The partnership between beauty and women’s sports is no longer just about sponsorships—it’s evolving into a deeper cultural movement that is changing both industries for the better. This month, Sephora announced their collaboration with Unrivaled, the Women’s Basketball League, and late last year, Whoopi Goldberg unveiled the All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN), which reaches 65 countries 24/7, showing women’s sports from around the world. We’ve seen a number of beauty ambassador partnerships going to sportswomen—from Simone Biles as the face of K18, to e.l.f. x Anastasia Pagonis as a way to leverage new communities, while athletes like Ilona Maher launched her own skincare brand Medalist, Naomi Osaka created Kinlò, and, of course, there’s Wyn Beauty by Serena Williams. The beauty x sport sweet spot is clearly an expanding and evolving opportunity for both industries—but how is it set to evolve in 2025 and beyond?
From Sponsorships to Co-Creation
The relationship between beauty brands and women’s sports has moved beyond traditional sponsorships and towards collaborative partnerships that center on co-creation, performance, and embodiment. Athletes will no longer just be the faces of a campaign but active participants in product development. With the athlete’s involvement and entrepreneurship, brands are utilizing their first-hand experiences to focus on performance-friendly beauty lines with formulas designed for specific needs—think pitch-proof makeup or a red lip that will last all game long. According to Nielsen, TikTok searches for "long-lasting" beauty increased by 6% and "waterproof lip preparations" by 24% in the first six months of 2024.
“I still believe we’ve barely scratched the surface of the collision between beauty and sport,” Holly Gilbertson, Managing Partner at PACER, a specialty agency helping brands invest in women’s sports, tells BeautyMatter. “The two worlds have always had so much in common, a lot more than may initially seem. They are both deeply intertwined with identity expression, self-confidence, and aspiration. They’ve both historically been led by dominant ideals that are now being disrupted and challenged. Makeup sponsorship has been widely explored—but what about sweat-enduring skincare, a new era of iconic on-pitch hair styling, or even scent to inspire performance? There are so many stories to be told.”
This shift will reflect a broader trend where beauty brands will recognize the unique needs of female athletes, creating products that cater more broadly to active lifestyles. The elevation of female athletes and subsequent cultural changes will then ultimately invite more girls into competitive sports, creating a larger market opportunity for these performance-based products.
Fueling Innovation Through Beauty-Sport Partnerships
Louise Yems, Strategy Director at beauty agency The Digital Fairy, highlights the potential for beauty brands to leverage sport as a “mechanic for always-on conversation tactics.” She tells BeautyMatter that “sport provides a brilliant framework for putting beauty products through their paces, proving endurance and efficacy in a way that feels genuinely disruptive.” This approach moves beyond ephemeral marketing moments, offering a long-term strategy for integrating beauty into the culture of sports and innovating product performance.
Brands like The Nue Co are expanding beyond individual product categories to create entire wellness and beauty ecosystems. These ecosystems combine skincare, supplements, and emotional wellness tools (like their mood enhancing fragrance line), all designed to support the holistic needs of active women. We’ve also seen the rise of "Athbeauty" brands, as coined by Nielsen, such as Lululemon’s Selfcare product line, and the Athletic Cosmetic Company and Alo Yoga’s Wellness System. This approach not only enhances performance but also aligns with the growing consumer demand for products that offer both functionality and self-expression—nurturing mind, body, and skin.
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in this convergence. AI-driven personalization is one area where we could see significant innovation. Brands like Shiseido and L'Oréal are already using AI to create customized beauty routines for consumers, so why not athletes and fitness enthusiasts tailoring products to individual skin types, workout intensities, and environmental conditions? Wearable beauty tech is another space for development, with the increased implementation of devices like the La Roche-Posay My Skin Track UV sensor, a small device that clips on to your clothes to monitor your unique exposure to a number of environmental aggressors (like UV, pollution, pollen, heat, and humidity), or emerging tech from MIT, supported by South Korean beauty conglomerate Amorepacific, that provides a "sweat-proof second skin" to track vitals, temperature, hydration levels, UV exposure, and pulse throughout the day and during workouts. These tools will not only help athletes maintain their skin health but also provide valuable data that can be used to improve and innovate product formulations.
A New Court for Content
Women's sports are experiencing unprecedented growth, with elite women's sports projected to have generated over $1 billion in 2024 for the first time ever, a 300% increase in revenue from 2020, according to Deloitte. Viewership records shattered in 2023 when the NCAA women's basketball championship became the most-watched basketball game across all levels since 2019. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 drew nearly two million in-person attendees, setting an all-time tournament attendance record.
