Why Shay Mitchell feels most confident with sweaty hair

After you hop off your SoulCycle bike and are dripping with sweat from head to toe, those feel-good endorphins are shooting off like crazy. While treating yourself to a nice blowout is always a great confidence booster, rocking that post-workout glow is just as stunning—and Shay Mitchell actually prefers it.

The Pretty Little Liars actress has a team to help her look red-carpet ready, but not even long, classic beach waves tops a slicked-back, sweaty pony, in her book.

“People always ask, ‘When do you feel your most confident or your best?’ It’s really after a workout,” Mitchell told Coveteur. “I don’t care if I’m sweaty. My body feels stronger. I feel happier; it’s the endorphins that have been released. It’s all of that.”

“I don’t care if I’m sweaty. My body feels stronger.”

So is she rushing off to wash the sweat from her locks right after she’s done on the Megaformer? No way. She wears her sweaty hair all day long as a badge of honor. (FYI, unlike stress sweat, the regular beads that populate your brow line during boot camp class, don’t necessarily reek of odor.)

“I really do enjoy working out, and I actually like the look of people after they workout,” Mitchell said. “You can just rock that [sweaty hair] look throughout the day. I do a lot of the time. You’re putting in that work to allow your body to get stronger, and that’s attractive in itself.”

So give your body a nice rinse after class (or don’t!), throw your sweaty hair back into an easy-to-master ‘do—like this “workout bouffant” or a graceful braided bun—and go about your day with a Mitchell-approved sense of empowerment that no one can take away.

Does sweating make your workout more effective? Here’s the answer, once and for all. Speaking of sweaty, try these new New York City fitness studios for the ultimate workout.