually before I head out to start my cardio session, I cleanse my face with Boots’s Botanics Cleansing Toner and oval cotton pads. This cleansing toner is made with hibiscus and it is said by the Boots Company that it will “help visibly tighten pores and instantly brighten skin. Skin is left feeling fresher and prepared for moisturizing.” I really love this product because my skin does feel fresher after use.

I use a little bit of my virgin coconut oil to moisturize before I leave for the gym. To prevent my natural hair from drying out, I spray it with water and run some almond oil through it ­­– works like a charm.

When I am done working out, I pick up a lightweight facial scrub. I choose a scrub because I believe it works the best with thoroughly exfoliating and enchasing my skin tone after all that working and sweating. Simple’s Smoothing Facial Scrub does a fabulous job with bringing my skin back to life and removing dead skin off the surface of my face. It’s a very gentle product and it does not strip or leave your skin feeling dry and irritated. Following the scrub, I moisturize with Boots Botanics Skin Calming Day Cream with SPF 15. This is a fantastic face cream I picked up while I was in London for the summer. Boots Botanics products are sold on Beauty.com and also at some select Target stores. I highly recommend their products because they do not contain harsh chemicals, and they work very well with all skin types.

If I have a little bit of time before work or class, I use a BB cream from Kiss New York. Kiss New York is a great brand that caters to women of color, as it is sometimes hard for us to find a shade that suits our undertones. I set the BB cream with MAC’s Mineralized skin finish, run my favorite deep red blush by Sleek on my cheekbones, a nude lipstick from either Revlon (Mink) or MAC (Touch) and I am all good to go.

I really hope this article helps my fellow fitness and beauty lovers at Hofstra, and if there are any questions or comments, I can be reached at [email protected]m.