Paige Bueckers And Her Beauty Beliefs

Paige Bueckers for Madison Reed

JAMES FARRELL/ Madison Reed

Everyone has their own peculiar beauty beliefs. Some are pretty standard, like never leaving the house without setting spray, or refusing to fall asleep with makeup on (no matter the circumstance). Then there are the more unconventional, almost ritualistic practices people swear by: eggs and mayo hair masks, mouth tape, chin tape, and every other kind of tape meant to keep you perfectly “adhesived” through the night. However, for many, our beauty beliefs aren’t just our own; they’re a product of our environment, passed down from our mothers, mentors, teammates, and others. As an athlete, there’s a lot you miss out on.

Many athletes skip important moments like prom, graduation, or traditional college parties, and they’re perhaps don’t have the best rep’ when it comes to personal style and following beauty or self-care trends. And honestly, it’s hard to blame them. Between practices, games, training sessions, constant sweating, and multiple showers a day, it’s far easier to just wash your hair and throw it up than to actually style it. And spending an hour on glam is a tough sell when you’re going to sweat it off or could use that extra hour of practicing before a big game. This is where athletes share their beauty beliefs.

For former UConn guard and current Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers, evolution has been a defining constant, evident not only in the refinement of her game but also in her shifting approach to beauty and style and her growing ease beneath the intensifying glare of public attention. With that growth has come a shift in mindset. What once felt like the obligations of rising stardom—endless hours in glam chairs, outfits picked out for her, schedules she didn’t create, and the constant scrutiny of being in the spotlight—has slowly become something she embraces.

Standing at 6’0″, Bueckers was never the type of athlete to be labeled “unstylish,” nor has she ever walked into a room looking like a mannequin. Quite the opposite, her presence exudes what the kids are now calling an unnameable yet undeniable “aura.” Perhaps it’s rooted in the carefully balanced mix of masculine and feminine elements she calls “unctie style (A mix of auntie and uncle).” Or maybe it was hinted at in the signature hairstyle she donned throughout high school and college: two tight braids crossing at the front of her head. Though she’s since retired the look due to anxieties around hairline complications, Bueckers continues to cultivate her approach to beauty and has a couple of her own beauty beliefs.

Especially in a sport like basketball, you can grow up prioritizing it entirely. A lot of girls in sports miss those early beauty and makeup moments—prom, dances, parties. Was beauty ever something you were interested in, and what was your gateway to buying your first mascara, perfume, etc.?

I didn’t really get into anything beauty-related until college. Like you said, I missed a lot of dances and hanging out. Madison Reed was actually my first beauty deal with hair, makeup. Then I got into a little bit of fashion. I went to New York Fashion Week and had that experience. College has been my time to catch up on that whole other aspect of life outside of basketball. It’s been fun to express myself in a different way and show who I am off the court. Working with Madison Reed has helped me do that, especially through hair color and ColorWonder. Now out of college, I’m still growing in that part of my life and learning more each day.

Since you got into beauty a little later than most, what’s been the biggest growing pain, something that made you think, “I can’t believe girls have been doing this all this time”?

The length of the routine. Whether it’s skincare, hair, or makeup. I used to just wake up, brush my teeth, and go to school. So the amount of time the routine takes definitely shocked my system.

Can you speak to some of the beauty or hair products that are must-haves on game days or long practices?

I don’t have a long routine, just my basics. For game days, especially, I need a [deodorant] wax stick and water. I’m not the type to have a huge list of products. The [Madison Reed] Bonding Time serum is great for frizz. I have a lot of flyaways, especially on game day, so that helps keep everything sleek and my ponytail looking good.

Speaking of hair, you wore double braids in college and now you’re more into a slick-back bun as a pro. How did that shift happen?

The braids were definitely stressing my hairline. They were so tight, and I had to wear them frequently during the season. That was just my college era. Now in the pros, I switched to something easier and less strenuous. Also, I can’t braid my own hair, and my friend who braided it at school didn’t move with me to Dallas, so the bun just makes more sense.

You partnered with Madison Reed for your signature color, ‘UConnic Blonde,’ earlier this year. You’ve experimented with different shades and used Color Wonder. What’s your personal philosophy around hair color and caring for the sustainability of your hair?

I like to have fun and express myself. I want to show young girls that you can express yourself through makeup, hair color, anything you want. You don’t have to stay in the box of being “just a basketball player.” You can be a girl’s girl too. I did Sparkling Rosé first, now I’m doing Pink Orchid. It’s obviously a demi-permanent hair color, so it goes out in about 25 washes. It’s not something you have to fully commit to, but something you can explore and see if you like and how you like it. I’m doing an ombré version this time. I’ve always done highlights in my hair, so it’ll be similar to that. I did Sparkling Rosé on my whole head and enjoyed that as well.

It’s just been fun to dabble in different things, try different things, and express yourself in a different way. I grew up brunette, then went blonde, and now I’m trying different things through Color Wonder. It’s been fun expressing myself in that direction.

I didn’t know you were a natural brunette! Madison Reed also goes beyond just using you all as models. They look out for your futures. I talked to some of your former teammates who said they did internships with Madison Reed. What’s it been like working with the team and having creative direction in your partnership?

It’s been amazing. It’s just being able to create those relationship. I have a great relationship with Amy [Errett]. It’s more than a brand partnership or ambassador role, I have equity stakes. Some of my teammates interned with them in college to fulfill class obligations. So it’s been amazing to not just invest as a partner. They invest in you beyond just showing up to shoots and creating content and how many people can you get to wear the ‘UConnic Blonde.’ They care about your long-term future. I want to keep talking to Amy [Errett] about things like franchising and opening color bars in places special to me. They’re really thoughtful in that way. And they made a signature color for me, which was so cool, working with the creative team on how it would look and what to name it. The whole experience has been amazing.

Bringing it back to beauty, we’ve seen you experiment with makeup over the years in with heavier lip-liner and bronzer in campaigns and editorials, and recently you’ve gone more minimalist. Have you been finding your personal beat?

I don’t really do my own makeup for shoots. Day to day, I just put on a little foundation to cover dark spots and some mascara. I’m more minimalistic, trying to look natural as possible but with a bit of glow. I’m still finding the perfect balance.

Is there anything you specifically communicate to makeup artists when you arrive on set?

Not really. I haven’t done anything too exotic. I usually just ask for a natural look.

You have a younger sister. What do those conversations around beauty look like? Are you someone she can go to for recommendations?

She’s really into beauty, even at a young age, and she definitely knows more than me. She watches YouTube tutorials, makeup routines, hairstyles. I go to her for advice. She’s 13 and I’ll have her do my makeup or hair. She has all the tools: curling irons, flat irons, and knows how to create waves. I only know how to flat iron my hair. Otherwise, I’m doing a slick-back. I think she knows more, and I can learn from her.

You were briefly teammates with DiJonai Carrington, who’s known for giving full glam on the court. Did she teach you anything? And did she give you the Natisha Hiedeman ‘baddie’ makeover as well?

Yeah, she did not, but she did say she wants to dress me up and do a full beat. She didn’t give me the full glam experience like she’s done for her, but maybe someday at Unrivaled. She uses a specific product called One/Size, I think. She does her whole routine and then uses that spray, and apparently it makes everything stay in place. That’s the tip she gave me.

What do you keep in your beauty bag at all times? What’s on your rebuy list?

Mascara, Vaseline or Aquaphor for my lips, and definitely a wax stick. That’s probably my most-used product. And the Madison Reed Bonding Time and Madison Reed Tame Smoothing Cream, that’s the one that helps with frizz and flyaways. Those for sure.