Models Are Out, Muscles Are In: How Female Athletes Became the Face of the Beauty Industry

Cut to 2026, and the intersection between those two industries—beauty and women’s sports—has become more pronounced than ever. Trailblazers like the Williams sisters, Chris Evert, Flo-Jo and Fraser-Pryce have been demonstrating for decades now the power that self-expression through hair, nails, makeup and clothing can bring to the court, field or track. But it’s only recently that beauty brands seem to have really grasped the selling power of female athletes. And in a fun twist of fate that I certainly did not see coming, I’ve found that it’s made both industries feel more accessible.

USA Rugby star Ilona Maher made waves as an outspoken body positivity activist ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning over social media with her honest and open content about living life as a professional female athlete in a larger body. But her penchant for bright red lipstick, worn on the field every game, has also garnered plenty of attention. In an interview with CBS Mornings ahead of the international competition, she explained, “You don’t have to sacrifice your femininity to play any sport, whether it’s softball, field hockey, basketball, rugby, and I think a lot of the [rugby] sevens players…that I play against are doing that as well. I see them put on a full face of makeup before they go play rugby, and they are the most badass women on the planet. It’s just a little bit of not changing who I am no matter what I’m doing.”

That outspoken commitment to self-expression through her makeup has earned her deals with Secret deodorant, Coppertone sunscreen, Paula’s Choice skincare and, least surprising of all, Maybelline, as the official spokesperson for her go-to red lip color, Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink. And Maher is far from the only high-profile athlete making deals with beauty brands across all categories.

Alysa Liu’s signature halo-striped hair was already inspiring trips to the salon for ice skating fans all over the world long before her gold medal turn at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. And WNBA stars Rickea Jackson, DiJonai Carrington and Angel Reese have all been known to rock a full face of glam on the court, spurring thousands to demand the details of which products they trust to see them through such high-intensity games without so much as a smudge.

As someone who lives squarely in the center of the Venn diagram between style and sports, seeing all these strong, athletic women serving as inspiration for what beauty can be has turned out to be more meaningful than I ever would have guessed. Growing up, an interest in makeup and one in working out were seen as almost competing thoughts. How could the same person both spend an hour perfecting their eyeliner and braiding their hair, and then go and dominate on the soccer field? It was the girly girl versus the tomboy; you were supposed to be one thing or the other. But, of course, we’re all so much more complex than that.

It's been so empowering to see these women be celebrated for embracing all sides of their personality in a shift away from the pigeonholing categories of my youth. What’s been most interesting, though, is that the effect of showcasing and promoting female athletes as beauty icons hasn’t been to make women feel the need to do a full beat while working out or playing sports. I don’t feel additional pressure to look picture perfect while at the gym. Instead, I simply feel the freedom to express myself, without being judged. Go bare-faced, make cat-eye liner your signature, take a page from Fraser-Pryce and rock a different hair color or style for every competition—whatever you prefer, it’s all OK.

The embracing of athletes as inspiration for makeup, hair, skincare, etc. speaks to a new definition of beauty, one where performance, authenticity and wellness go hand-in-hand. As for the athletes themselves, they’re no longer forced into one singular box—that of high-performing competitors. They can also share their love of skincare or favorite lipstick without being made to feel like an anomaly. And for the fans, it gives us even more ways to relate and connect to our favorite athletes, and in many ways gives us permission to express our own range of interests, too. I can sport sparkles on my face and some long-lasting lipstick while attempting a PR in the marathon. I can be multiple things at once—just like Maher, Liu, Osaka and Fraser-Pryce.