NFL WAGs Who Look So Different Without Makeup

Just as a quarterback would never play without an offensive line, an NFL WAG isn't going to step foot inside a stadium without her glam. And the pressure to look good at games just keeps growing, thanks to a group of highly successful women who have loaded bank accounts at their disposal. However, while some WAGs could probably afford to pay professional makeup artists every day, they occasionally let fans see what they look like when they aren't repping their partners on game day in one of Kristin Juszczyk's custom designs.

To get a better grasp of just how essential a flawless mug is to a WAG whose man is about to run the gauntlet on the gridiron, get a load of the packed football season schedule of makeup artist Allison Kaye. "I was flown out by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Jacksonville Jaguars to do glam on location for a home game this season," she told Popsugar in 2024. (To clarify, the WAGs paid for her trips, not the teams.) She's not opposed to doing makeup for women from opposing teams, either. At the 2024 Super Bowl, some of her clients were in relationships with Kansas City Chiefs players, while others were boo'd up with San Francisco 49ers.

WAGs also bring their A-game when it comes to skincare, so when they go makeup-free, it always leaves fans clamoring for a peek inside their beauty playbooks.

When former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo married San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey in June 2024, she didn't revisit her beauty pageant days by sporting heavy stage makeup. In fact, she told Vogue she didn't even use a brow pencil or mascara. While she took a minimalist approach to doing her wedding-day makeup, Culpo has become so adept at applying beauty products that she probably could have won the talent competition in a pageant by demonstrating her skills. In an interview with People, she boasted that she can put her makeup on without seeing what she's doing. "Even lining lips I don't need a mirror!" she boasted.

Culpo would rather focus on how her skin looks than executing an impeccable winged eye. This means she does a lot of pre-makeup prep work; while sharing her beauty routine with Vogue, she began with a clean face and used at least a dozen different skincare products before a drop of concealer touched her epidermis.

Culpo explained that she uses the blue and red light settings on her Déesse PRO LED mask to treat mild breakouts and minimize the appearance of the marks she leaves behind by popping her pimples (tsk, tsk!). She then multitasks by whitening her teeth while wearing her GlamGlow GravityMud Firming Treatment mask, which she enjoys peeling off after it dries. By the time she finishes applying the rest of her lotions and potions and finally moves on to doing her makeup, she has to be exhausted (no wonder she prefers a more natural beauty look).

When Taylor Swift began dating Travis Kelce in 2023, she dethroned Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany Mahomes, as the queen of the Kansas City Chiefs' wives and girlfriends. Swifties tend to obsess over every beauty decision the singer makes, so when the crimson red paint on her lips didn't have its usual preternaturally immaculate appearance in 2023, they took notice. Swift and Kelce had been photographed heading to a "Saturday Night Live" afterparty, and soon a popular narrative about the images emerged: the couple had been making out. "Wait travis was hiding his lips when they got out of the car and taylor's red lipstick was smudged," tweeted one fan.

Swift's fondness for red lipstick has become one of her beauty signatures, along with her razor-sharp winged eyeliner. The singer's makeup artist, Lorrie Turk, revealed on her Instagram Story (via Cosmopolitan) that one of Swift's go-to lip colors is NARS Morocco; she's even worn it to at least one Chiefs game.

Fans can get a rare glimpse of Swift's bare lips in her 2020 music video for "The Man." It concludes with some behind-the-scenes shots of her transformation into an entitled finance bro. However, she doesn't step out without makeup often. This means she had to get in the habit of washing it off every evening. "After my teen years and early twenties of sleeping in my makeup and occasionally using a Sharpie as eyeliner (DO NOT DO IT), I felt like I needed to start being nicer to my skin," she told Elle in 2019.

Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, is among the NFL WAGs who have admitted to getting cosmetic procedures. On her Instagram Story, Brittany revealed that she's a fan of lip filler. On game days, her plumped-up pout often looks glossy and is painted a natural pink hue. "The signature WAG makeup is usually a neutral matte eyeshadow, winged liner, fresh glowing skin, and a nude lip," her makeup artist, Alexis Oakley, told Glamour.

Brittany also skips makeup altogether for the 'gram every now and then. "Wow! Go without makeup more often. Stunning!" a fan wrote in response to one of her fresh-faced selfies. Brittany doesn't just document her good skin days, either. A few months before she and Patrick announced that their third child was on the way, she took to her Instagram Story to share that she had started breaking out badly. Her posts included a close-up shot of bumps and redness around her nose and mouth. "Actually really struggling with my skin right now," she wrote (via Page Six), adding that it looked like she was having an allergic reaction.

