The intersection of beauty and sports
From hair, nails, and makeup to game winning shots and breaking world records.
Fans of women’s basketball, track, rugby, soccer, etc. know that there’s always been some sort of intersection of beauty and sports. The first athlete that comes to mind is the WNBA’s Tina Thompson. She sported red lipstick on the court during her time in the league the ‘90s until 2013. More recently, an athlete known for her hair choices on the field is soccer player Trinity Rodman—specifically her bright and colorful braids during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Today, players have a full-face of makeup on during games and matches, hitting buzzer beaters and scoring winning goals with the best hairstyles and fresh manicures. Case in point: There’s always been an intersection between women's sports the the beauty world, it just hasn’t always been highlighted and celebrated. Until now.
Women’s sports have seen an influx of attention over the past few years—on and off the court. While ticket sales have been at an all time high for most sports, so has the attention on how these athletes dress, do their makeup, and style their hair.
In October, GQ wrote about how guard Nika Mühl is the “most stylish player” in the WNBA.
Just last month, Teen Vogue sat down with LA Sparks WNBA star Cameron Brink and talked about beauty and shopping for her wedding dress.
The WNBA’s Angel Reese shared her beauty secrets with Vogue last month. The Chicago Sky star took viewers through her skin-care regimen.
Glamour was all over the lip combo Simone Biles wore before hitting the floor during the Paris Olympics over the summer.
In July 2024, Trinity Rodman discussed getting Gel-X manicures and her love for “different designs and patterns” with Harpers Bazaar.
In 2019, Julie Ertz shared the beauty products she wears on the field with Marie Claire.
Beauty brands are also partnering with sports at all levels. e.l.f. Cosmetics announced a partnership with The Toronto Maple Leafs in October, 2024.
Women athletes haven’t received much attention when it comes to beauty until recently. Perhaps this is thanks to social media apps like TikTok and Instagram—two platforms that allow players to express themselves in ways that haven’t been able to in the past. This ultimately transitioned to game time, providing athletes a new space to show off their personal style via their hair, nails, and makeup while wearing their jersey.
Don’t get me wrong, women have always rocked fun hairstyles and makeup looks while competing. Just look at the beads Venus Williams wore during a match in the ‘90s:
On top of this, brands have been investing in these athletes through brand deals, campaigns, partnerships, and NIL deals. These players have been given opportunities akin to males who have always been the top tier type of athlete brands gravitated towards. Women have finally been provided further opportunities to express themselves outside of their sport, which ends up reaching more and more people who then become fans of them and sports in general.
Women have been proving themselves in a variety of different categories for decades now. Now that they’re completely dominating in their sport all around the world, it’s super clear how these athletes don’t just fit in one bubble—they can lift heavy in the weight room, play four quarters of a game, and do it all while wearing mascara and lipstick.
“There are players that have full wigs on, a weave in their hair and/or a full face of makeup. And, they’re still playing 35-40 minutes a game,” Taylor Burner, an agent for the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), told Vogue Business.
Glossier has been a partner of the WNBA since 2020, and became the official beauty partner of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team in 2024. Sephora is the official parter of Unrivaled, an extension of the WNBA. Charlotte Tilbury is the sponsor of the F1 Academy, becoming the first female-founded beauty brand to sponsor a motorsport event.
Sephora recently gifted players of the Unrivaled basketball league skincare and makeup items. The Phantom club shared a reel of the team seeing their new goodies, featuring players Sabrina Ionescu, Katie Lou Samuelson, Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, and Satou Sabally.
Dove partnered with Megan Rapinoe, former US soccer player, in their Real Beauty campaign. Tennis champion Coco Gauff became a beauty-brand ambassador for natural hair-care brand Carol’s Daughter. Gymnast Sunisa Lee (Suni) teamed up with Kiss for their Salon X-tend range of press on nails. Cameron Brink became a brand ambassador for Urban Decay.
USC Trojans women’s basketball player JuJu Watkins became the first female college basketball player to partner with a professional makeup brand—teaming up with NYX Professional Makeup.
UConn women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers has a partnership with CeraVe and she and her teammates Azzi Fudd, Ice Brady, and Morgan Cheli became brand ambassadors for Madison Reed. Mielle became an official marketing partner and the official textured hair care partner of the WNBA.
WNBA players Rae Burrell, Caitlin Clark, Aja Wilson, and Angel Reese have all been featured on the covers of magazines—sporting flawless hair and makeup—appearing in a much different light than some sports fans are used to seeing them.
Former track star Allyson Felix was featured on the cover of Glamour magazine in October, 2024. A more glamorous approach to hair, makeup, and nails than one may be used to seeing the athlete as she competes. Paige Bueckers, who is known for her pony tail with braids on the court has seen her fair share of magazine covers where she’s in a full-face of makeup and varying hairstyles.
Sha'Carri Richardson is a notable name in the sports world, for both her amazing skills on the track and the beauty choices she makes. She often races in winged eyeliner, a muted red lip, and some sort of eclectic design on her long nails. She was also featured on the cover of Vogue in August 2024.
In an interview with ELLE, she said “My grandmother, my aunt, and my mother all influence the beauty I exude to the world on a day-to-day basis, especially in big moments.” She continues, “They kept their nails well-manicured. Hair was also something that I saw a lot of attentiveness to.”
“My looks are always mixed up,” Richardson said to ELLE. “You never know what you’re going to get when it comes to me.”
Whether it’s brightly colored hair, long, flowing wigs, eye makeup, lip stick, and uniquely designed nails—women athletes are expressing themselves in various ways, showing they have an identity outside the sport, and can dominate as athletes.
There are a million (literally) women athletes I could also include in this post—such as the iconic Christina Clemons’ bold lips and meet-ready buns—Olympic weightlifter Mattie Rogers who always has a fun makeup look going on—USA rugby star Ilona Maher who wears makeup during matches—and a throw back to Serena and Venus Williams who always had the best hairstyles at the beginning of their careers—however, Substack only allows posts to be so long.
I love this post for SO many reasons. As a former college athlete, we really did a lot to incorporate beauty and personal style into game days. Whether it was fun hairstyles, an eccentric headband in our team colors (my signature move!), or temporary tattoos of our mascot—we always found ways to express ourselves. Being part of a team while still maintaining your personal style and identity was what made it all so fun.