Why Cosmetics Are Making Up for Lost Time in Women's Sports

It took time for women’s sports and cosmetics to develop team chemistry, but addressing the intersecting spaces and faces within the game has produced a winning combination.

The WNBA played its first season in 1997, but didn’t have an official beauty partner until Glossier came aboard in 2020. By the time the league renewed its deal with Glossier last year, the brand was providing Caitlin Clark’s glam for her WNBA Draft night, partnering with league athletes on lip gloss shades, and giving Team USA its first beauty partner at the Paris Olympics.

But that’s just the beginning. Despite slowly introducing itself to women’s sports, the cosmetics industry is making up for lost time by signing an increasing number of deals. And it’s proving to be a major score for athletes, teams, and leagues throughout.

Take the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty as an example. A founding member of the league in 1997, the Liberty didn’t have a beauty sponsor until it teamed with Hero Cosmetics in 2022—and only then for skin care. The next year, the Liberty made Nyx Professional Makeup its first official makeup partner before eventually breaking its cosmetics sponsorships into silos, bringing on L’Oreal-owned Essie as a nail polish partner and making Liberty mascot Ellie the brand’s first celebrity spokesperson.




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