All eyes are on the Paris 2024 Olympics right now, and while we’re obviously impressed by everyone’s athletic skills, it’s only on-brand for us to be equally enamored by their beauty routines. We’re eagle-eyed, scanning to see the manicures our favorite gymnasts are sporting, zooming in to catch the exact lip liner Simone Biles uses for her flawless touch-ups, and most recently, we’re captivated by the matte lipstick worn by Team USA rugby center Ilona Maher that seemingly doesn’t budge, no matter how intense the game gets.
Fortunately, Maher spoke with Allure and named the lipstick she swears by, which we should have known: Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick. Since its debut in 2017, this cult favorite has garnered thousands of five-star ratings, praised for its easy-to-use design, generous color selection (28 shades!), and even application.
But above all, it’s the long-lasting benefit that has everyone, including Maher, obsessed. “Lipstick is my way of saying how I feel, how I want to be presented. I can wear bright colors on the field because I have a lipstick that I really trust is going to stay on my face,” she told the outlet. “The lipstick I wear on the field is Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink. It stays up to the point where you’ve got to work to get it off.” (It’s true: You’ll need an oil-based makeup remover or micellar water formulated for waterproof makeup to successfully remove it.)
Finding a lipstick that holds up during the game is important to Maher. “I play a sport that is traditionally very masculine,” she continues. “You have to be, supposedly, very manly to play. I think it’s putting female athletes in a box. So I wear makeup [on the pitch] to give a big ‘eff you’ to having to sacrifice my femininity. Even while I wear lipstick or have mascara on, I can still tackle hard, run hard, and be a great rugby player.”
Shop Ilona Maher’s favorite lipstick
That’s not all; Maher shared an even deeper look into her makeup bag. Other products she wears on the pitch? “My favorite mascara right now is the Tarte Tubing Mascara,” she says,” adding, “I’ll do my eyebrows with a little [Glossier] Boy Brow or whatnot.”
Shop Ilona Maher’s favorite mascara and eyebrow gel
Maher says showcasing one’s femininity on the pitch makes a powerful statement. “We’re seeing a lot of other [rugby] teams now wearing makeup and it’s celebrating that we are incredible athletes who play a very tough sport, but that doesn’t mean we’re also not feminine and feel beautiful,” she said. “A lot of [players] wear bows in their hair. It’s not detracting from the athlete that they are. I think we also want to make sure that girls know that this is a space to be anything you want to be. If you want to play rugby, you can come as you are. So [makeup] is important for us.”