The rise of platforms like the AWSN are driving even more visibility for beauty-sport partnerships. These platforms offer new opportunities for media and brand integration, such as branded beauty segments featuring athlete-driven tutorials or exclusive product launches. Sephora’s recent collaboration with Unrivaled is setting the tone with a whole new glam room built for players, filled with product and providing the perfect set for future GRWM videos that will act as seamless and authentic content for selected brands.
Streaming fitness-beauty hybrids are another emerging opportunity, especially given the established popularity and sway of fitness influencers across channels. The global virtual fitness market was valued at USD 16.4 billion in 2022 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 26.72% from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research. These workouts could incorporate beauty rituals, aligning wellness with active lifestyles. For example, a workout session might include tips on post-exercise skincare or how to maintain makeup during a high-intensity session. This integration not only enhances the viewer experience but also creates new avenues for beauty brands to connect with their audience. We might, for example, see spin class teachers recommending their favorite post-workout products, more content shot in locker rooms or set pre- or post-match for natural product placement.
Yems also predicts that beauty brands will explore more niche sports, such as figure skating, rhythmic gymnastics, and synchronized swimming. “For these activities, hair and makeup are entwined with sport as performance,” she says. “This makes for interesting product storytelling that we don’t always see.” During the Paris 2024 Olympics, American gymnast Sunisa Lee went viral as she paused to reapply her lipstick, Rhode phone case in hand, with the unique endorsement cementing the brand’s it-girl status. The image was featured in fashion and beauty media around the world—from US Vogue to Tatler Asia. By focusing on these sports, beauty brands can break the mold when it comes to talent UGC (user-generated content), creating viral-ready narratives that are editorial from the start.
Embodiment and Action over Aesthetics
The partnership between beauty and women’s sports is also reflecting broader societal trends in embodiment, inclusivity, and diversity. Athletes are becoming role models for beauty beyond the traditional mold, embracing individuality, strength, and authenticity. Figures like Ilona Maher with her red lip and defiant body positivity, Sha’Carri Richardson with her elaborate manicures and full-glam makeup, and Inika McPherson with her alternative hair and eye looks, showcase how beauty can be empowering and expressive for everyone, busting stereotypes on beauty and athleticism. These aesthetics resonate with audiences who’ve previously felt excluded from traditional sports narratives, creating an era of cultural expansion. This shift is giving rise to a new kind of beauty icon—one who is not defined by traditional standards but by her unique identity and achievements. Gilbertson emphasizes the importance of this cultural shift: “There is now much more space for diverse visual languages—particularly those that are more playful and avant-garde (see Jacquemus’ Olympics campaign), more elevated, luxurious, and feminine (the rebrand of F.C. Como Women), or more human, relatable, and real (see Coco Gauff).”
Brands are increasingly investing in programs that elevate grassroots women’s sports while breaking stereotypes around femininity and athleticism. For example, beauty brands can sponsor local leagues, providing resources for young female athlete, and creating campaigns that celebrate the diversity of women in sports.
Going for Gold
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the convergence of beauty and women’s sports is poised for continued growth. Athlete-driven beauty brands, like Ilona Maher’s Medalist, are likely to become more prevalent. These brands leverage the athlete’s personal story, expertise, and existing fanbase to create products that resonate with consumers on a deeper level. Expanded product lines targeting the fitness and performance markets are also on the horizon. From sweat-proof makeup to skincare designed for post-workout recovery, these products cater to the growing demand for beauty solutions that align with an active lifestyle. Finally, we can expect to see a deeper integration of beauty into the culture of sports. This integration will move beyond aesthetics, focusing on holistic wellness and the empowerment of women through both beauty and sport. As Gilbertson aptly puts it, “Beauty for me will be the next frontier of female athlete health, from the elite to the casual level.”
The partnership between beauty and women’s sports is entering a new era, one defined by collaboration, innovation, and cultural relevance. In 2025, beauty brands will not only be sponsoring athletes but also co-creating products, leveraging technology, and shaping the aesthetics of sports. This convergence offers untapped opportunities for brands to connect with consumers in meaningful ways, while also empowering women to embrace their individuality and strength. As we look to the future, it’s clear that the intersection of beauty and sports is more than just a trend—it’s a cultural movement that reflects the evolving values of society. By embracing this movement, beauty brands can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of women’s sports, creating a world where performance and self-expression go hand in hand.
