Synchronized swimmers need flawless makeup to compete — and as it turns out, they’re taking their waterproof beauty game as seriously as their moves at the Rio Olympics. Read on to find out what team members Anita Alvarez and Mariya Koroleva wear when they compete!
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Kryolan Lipstick Classic in LC 334, $19, kryolan.com
The hero product: Kryolan Lipstick Classic in the crimson shade LC 334. “We usually wear a bright red lipstick,” Alvarez, 19, and Koroleva, 26, who compete on Tuesday, August 16, told Vogue. “It’s been trial and error on finding the lipstick that stays on the best. More matte than gloss is better, because you’re in the water and the gloss would come off easier.”
MAC Cosmetics Eye Shadow in White Frost, $16, maccosmetics.com; MAC Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Honesty, $16, maccosmetics.com; Make Up For Ever Aqua Seal, $21, makeupforever.com
Of course, the ladies need more than just their pouts to stay put. So they protect their eye makeup and tip their bathing caps to one product in particular — Make Up For Ever Aqua Seal. “We use it with MAC eyeshadows, which have great colors,” they said. “There’s a rule in synchro that your makeup has to be natural — not real-people natural, but synchro natural. We use neutral browns, and MAC’s Honesty is a nice one with some sparkle. Then we’ll put white or silver shadow under the brow to accentuate the eye a little more.”
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Once their face is in place, the ladies are ready to go (and hopefully grab gold!). “You have to be able to do everything [as a synchronized swimmer],” Koroleva told Vogue. “You have to be flexible, but you have to be strong, and then in the water, you have to be able to move fast and sharp, but be graceful.”
Watch the women’s synchronized swimming team compete in the women’s final on Friday, August 19, at 11:00 a.m. ET on NBC.