Olympic Star Suni Lee Is Stunning Makeup-Free

Suni Lee's award-winning skills on the U.S. women's gymnastics team at the 2024 Paris Olympics have everyone curious about the superstar athlete. While it's her prowess as a gymnast that's winning her awards, there's something else that's hard to ignore whenever Lee graces our screens to hit the gymnastics mat: she is totally stunning. Sure, she's often seen performing in a full face of makeup, but seeing her bare-faced proves that she doesn't need it to look her best.

The 21-year-old Minnesota native started formally training as a gymnast at just six years old. She first competed in the Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo games where she won the all-around gold medal and became the first-ever Asian-American woman to take home the title. Despite winning three medals in her first Olympics, she didn't believe she'd return to the prestigious competition in 2024 after struggling with multiple kidney issues in the interim. Not only did Lee return to the Olympics, but she's taking home awards and sparking plenty of buzz about who this inspiring beauty really is. Well, we can confirm that underneath her makeup and without all those gold medals, she's still a showstopper.

In 2020, Suni Lee posted some photos to Instagram showing her posing alongside her talented teammates, captioned "natty team camp 2020." One photo featured her pal, Olympic gold medalist, Simone Biles. The ladies both looked stunning, fresh-faced, and mostly — if not entirely — without makeup. At the time, Lee was still a teenager, so she's grown up a lot since these photos. Still, it's easy to see that she's not just a natural on the balance beam; she's also a natural beauty.

Lee rarely posts photos of herself sans makeup, which is, of course, relatable. She does, however, often sport pared-down makeup looks and has fully mastered the perfect, coveted no-makeup routine. These days, Lee seems to be regularly rocking eyelash extensions, which makes makeup routines quicker and easier, while also elevating makeup-less looks. And, she often rocks slicked back hair with a bit of lipgloss and contour to let her natural beauty shine through. 

When she's not competing as one of the best gymnasts of the moment or taking home gold medals, Suni Lee is also in her influencer era. She is active on her TikTok account and isn't afraid to show the world how she does her makeup. In May 2024, Lee paired up with beauty influencer Meredith Duxbury for a L'Oréal Paris partnership. She appeared in the video bare-faced and talked through her own typical makeup needs with Duxbury. Despite how hard we may try, we all can't be as naturally talented, graceful, and gorgeous as Lee is. Still, there are plenty of ways we can take a page from her book. It's easy to get inspired by her resilience, her determination, and of course, her makeup routine.

Lee talked about how her usual days competing can sometimes last as long as 12 hours, so she loves a foundation that lasts in spite of sweat. She also touched up with some concealer and plenty of setting spray. Despite looking lovely with just a few products, she loves a full face, too. In June, she posted a TikTok showing her makeup look these days compared to years ago. In the caption, she said, "the glow up is insane ngl." And, we have to agree with her on that one. So, whether it's hitting the mat or the makeup chair, we can't wait to see what this superstar does next.