Suni Lee is a trailblazer, from racking up medals at the 2020 Olympics to being the first Hmong American to compete for Team USA. Hot off modeling for loungewear brand Skims’ Olympic-inspired drop, she partnered with beauty brand KISS Nails as an official ambassador for its Salon X-tend LED Soft Gel System.
Turns out, the gold-medal-winning gymnast is a self-proclaimed beauty junkie who happens to be nails-obsessed. With such a busy schedule and frequent travels, it was a natural extension for her to use the travel-friendly DIY gel nail system to get a full set in minutes while on the road. We got an inside scoop from Lee about how her beauty routine supports her performance and her favorite beauty must-haves for keeping up her style, even while competing on the global stage.
When asked about her beauty routine, Lee said, “It’s so important to have artistry represented across all points of my performance, whether my outfit, nails, lashes, or even my choreography when I’m competing. So getting ready for a competition is probably my favorite thing.”
Lee continued “Making sure everything’s on fleek because I want to feel my best before I go out there and compete. Also, I’m representing my personality out there! So, it’s super fun to give myself to an audience and have fun with it. Beauty has played a big role in that and made me more confident.”
While Lee’s competition and training mantra is “Nothing more, nothing less,” encouraging her to bring 100% of herself every day, her beauty motto is “Less is more.” Favoring a minimalistic makeup look, she cites Hailey Bieber as a natural beauty inspiration. She shared that she loves fresh, simple makeup with dewy skin taking center stage and fluffy, natural lashes (with some help from extensions). To get that, she swears by a daily skin care regimen that includes Tatcha moisturizer, which she said also works as a great makeup base.
Lee’s beauty mantra turns up a notch when it comes to manicures, however. “I love nails because they allow me to express myself in a fun and creative way,” Lee said. She prefers the Salon X-tend system because “I can change up my looks so easily, whether to match my mood or outfit.” She added, “I can take the kit anywhere.” She finds the convenience is priceless compared to scheduling a salon appointment. Her go-to mani is Kiss’ almond-shaped classic French manicure, the shorter length working best for the athlete while competing.
After gushing about the Swarovski-studded Olympic leotards, Lee shared how it feels to be making history as one of two all-around champs on the US team heading to the Olympics for the US. “I’m so excited! I can not believe that I even made the Olympics,” she replied. “I’m really happy we get to experience a normal Olympics because the last time was during COVID, so we didn’t have a crowd. So, now I’m excited to stay in the village and see everyone,” she said.
Scroll on to see Lee’s Olympic-worthy beauty products, which help boost her confidence and keep her looking polished in Paris.
Batiste Dry Shampoo
Lee is also a Batiste Dry Shampoo ambassador and cites it as a go-to product. It is available in volumizing, tropical-scented, and many other formulas.
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