In a later update, Brittany revealed that she had perioral dermatitis, which she was treating with a few different OTC products, including Osmia Black Clay Facial Soap and De La Cruz Acne Treatment. Unfortunately, her skin flared up again after she got pregnant. "This pregnancy has been the hardest on me... sickness, exhaustion and now skin!" she captioned a photo on her Instagram Story (via People) of her acne spots.

The foremost acronym tied to Simone Biles' name will always be GOAT, but she also joined the WAG club when she started dating her now-husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens. As one of Team USA's MVPs, you might think Biles would have her makeup professionally done for competitions to give her one less thing to worry about before she has to execute her death-defying gymnastic skills. But while spilling her beauty secrets to Vogue, she revealed that this isn't the case — she had to master the art form herself. "I do trial and errors all the time with makeup if I want to do a new look," she said.

However, in a January 2024 Instagram post, Biles revealed that she had put her face in the hands of pro makeup artist Alayza Casey when she was getting ready for one of Owens' games. "Love a good gameday glam," she wrote.

Biles stated that genetics have blessed her with decent skin, which was evident when she went makeup-free for her Vogue video. She also credited her former teammate, Aly Raisman, for helping her learn how to take better care of it. "She was obsessed with skincare products," Biles recalled, "and half of her suitcase every time we went on an assignment was all skincare." One medal-worthy trick Biles shared was leaving her SK-II Pitera Facial Treatment sheet mask on while using a jade roller.

In February 2017, Ciara and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson were expecting their first child together. For a Valentine's Day getaway that could have doubled as a babymoon, Ciara suffered a packing fail that would have some makeup devotees hiding in their hotel room until they could sneak away for an emergency Sephora trip: she left her cosmetics at home. But Wilson didn't mind the "1, 2 Step" singer skipping a step when they got ready to go out for the evening. "He made me feel beautiful," Ciara wrote, including a makeup-free selfie in her tweet.

Ciara also went au naturel again in a 2019 selfie. "Finally embracing myself fully! It feels good," she wrote on Instagram. "Zero makeup and still looks so beautiful," one of her followers gushed. With skin like hers, launching a beauty line was a no-brainer. Ciara used a Vogue "Beauty Secrets" video to promote some of her OAM Skin products, which are packed with vitamin C. "[It] helps with the brightening of your skin ... It helps with also the pigmentation, the evenness of your skin," she said of the antioxidant.

While Ciara is comfortable sporting her natural glow, she wears makeup so often that her and Wilson's oldest daughter, Sienna, developed a lip gloss obsession at age 2. "She says, 'I want my wip woss,'" Ciara told ET in 2019. "It's like you're talking about lip gloss way too early, but it's inevitable because she's always around me getting glam and she loves it."

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld went Instagram official with their relationship in July 2024 when the Buffalo Bills quarterback shared multiple photos of "The Edge of Seventeen" star in a post. In an interview with Elite Daily about beauty and skincare, Steinfeld revealed that an eyebrow brush was one of the items she would be packing in her makeup bag for Allen's game days. She also shared her plan to embrace a low-key beauty look for the fall. "It's less about tons of coverage and more about making sure my brows are brushed up, and if I need a little concealer under the eyes, I'll take a pen and go over my beauty marks," she said.

Steinfeld's beauty marks were on full display in her Vogue "Beauty Secrets" video. As she began layering various products on the blank canvas that she started out with, she further extolled the usefulness of her brow brush, saying that she always makes sure that she has one with her. Holding the tool up in front of the camera, she said, "We've had some scary, scary moments without this."

Steinfeld became the face of Neutrogena's Collagen Bank product line in 2024, so she naturally sings the products' praises when she's asked to talk beauty. She also preaches the importance of using SPF products, even during those cooler football season months when the searing heat isn't serving as a reminder of the damage the sun can do.

The Cavinder twins' transformation into a highly profitable brand began when they started signing NIL deals, which allowed the University of Miami basketball stars to make some major business moves while they were still in college. An example is the skincare line they co-founded, Hustle Beauty. The girls are often glammed up in promotional photos for the brand, but as evidenced by the above left pic of Haley Cavinder, they don't mind being photographed without makeup.

Hanna and Haley Cavinder also make a great team when it comes to their skincare routines. In 2023, the C10 Wellness and Rejuvenation spa in Miami, Florida, shared a TikTok video of the sisters getting facials and dermaplaning treatments together. Haley also takes her sister's beauty advice; in a 2023 YouTube vlog, she revealed that she used a roller on her face after Hanna told her it was puffy.

