Winnie Harlow: What’s In My Gym Bag?

Apr 22, 2023

She's singlehandedly bringing bar soap back. Plus, get a glimpse of her exclusive Puma line.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

Shape / Alli Waataja

As a working supermodel with vitiligo (a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment), Winnie Harlow is no stranger to breaking barriers. Now, she's channeled her entrepreneurial ambition into a new collection with Puma, one that reflects the sense of design she's honed after years of being on set.

"When it came to creating my Puma collection, I wanted something that fit all the different ways I wear Puma — traveling, running errands, and going to the gym, obviously — and fit some type of gap that I saw," Harlow explains.

One such gap was the ultra-cropped sweater. "I noticed that while Puma has crop tops, they didn't have any super crops — something you could throw on over your sports bra and matching set," she explains. The Cloudspun Cropped Training Sweatshirt became one of the anchor pieces in her exclusive Forever Luxe collection.

"The style of dancers always intrigues me," continues Harlow, who used to do ballet as a child. "Super long socks stacked up by my ankles, the old school look of long-sleeved shirts or sweatshirts with the neck cut out, lots of layers — just the dancer aesthetic."

The other items in her gym bag are just as functional as her versatile Forever Luxe line with Puma. It just goes to show that sometimes, the simplest gym bag staples (like water, SPF, and acne-fighting facewash) are the best — even for world-famous supermodels.

Sephora

Pre-workout, Harlow is religious about applying SPF before she rushes out to meet her trainer. "I might wake up late and be running out the door without much time for a full skincare routine, but I definitely have to use SPF," she says. She uses the Isle Glow Face Lotion from her skincare line Cay Skin on days when she needs a one-stop product that does it all. This moisturizer with SPF not only moisturizes your skin, but it also has SPF 45 to protect your face from the sun. Even better, the pearlescent formula gives what Harlow calls a "lit from within" glow. "You’re getting a beautiful boost to the skin looks-wise and protection-wise," she adds.

Puma

We love a multi-purpose piece of activewear, and so does Harlow. "The tanks that I created with Puma are technically sports bras," she points out. "I wanted them to have the look of a tank top so that if you wanted to wear it with jeans, you could. I want everything to be versatile." Even though this crop top is a total vibe, it still has the support of a regular sports bra, thanks to the quick-drying, compressive fabric.

Amazon

Fact: Even supermodels get pimples sometimes, so Harlow makes sure to wash her face and body with acne-fighting cleansers. "One of the new cleansers I’m using has salicylic acid, and I like to not just use it on my face, but on my body too," the entrepreneur shares. "On my back, my arms, everywhere to make sure I’m killing bacteria — especially after the gym." Right now, she's loving this bar soap with benzoyl peroxide that she found on Amazon.

Oura

With a hectic travel schedule and photoshoots that take her all over the world, Harlow admits to not getting as much sleep as she needs. She turns to her Oura Ring for trustworthy sleep tracking — and in fact, the ring looks so supermodel chic that it's made a few accidental appearances in shoots. "It goes so well with everything I wear, including my other rings," she explains. "I’ll go to a shoot and forget to take it off, and it’ll be in the first few frames."

Walmart

Secrets: Harlow isn't your typical workout-obsessed supermodel. "It's not something I really enjoy," she confides. "Some people get super pumped and excited to work out, I’m…" (editor's note: here, Harlow pauses for a dramatic heavy sigh). "I typically do cardio, weight training, and resistance training, and sometimes I end with intervals when I’m in it to win it. I love to end with a good stretch."

She relies on hip-hop playlists or streaming TV shows to keep her preoccupied while working out, and the Pill Plus portable Bluetooth speaker fits easily in any bag. And with a 12-hour battery life, you can trust that this speaker won't die during its first outing.

Amazon

Any skincare scientist will tell you that drinking water is the key to healthy, hydrated skin (so consider this your cue to take a sip right now — we’ll wait). Harlow, a Jamaican-Canadian who lives in Los Angeles, is no stranger to heat, so she's never without a "really cold" bottle of water — usually flavored. "I’m not super good at keeping up with my water intake, so flavored water helps me," she explains before naming Strawberry Blackberry Smartwater as her current fave.