Can the new gym-friendly make-up really stop you looking like a beetroot?

My USUAL postworkout look? Something close to an overripe beetroot. But, thanks to a new trend for exercise skincare and make-up, the reign of the shiny pink face is over.

In these image- conscious times, an increasing number of beauty brands are releasing products that promise to make us look as good as we feel after a gym session — or even better.

But do they really work? I pulled on my trainers to find out . . .

BANISH PANDA EYES

IT FEELS odd to put on make-up before a treadmill session, but I diligently apply Clinique’s new range, CliniqueFIT, starting with Workout Makeup SPF 40 ( left, £ 29.50, clinique.

co.uk), a light, liquid matte foundation. It absorbs well and evens out my skin tone. I add the sweat-resistant Workout 24-Hour Mascara (£20) and Lip + Cheek Flush (£17), a sheer gel that stains my lips red.

After a 30-minute run, I’m dripping with sweat. I gaze at my reflection. The foundation has stayed put and, even when I dab at my forehead with a towel, most of it clings on.

My mascara is still perfect: not a hint of panda eye. The lip tint is a little eroded from my frequent gulps of water, but overall, I’m entranced.

Post-workout, having removed my foundation, I revive my skin with the oilfree Post-Workout Mattifying Moisturiser (£26). It’s hydrating and dampens down the shine — but I need a vigorous dab of the colour-correcting Post-Workout Neutralising Face Powder (£27) to get rid of the ruddiness around my nose.

For good measure, I spritz with the Workout Face + Body Hydrating Spray (£13). It’s fragrance-free, smoothing and restorative, without being greasy.

I’m thrilled — I look surprisingly good, considering I’ve just worked out. 8/10

STAY-PUT POUT

PRIMARK’S latest 11-piece range, PHr (Perform, Hydrate and recover) is designed to help you look your best both while working out and afterwards.

I’m particularly excited about the Hydrating Highlighter Stick (£4). It contains vitamin E and is and as solid as greasepaint. you can see that once on, it’s going nowhere. The most delicate dab above my cheekbones imparts a gorgeous, subtle shimmer. My cheeks gain a sweet spot of colour with the Hydrating Lip and Cheek Tint (£4). The tiniest bit makes an impact.

I slick on the nude Nourishing Lipstick (£1.50), which is thoughtfully cut through the middle with balm, like a stick of rock.

A swirl of hydrating PS . . . Work Out Lip Fix liquid lipstick (above, £2) feels like overkill, but with shea butter, vitamin E, jojoba seed and almond oil, I can’t resist.

It perfects an understated, yet polished, look, which, I should add, is paraben-free.

Finally, on goes black Splashproof Waterproof Mascara (£1.50) and off I trot to the gym.

After a punishing run, I sidle up to the mirror to see how my face has fared.

I’m glistening with sweat: the highlighter hasn’t budged, but is temporarily outshone. The cheek tint remains intact but is surplus to requirements, as my entire face is brick red. The lipstick and mascara have also stayed put.

Once I have cooled down, I look immaculate again — as if none if the panting and huffing had occurred at all. 8/10

NO MORE RED FACES

BRITISH brand Pretty Athletic is all about aftercare. Its products are free from parabens, sulphates, synthetic fragrance and colourants. After a weights session, I jog home. My face is hot and red, but the Cool Down Purifying Gel Cleanser (left, £18, prettyathletic.com), with aloe vera, cucumber and botanical extracts of lavender and green tea, leaves it feeling fresh without stripping away moisture.

I dab on some recovery Boost Cell repair Serum (£28), containing vitamins A, C and E, as well as rose and jasmine to soothe and grapeseed oil to boost elasticity.

At first, I fear it may be too rich: my skin is sensitive and this makes it tingle. But the next day, my face feels peachy and any redness appears reduced. It turns out the oil also contains inflammationfighting phytosterols extracted from pine bark.

I also spritz myself with Workout Glow Hyaluronic Vitamin Tonic (£17.50), a rose water tonic with vitamin E and aloe vera, which revives my hot face with a Turkish delight-like scent. It’s a great, lighter alternative to the serum. But my favourite is the Hydration kick Gel Body Moisturiser (£24) — featuring black oats, aloe vera, zinc and a lightweight hyaluronic acid derivative — which gently softens and smells sublime. 9/10

COOLING COSMETICS

A SLICK of SportFX’s raspberry rhubarb recovery Lip Balm (below, £4.99, sportfx.com) and a dab of its Balance Boosting BB Cream (£12.99) and I know I’m in the hands of professionals.

The brand is paraben-free and, before I check, I assume they cost double their actual price. The BB cream is just right. It covers imperfections, but doesn’t sit heavily on the skin.

Before this, I moisturised with the coconut- scented Cool Down Primer and recovery Gel (£9.99), enriched with vitamins C, E and F, aloe vera and panthenol to hydrate and restore that elusive glow.

It does just what it says on the tin — it actually cools my face. As I sweat on the treadmill, the sensation is pleasingly activated.

Afterwards, I see that the BB cream hasn’t blotted out all trace of colour. I have a rosy bloom, but its discreet coverage means my complexion doesn’t look wild.

I give thanks to the wizards at SportFX as I leave the gym a dewier version of myself. 10/10

GYM-PROOF POWDER

SWEAT Cosmetics was founded by a group of exprofessional female athletes frustrated at the lack of beauty products suitable for wearing when working up a sweat. The Mineral Foundation SPF 30 ( left, £29.53 with brush or £16.88 without, plus shipping, revolve.

com) comes in four shades. The powder pot slots into the brush base and the product travels through into the bristles, which control the flow.

Like the Translucent Mineral Powder SPF 30 (£ 29.53) and Mineral Bronzer SPF 25 (£16.88), a shimmery, stay- put blush, the Mineral Foundation is breathable, so as not to cause blocked pores.

It’s also full of antioxidants and vitamin E. Zinc oxide provides UV protection, while soothing herbal extracts are anti-inflammatory.

I waft it on with the brush. It’s smooth, even and surprisingly thorough. And its staying power is second-to-none: it doesn’t budge after running, weight-lifting and puffing home up a hill in the snow.

Close up, however, the powder is unforgiving of lines and dry skin. I’m also at the age (48) where any powder makes me look slightly furry. My suspicion that the fault is mine is borne out when a younger relative tries it. 7/10