Beauty’s relationship with sport is continuing to grow at pace, with a particular focus on inspiring women and young girls. From Charlotte Tilbury becoming the official partner of Formula One (F1) Academy last year, to Fenty Beauty supporting the 2024 Paris Olympics (with a branded makeup artist available to glam the volunteers and athletes), the rush to partner with female sports teams is well underway.
Beauty’s relationship with women’s sport is part of a wider cultural shift in attitude towards female-based games and tournaments, where more sports fans than ever are turning their attention to such events. In 2022, the Women’s EURO finals had a record breaking crowd attending the match in Wembley Stadium, with a total of 87,192 spectators watching England triumph over Germany. Furthermore, in 2023 the positive reception towards female sport continued as the number of female participants in high school sports increased in the US to 3.42 million, suggesting young girls are beginning to become more confident in their sporting abilities based on increased positive exposure and societal celebration.
Beauty brands have recognized the opportunity to connect with these budding young female athletes and capitalized on the marketing opportunities they bring. Recently, e.l.f cosmetics became the first to partner with the largest high school female wrestling competition—the Wonder Women of Wrestling Varsity Tournament, which attracted 700 athletes, 83 teams, and 3,000 spectators. As part of the sponsorship, the brand funded nine scholarships for senior wrestlers who take part in the Wonder Women of Wrestling Foundation essay competition.
“What I saw at the Wonder Women of Wrestling were dreams coming true as these young women achieved the level of play of top-tier athletes and, more importantly, gained the respect they deserve,” said Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer at e.l.f. Beauty. “These young women are breaking barriers in the sport with passion, resilience, and courage—exemplifying e.l.f.’s mission to be bold disruptors with a kind heart.”
Additionally, Gen Z-focused beauty brand Indu has announced its new Teen Athlete Sponsorship Program, created to promote active teen lifestyles and empower the next generation of sporting stars. The program covers all ranges of sports, supporting varied individuals from dancers, to surfers, and football teams. Indu will assist the athletes by covering costs for competition entry fees, equipment, and travel experiences. The inaugural names of the sponsorship include Rip Curl GromSearch International Surfing Champion Lukas Skinner, Captain of Arsenal Women's U21 Squad Omotara Junaid, 2x British National surfing champion Lauren Sandland, and 3x British Outdoor 300-meter champion Shiloh Omotosho.
“As a father of twin teenage girls myself, I’ve always been passionate about sports and encouraging my own girls to keep active and involved in sports, as I feel it’s so absolutely critical for their own mental and physical health,” said Aaron Chatterley, co-founder of Indu. "So for Indu, it’s a real privilege to be able to both sponsor and support these up-and-coming athletes, whilst amplifying their achievements and stories to inspire and encourage other teens to continue with whatever sport they enjoy."
Despite noted progress and efforts from brands, the same data shows there is still an imbalance between girls and boys playing sports. In fact, over 1 million more boys than girls had engaged in sport within the same year, suggesting there is still a need for girls to be encouraged further.
Hoping to continue encouraging young female beauty consumers to embrace their talent in sport, after the success of Sephora’s sponsorship of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the LVMH-owned beauty brand has set its sights on uplifting women through basketball, announcing two partnerships with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the US and Canada.
Sephora US has signed a multiyear partnership with the new WNBA Women’s Basketball League, Unrivaled, founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. The league was created to give an alternative source of income to WNBA players in the off season. Sephora’s alliance with Unrivaled aims to celebrate and promote women in sports, putting Sephora-stocked products on and off the court.
The collaboration will include advertisements on the league’s new purpose-built court in Miami, as well as Sephora decking out the dressing and makeup room with beauty and body products for the athletes.
“At Sephora, our mission is to create an inclusive community where all feel welcome to celebrate themselves, making a partnership with Unrivaled—a league committed to elevating and empowering the greatest in women’s basketball—a seamless collaboration between beauty and sports,” said Zena Arnold, Chief Marketing Officer at Sephora US.
“Sephora’s dedication to uplifting and empowering emerging brands deeply resonates with a league also looking to make waves as a new, diverse sports property,” added Kirby Porter, Unrivaled’s Chief Brand Officer.
Additionally, Sephora Canada has become the beauty partner of the Toronto Tempo WNBA team—the first team outside the US to join the Unrivaled league. Sephora Canada’s logo will be featured on the team’s jersey when the Toronto Tempo begin play in 2026. By aligning itself with the women’s basketball team, Sephora Canada fuels the momentum and representation of professional female sports and athletes in Canada, inspiring young girls who visit its 129 doors across the country.
“[The partnership] really hits home because Sephora's slogan is 'We belong to something beautiful,’ and that's what we're trying to create; that's what I think we are at the Toronto Tempo,” said Teresa Resch, President of Toronto Tempo. “It's great because the brands are so aligned. Ultimately Sephora is really about individuality, diversity, and belonging, and so are we."
Sephora is not the only beauty brand to have made a slam-dunk with basketball partnerships. Glossier became the official beauty partner of the WNBA in 2020, followed by being named the first-ever official beauty partner of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team in 2024. Glossier gifted the team packages of their skincare, makeup, and beauty products while they competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Additionally, last June, the brand teamed up with basketball renovation nonprofit Project Blackboard and artist Na Chainkua Reindorf to refurbish the Tompkins Square Park basketball court in New York's East Village.
Through their continued work, Sephora joins Glossier in firmly taking the “new normal” marketing stance of combining beauty and sports to focus on empowering young girls, exposing them to more strong female figures. Aside from these professional partnerships, initiates like e.l.f and Indu’s sponsorship teams will continue to advocate for young girls and women’s place in sport. The more beauty and sport work together, the more female sports gain visibility, inspiring young girls and women to step into the professional sporting space that once was predominantly filled with men.
