Simone Biles’s Inspiring Beauty Moments

Simone Biles’s Inspiring Beauty Moments.

The greatest gymnast of all time, Simone Biles, holds the record for the most wins in history, raking in a total of 41 medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships combined. Today, as the Olympian turns 28, ESSENCE looks back at all the beauty looks she rocked during her biggest moments: from tape-in extensions at the 2024 Paris Olympics to beam-proof acrylics at the US World Championships.

Throughout history, the greatest Black athletes of all time have had their beauty subject to criticism. Venus Williams lost a point at the 1999 Australia Open for a few of her iconic hair beads falling out, while Flo Jo received backlash for her acrylic nails, often being referred to as “ghetto.” The same criticism has been directed to Biles, who’s defended herself against anti-Black comments about her flyaways—even after having a Vault move named after her at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In other words: not only does her hair look fine, but when you’re tumbling through the air, how perfect it looks is the least of your worries.

And yet, she still makes sure she feels comfortable and confident, and that she’s having fun with her looks. Preferring bone-straight tape-ins for easier maintenance during competitions, she’s worn the style as a loose bun at 2023 World Championships and braided ponytail at the 2021 GK U.S. Classic. Sharing her beauty tips in a viral GRWM video on TikTok, not being able to have a hair and makeup artist while she competes means learning how to DIY. From applying her own eyelash extensions, like at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, to finding out which blush works best with her skin tone, her beauty routine appears to be an intimate moment of self-care during busy seasons.