It’s no secret that sports have traditionally been male-dominated, with women’s sports often being underfunded and plagued by misconceptions, one of the worst being that athletic prowess and femininity cannot coexist. In attempts to earn respect as athletes, and to draw attention to their skills, female athletes for the longest time had to adhere to rigid rules that kept their appearance as simple as possible. This is not until trailblazers like Florence ‘Flo-Jo’ Jones and Serena Williams challenged these stereotypes by expressing themselves with their outfits, nails, and makeup while breaking records in their respective sports. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, more female athletes are choosing to express themselves through their choices of accessories and makeup serving us dazzling performances and gorgeous face beats! Here are some of the beauty looks at the Olympics that we simply can’t get over.
Simone Bile’s Fenty moment
The seven-time Olympic gold medalist not only showcased her incredible skills during the Paris 2024 Olympics but also turned heads with her stylish looks as she pursued an eighth gold medal. Simone Biles often sported the clean girl makeup look during her routines, with her signature winged liner subtly accentuating her eyes.
A keen photographer captured a moment of Biles touching up her Fenty setting powder and nude lip liner during a break in one of the events. Despite a frightening slip on the balance beam that cost her the gold medal to Brazilian competitor Rebeca Andrade. Simone kept her composure and excelled in the rest of her routines, ultimately earning a silver medal in floor gymnastics.
Heading into the Paris 2024 Games, Simone was already the most decorated gymnast in history, with a total of 31 Olympic and world championship medals.
A bronzed Suni Lee
Yet another star on the American women’s gymnastics team, Sunisa ‘Suni’ Lee also had viewers enchanted with her powerful routines. Having joined the US women’s team in 2016, Lee took home the Gold medal during the 2020 Tokyo games. However, the 21-year-old gymnast’s career was almost cut short in 2023 after a kidney disease diagnosis. The diagnosis saw doctors advise Suni she may never compete again, but she did compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Suni’s makeup look gave her a rosy glow during one of her routines. She had her hair snatched into a braided bun which allowed us to appreciate her perfect brows and flattering lash extensions. Her cheeks were sculpted by rosy pink blush and she topped of the look with a soft pink glossy lip.
Standing out from the sidelines, Rena Wakama
Rena Wakama better known as ‘The African Wonder Woman’ is the first female African coach to lead an African women’s national team to the basketball quarterfinals in the Olympics. The former basketball player turned coach led the Nigerian Women’s basketball team known as D’Tigress into victory as they bounced back from behind Canada to win the game by 79 points against Canada’s 70.
The North Carolina native, born to Nigerian parents kept her look minimal by opting for clean girl makeup featuring subtle eye makeup, light contouring, and a flawless dewy base.
Her goddess braids were styled into a ponytail, and her power suits have given us another reason to be glued to our screens. Despite her minimalistic approach, Wakama exuded authority and style as she coached D’Tigress to victory.
All eyes on Sha’Carri
All eyes were on Sha ‘Carri Richardson heading into the 100m athletics competitions. Sha‘Carri was favored to win gold in the athletic event, after clocking a personal best of 10.71 seconds 100m sprint during qualifiers in Oregon.
For most of the Paris competition, the clean girl makeup look has been the top pick for many of the athletes and it was the same for Sha’Carri who besides her athletic prowess, she’s also known for her unapologetic take on beauty often spotted with a fresh set of colorful and extravagant nails.
Sha’Carri added some edge to her clean-girl makeup look with an extended winged liner and a deep brown MAC cosmetics gloss which she was captured applying on camera. Dominic Skinner, head Makeup Artist at MAC Cosmetics shared the exact lip product she was spotted wearing which we now know is the MAC squirt plumping gloss stick.
Sha’Carri took home silver, placing second after Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred who took home the island nation’s first Olympic gold.
Golden girl Rebeca Andrade
Simone Biles playfully joked that she was simply tired of competing against the Brazilian gymnast, and with good reason! Andrade is the most decorated Latin American and Brazillian gymnaist of all time, with 6 Olympics gold medals in total.
She bagged yet another medal for Brazil in the vault gymnastics event and breezed past competition to clinch another gold in the women’s floor gymnastics event in Paris. Andrade seems to be a big fan of eye makeup as she appeared in different graphic eyeliner looks as she delivered memorable performances.
In one of the looks, Andrade spotted black graphic eyeliner, in another she spotted gold and blue eyeliner, a nod to her nation’s flag. Andrade’s performance at the Olympics now makes her the most decorated Brazilian athlete.
Ebony Morrison – Team Liberia
Leading up to Paris 2024, Morrison first participated for Liberia in the Tokyo Olympics – clocking in an impressive 10.74s in the 100m sprint which earned her a spot in the semi-finals. In Paris, her head stood out as team Liberia’s boat sailed by, with her gorgeous afro drawing all eyes in her direction.
As team Liberia was photographed, we got to appreciate her full look: Ebony’s beautiful afro complemented by brown lipstick. She oozed black girl magic and had social media users referencing Michael Jackson’s Liberian girl.
In one of the pictures, Ebony smiled to reveal a golden grill that edged out her look. Her next 100m hurdle appearance in Paris is slated for 7th August as she participates in the round 1 Heat.
As more female athletes embrace makeup during their competitions, it becomes evident that athletic prowess and femininity can coexist harmoniously. Trailblazers like Florence ‘Flo-Jo’ Jones and Serena Williams have paved the way for this new era, where women in sports can express themselves through their unique styles while delivering stellar performances. The Paris 2024 Olympics has been a testament to this evolution.
As these athletes continue to challenge stereotypes and redefine norms, it remains to be seen if beauty brands will take notice and develop products that cater to the needs of athletes who wish to enhance their natural beauty while competing at the highest levels. The blend of athleticism, beauty and style at the Olympics is not just a trend but a powerful statement of self-expression and empowerment.
