Getty/Clive Rose
Of all the mysteries of synchronised swimming (otherwise known as “artistic swimming”), there’s one that plagues us.
Sure, years of training help them move through the water weightlessly, and miracles of physics see them tossing each other through the air even though their feet aren’t on the ground. But how do they manage to get themselves from the pool to the podium with nary a hair or lash out of place every time?
For those of us who can’t make it to the bus stop on a humid day without mascara making its way down our cheeks or seeing a carefully slicked-back bun go totally haywire, the phenomenon of synchronised swimmer’s hair and makeup can seem as magical as their underwater routines.
At marie claire, we leave no stone unturned in our beauty investigations. With the Paris Olympics in full swing and the synchronised swimming competition approaching, we wanted (needed) this question answered.
With summer around the corner, whether we’re anticipating summer weddings or a sweaty night in a crowded bar, we figure Olympians waterproofing beauty tips won’t go astray.
So, we investigated synchronised swimmers’ hair and beauty secrets and returned with answers.
Why Do Artistic Swimmers Wear Makeup?
@alexxtwins Чому ми обрали синхронне плавання?🤭 Розповідаємо… . . #спортсменки#артистичнеплавання#близнючки#artisticswimming#makeup#twins#makeupremoval ♬ оригінальний звук – AlexxTwins 👯♀️
One immediate question is, given the amount of time spent underwater, why don’t artistic swimmers go barefaced like divers and… normal swimmers? Well, artistic swimming combines elements of gymnastics, ballet, and water polo with traditional swimming. And, as with gymnastics and ballet presentation is part of the scoring system. It’s “artistic”, after all. These aesthetic considerations are also why synchronised swimmers don’t wear goggles or swim caps; the aim is for the swimmers to look like they’re performing an effortless underwater ballet.
Of course, on-point hair and makeup are part of that illusion, and synchronised swimmers have some unusual ways of keeping their looks immaculate.
They Put Gelatin In Their Hair
@worldaquatics 🇲🇽 Joana Jimenez Garcia makeup routine for her #ArtisticSwimming ♬ original sound – WorldAquatics
You won’t find strong-hold hair gel in an artistic swimmer’s beauty kit. Instead, the girls reach for off-the-supermarket-shelf Knox Gelatin for a bun, which provides genuine “helmet hair” for swimmers during their underwater routines. Like ballerinas, synchronised swimmers wear their hair in a tight braided bun fastened with plenty of hair ties, bobby pins and nets. Then, once it’s styled, they paint the gelatin in layers and dry it to a rock-hard finish. A hairpiece that matches their swimsuits is bobby pinned in, and they’re good to go. That is until it’s time to wash it all off. TikTok is full of artistic swimmers suffering through the removal process, which requires a steaming hot shower and plenty of patience.
They Use One Brand Again And Again
@frenchsynchroteam Get ready with us for our artistic swimming competition!!! @makeupforever Make up forever edition 💄✨ #grwm #grwmmakeup ♬ Makeba – Jain
Synchronised swimming is the ultimate test of a makeup product’s waterproof claims. After all, the swimmers spend six hours in the water and break a sweat during their routines. When interviewed, one brand comes up again and again: Makeup Forever. In 2021, Freedom Valley Synchro team coach Addy Colona told Allure that synchronised swimmers typically wear bold colours like black and red that will pop so they can be seen from the crowd and so judges can read their facial expressions.
She cited the Makeup Forever Aqua Mascara because it “doesn’t smudge or chip.” This is tragically discontinued, but we swear by the Byredo, Tears In The Rain Mascara ($81.00). It hasn’t been worn by synchronised swimmers, as far as we know, but it was used to shoot Lorde’s “Solar Power” music video, in which the musician was dunked in the ocean multiple times. Maybe she’ll tip the Olympic teams off.
Other Makeup Forever products like the brand’s Flash Palette, Makeup Forever Artist Face Powder Bronzer ($57.00) HD Skin Concealer ($50.00) and liquid lipstick also pop up in TikToks by the French team.
Colona particularly loved the Makeup Forever Aqua Sealant ($40.00). Synchronised swimmers (or those anticipating hot, sweaty days or nights) can apply the topcoat over powder or pencil to transform it into a waterproof makeup product.
If you want to catch the artistic swimmers and their beauty looks this Paris 2024 Olympics, competitions start on the 6th of August.
Why Do They Call It Artistic Swimming?
For a long time, ‘artistic swimming’ was known as synchronised swimming. During the 2016 Rio Olympics, the sport rebranded itself. According to NBC Chicago, most swimmers were opposed to the change, but the world governing body FINA said the new name better illustrated what the sport was all about. In 2020, the organisation formerly known as USA Synchronized Swimming backed them up with a vote to change its name to USA Artistic Swimming.
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- Jessica Fox Is Australia’s Simone Biles, Here’s Why
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