Winning Look
Bustle speaks with the Olympian and TikTok sensation.
If youve ever spent time scrolling through TikTok, you may recognizeIlona Maher.
Much of her content is expectedly related to Rugby.
Rugby is a physical, high-contact sport thats largely dominated by men.
But for Maher, it does.
Here, the Olympian opens up to Bustle ahead of her turn at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
My earliest memory is from when I had serious surgery for my kidneys and was in the hospital.
[From then on], I’ve always had this sort of obsession with lipstick.
I started wearing makeup when I played for Team USA [in 2018].
I have a very simple makeup routine, but I think it was definitely a buildup.
At first, I started wearing a little mascara, some under-eye concealer, and maybe some brow product.
Then, I would wear a little bit of a less-bold lipstick, like a brown or muted tone.
After that, it was kind of a progression of moving toward brighter lipstick tones.
I just didn’t like that.
I didn’t think the idea that I had to give up a part of myself.
At first, I felt self-conscious, so I wore lipstick almost as an F.U.
I can tackle people really hard, run really hard, and stiff-arm.
But I can also keep my femininity with me, wear lipstick, and feel pretty out there.
The one that works for me isMaybelline SuperStay Matte Ink.
The stuff doesnt come off.
Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, sometimes Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, and Victoria Monet.
Those are my go-to.
But across all sports, skin rehydration seemed to be really important.
Everybody’s an athlete, and everyone can be aMedalist.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