In addition to being part of a dynamic duo that's a force to be reckoned with on and off the court, Haley is one half of an athletic power couple. In September 2024, she took to Instagram to celebrate her year-long romance with Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson. Sadly, the relationship was an internet troll magnet. Haley said in a YouTube Q&A, "I just started looking at the comments about my face ... Obviously, Jake's a great guy, but, like, you don't want to be called ugly on the internet 24/7 and your boyfriend see it."

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Braxton Berrios and Alix Earle went public with their relationship after Berrios split from Sophia Culpo, Olivia Culpo's younger sister. Earle's WAG era got off to a messy start when Berrios was accused of cheating on Sophia with her, but the couple persevered, and it wasn't long before Earle had her boyfriend creating content with her.

Of course, it was Earle's solo social media game that helped the popular influencer rise to fame on TikTok. Her GRWM (Get Ready with Me) videos were her early bread and butter, and she's continued letting fans see what she looks like before she totally transforms her face using her professional-level makeup artistry. Earle has also opened up to her TikTok followers about her struggle with acne. In an April 2023 video, she turned a beauty filter on and off to demonstrate how it can hide some spots, even when she's not wearing makeup.

In another clip, Earle revealed that the prescription drug, Accutane, was the only acne treatment that worked for her. However, she warned that it dried her lips out pretty severely, and she experienced some hair loss while taking it. She was willing to suffer the side effects because of the toll acne was taking on her self-esteem. "I would cry probably three times a day; I did not want to leave my house," she said. However, she reminded her followers, "Your skin does not define who you are."

Christen Harper met her future husband, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, through the dating app, Raya, in 2019. Two years later, she was one of the magazine's Swim Search finalists and was featured in the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Of her experience, she told ESPN, "You're holding these poses for so long, it's like Pilates ... it's sunrise to sunset, so we're getting up at 4 a.m. to do makeup."

In addition to being a model, Harper has a few minor acting credits and is a popular influencer online. Quite a bit of her content is beauty-related, such as her GRWM videos. She's also taken her TikTok followers through a step-by-step process for creating a no-makeup makeup look using a minimal amount of cosmetics. Instead of applying foundation, she starts with Alastin HyrdaTint, a tinted sunscreen. She then uses Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops to create a light contour. In lieu of blush, she dabs on the same brand's O-Bloos Rosi Drops. Burt's Bees lip balm in rose gives her lips a subtle hint of color, and she finishes her look by using Merit's The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick on any areas that need additional coverage.

When Harper doesn't hide her skin at all, fans get to see the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. They're visible in the above-left shot taken during a trip to Italy in 2023.

Kristin Juszczyk – wife of fullback Kyle Juszczyk – got crafty with jerseys and other athletic apparel, making her one of the most successful of the San Francisco 49ers' wives and girlfriends. Although their partners play on rival teams, even Taylor Swift couldn't resist the allure of Kristin's custom creations. In January 2024, Swift showed up at Arrowhead Stadium wearing a puffer coat featuring Travis Kelce's name and number, and when word got out that Kristin had made the outerwear, it was a game changer for the designer. "I feel like I owe her everything, truly," Kristin told Page Six.

Before the "Style" hitmaker helped turn Kristin into a style star, the designer had become her own best promotional tool. She advertises her wares and shows her love for her husband by wearing customized looks designed from his NFL gear. And just like a model, she also makes sure that she gives good face — on Instagram, she revealed that she hired a professional makeup artist for Super Bowl week in 2024.

During her down time, Kristin takes advantage of not feeling the pressure to WAG it up with airbrushed makeup. In November 2023, Kyle shared a photo of his ladylove hanging out with him on the beach without her killer cat eye and fluttery falsies. "Recharged. Refocused," he wrote in the caption.

Before she was a WAG, Sydney Hightower was a contestant on "The Bachelor." She didn't win the heart of Peter Weber during Season 24 of the reality dating competition, but she did catch the eye of her future husband, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner. On the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast, Hightower relayed how Warner first saw her while watching the show. "He found me on Instagram and shot his shot!" she recalled.

Like many other WAGs, Hightower has tried her hand at being an influencer. On TikTok, she's shared her tricks for creating a no-makeup makeup look, which include using NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer to target any areas that needed a little extra coverage to even everything out. The former reality show contestant has also spilled some secrets about being the wife of a 49er in her GRWM videos. While brushing her brows up, she informed her TikTok followers, "You're not allowed to spend the night with your significant other on away games or home games." She also said that the WAGs who get photographed on the sidelines while they're all glammed up aren't just allowed to go down to the field whenever they like; It's a privilege they have to ask for before each game. So, when they do get granted one of these special passes to get closer to the press, they might put a little more effort into their beauty looks.