If you've been keeping tabs on the Winter Olympics you know some of the team uniforms are just bombastic — I mean, you've seen Team USA's horrid Opening Ceremony sweaters, right?! But one group of female athletes ALWAYS gets it right: figure skaters. From the second they step out onto the ice, their grace and glamour is readily apparent — and always played up with flawless makeup and elegant hair. We may not be able to stand up straight in skates, but that's no reason why we can't steal some of their best beauty secrets. Here are 8 hair and makeup tips that will make you look and feel like an Olympic Ice Queen.
Image via Darron Cummings/AP/Corbis
Gracie Gold's Slick Bun & Red Lips
Aside from having the world's perfect Olympic name, America's Gracie Gold knows how to rock a sleek and sophisticated ballerina bun and some serious scarlet lips.
How to Get a Sleek Ballerina Bun
It's easier than you think to achieve an elegant high bun that shows off a graceful neck. Just use a hair donut like Bun Ease ($4.50 at miabeauty.com) and follow these simple steps:
1. Pull your hair into a high ponytail and tie it with an elastic band.
2. Pull the hair donut through your ponytail and lay it to rest on top of the elastic band.
3. Fan your hair out around the hair donut and secure it in a bun using bobby pins.
Choose the Brightest Red Lipstick You Can FInd
When your lipstick is called Underage Red — Bright Crimson, like this one from Kat Von D ($19 at Sephora), you know you're getting your money's worth in red. Be daring like Gracie and pair it with a scarlet sweater or tank top.
Polina Edmunds' Hair Crystals & Pale Eyes
Team USA's Polina Edmunds looked like the ultimate ice princess when she paired adorable teeny jeweled hair accessories with pale eye makeup and a crystal-blue skirt.
Jeweled Hair Accessories
Get Polina's regal hair by securing yours in a low bun and then adorning your crown with mini jeweled bobby pins, like these garden-inspired accessories ($38 for a set of 8 from Anthropologie).
Ice Princesses Love Pastel Eyeshadows
For maximum impact, wear a sheer creme eye color like this mauve pastel from Laura Mercier ($27.95 at Cosmeticsnow.com) with little more than a swipe of brown mascara, light blush, and pearly-pink lip gloss.
Adelina Sotnikova's Natural Brown Palette
Adelina Sotnikova of Russia did the complete opposite of what most skating queens do: instead of painting her face with dramatic colors, she stuck to a neutral palette of brown and beige — and she looked stunning.
Brown-Eyed Girl
Sweep a light brown hue, like Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Eyeshadow in Blonde ($18.50 at Elizabetharden.com) over your entire eye lid and add a little pop by lining just your top lid with dark brown liner. Complete your natural look with two coats of dark-brown mascara.
Nice & Naughty Nude Lips
You don't have to wear red lipstick to be a sex bomb. Nude lips are gorgeous and make your pout look positively pillowy. A fabulous choice is Christian Dior Nude Lip Blush Voluptuous Care in Charnelle ($30.68 at Amazon.com).
Ashley Wagner's High Ponytail & Defined Brows
American Ashley Wagner paid tribute to the innocent and sweet 1950s with a high ponytail and define brows.
Easy, Natural-Looking High Ponytail
Pull your hair into a high ponytail and secure it with a Tonytail ($8 at miabeauty.com), which is made of synthetic hair and comes in four natural hues: blonde, light brown, dark brown, and black.
Define Your Brows
A brow defining gel pencil like Glimmersticks ($7 at Avon.com) makes your brows stand out, lasts for hours, and adds oomph to your overall look.
