Between chin-length bobs, baroque style accents and soft glam, mod hair and makeup trends were rife on Wednesday night at the 2025 Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards in Los Angeles, where athletes, A-listers and artists alike gathered to honor this year’s recipients. Before the ceremony, attendees arrived on the red carpet in front of the Dolby Theater, casting themselves outside their game-face personas with shimmery shadow and whimsical hair silhouettes.
Some, such as Simone Biles and Andraya Carter, muted their makeup to let their hair do most of the talking. Others, instead, poured their personality into their visage, paring down the theatrics of their hair to highlight their heavy blush, statement-making lips, and no-makeup looks. Ahead, WWD breaks down the best beauty moments from Jordan Chiles to the University of Connecticut basketball star Azzi Fudd.
Best Hair
Simone Biles
Simone Biles poses with a bob haircut.
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Simone Biles must be keeping up with the trends. At the 2025 ESPY Awards, the 28-year-old Olympic gymnast became the latest celebrity to don a freshly trimmed bob on the red carpet on Wednesday night; her ends falling just past her jawline. The body of her dark hair was loosely waved by artist Ashanti Lation, which added movement and dimension to the flat style.
Jordan Chiles
Jordan Chiles adds a playful accent to her slicked-back hair.
In collaboration with her sister and hairstylist Jazmin Chiles, Jordan Chiles transformed a minimal slicked-back ponytail into a playful ‘do at the 2025 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles last night, adding a curled accent on her forehead. Rather than pushing her whole head of hair back, the Olympic gymnast sectioned off her front pieces and spun them into a clean swirl above her right eyebrow.
Flau’jae Johnson
Flau’jae Johnson shows off a messy bun.
Louisiana State University women’s basketball player Flau’jae Johnson threw a curveball into the beauty mix on the red carpet, fashioning her hair into an intricate updo. Johnson’s locks were parted on the left side of her head and folded together in a large bun in the back; curly pieces purposefully left out as if they’d been knocked from the loose pile of hair above.
Kiki Iriafen
Kiki Iriafen styles cherry cola-colored hair.
WNBA star Kiki Iriafen, full name Okikiola, touched on burgeoning beauty trends alongside Biles, only she chose to follow the cherry cola color fad. The 21-year-old Washington Mystics player styled the dark color in a simple look, composed of wide barrel curls slicked behind her ears.
Andraya Carter
Andraya Carter poses with long braids and coiled curls.
ESPN analyst Andraya Carter posed outside the Dolby Theater with lengthy braids and coiled curls. The 31-year-old on-air reporter didn’t stop there; she added even more texture to the look, twisting half of her braids in a bun on the crown of her head.
Gabby Thomas
Gabby Thomas dons a low ponytail look.
Gabby Thomas went the extra mile for the 2025 ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theater on Wednesday night, tapping artist Velvet Nelms to style her hair in a low ponytail with long extensions. Blond highlights were folded between the Olympic track and field champion’s dark brown hair, brushing along her back as she moved from one end of the carpet to the other.
Best Makeup
Ilona Maher
Ilona Maher opts for a bold red lip.
Ilona Maher made her love for a bold lip known. The 28-year-old Olympic rugby player partnered with Kendal Fedail, makeup artist to Madison Bailey and Amelia Gray, to bring her rosy glam to life. Maher’s lips were lined with a dark crimson and filled with a cardinal-pink hue. Meanwhile, charcoal-colored shimmer was stamped on her lips next to a maroon shadow wing and wispy lashes.
Suni Lee
Sunisa Lee wears makeup by Maria Vargasat.
Two-time Olympic gold-medalist Sunisa Lee, otherwise known as Suni Lee, tapped celebrity makeup artist Maria Vargas to achieve her light, ethereal makeup for the 2025 ESPY Awards on Wednesday night. Vargas matched the glistening gold tones in Lee’s dress with a similar shimmer on her eyelids and a pink translucent gloss on her lips. Pink blush kissed Lee’s cheekbones, while a thin layer of black liner touched the inner corners of her eyes.
Azzi Fudd
Azzi Fudd dons an aquatic makeup look.
University of Connecticut basketball player Azzi Fudd, hair care brand Madison Reed’s latest addition to its Team ColorWonder squad, dove head first into aquatic beauty, matching her sparkly white eye shadow with her baby blue gown. Little bits of highlighter popped on the high points of her cheekbones and the tip of her nose like fresh water droplets; her lips coated in a layer of gloss. Fudd joined Madison Reed’s list of athletes recently, marking year two of the brand’s partnership with the NCAA and WNBA.
Alyssa and Giselle Thompson
Gisele Thompson and Alyssa Thompson pose with light makeup.
Soccer stars Gisele and Alyssa Thompson posed on the red carpet at the 2025 ESPY Awards, donned a heavy amount of blush and white highlighter to achieve a sunburnt-inspired glow. Gisele’s eyelids were dusted with a misty brown shadow; a thin layer of liner cutting across her waterline. Alyssa’s eyes, on the other hand, were kept bare, embellished with black winged liner. Both of their lips were lined with a bold pink hue and filled with a lighter shade.
Ciara
Ciara attends the 2025 ESPY Awards with her husband Russell Wilson.
Ciara accompanied her husband, Russell Wilson, to the 2025 ESPY Awards, donning a wet-shadow look to accentuate the crystals stitched in her dress. Her eyes and lips looked as if they were dipped in Krispy Kreme glaze, glistening in the camera flash. The shimmer cut across the crease of her eyes, making it to the inner corners. With the exception of some cool-toned contour under her cheekbones, Ciara’s base was even.