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If anyone is an embodiment of the word goals, it's Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris—and that's not only because the two slay on the field as record-breaking, championship-winning U.S. Women's National Soccer Team players. Krieger and Harris—who have been partners for a decade and married since 2019—aren't fighting for their goals to dismantle inequities only in the world of professional sports, but also in the world of beauty, where they're using their position to champion self-expression.
“When you're on a team sport, everything’s the same, because everything is about the team,” says Harris. “So really your hair is your self-expression—that’s how you can be different, and that’s how you can stand out and show a bit of personality.”
If you've followed Harris at all for the past few years, you know her hair is her thing. She's been short, long, and every length in between. She's had highlights, she's gone white, and bubblegum pink. So when she recommends a hair product, you know she knows her stuff. “I was introduced to Bumble and Bumble by my stylist and have just been in love ever since,” says Harris, who is now a spokesperson for the brand along with Krieger. “When we spoke to the brand, they celebrated Ali and I for who we were. They loved who we were as a couple, and they loved who we were as athletes.”
As brand ambassadors, Harris and Krieger hope to make it clear that there's no one form of beauty—and that having an interest in sports and beauty isn't mutually exclusive. If anything, athletes know beauty better than anyone, because they know what mascaras can hold up through hours of sweating and what shampoo actually cuts through grease to get the job done.
“Because of all the weather we put ourselves through, especially for myself, being a goalie, I don't have time to mess with my hair—my products are everything,” Harris says. “I can’t have my hair in my eyes and messing with my vision. I need good-quality products that don't move. Without my waxes and my hairspray, I'd be a mess in there.”
So on that note, what else do the soccer champs swear by to get them through a grueling day—off the field or on? Read on as they answer all of our Big Beauty Questions.
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Glamour: There’s a common misconception that when athletes wear makeup to play, it’s somehow silly or frivolous. What are your feelings about that?
Krieger: Ashlyn and I have similar views on this, but basically, we’re going to work just like everyone else in the world, and we want to look our best. Our mentality is “look good, feel good, play good”—and I think that applies to everything in our lives. We do a lot of interviews and there are always photos being taken. And, you know, TVs are in HD now, so you’ve got to be looking right and tight.
Harris: I think athletes are misunderstood when it comes to beauty. It seems like people think that we're a little rough around the edges, and we don't have beauty and grace because we play this hard contact sport. Ali and I want to break those boundaries. We want to show that we have beauty and grace—and that we're badass women at the same time. We can look really good and play really hard and be just as good at both.
What’s your routine before a game? And how has that changed now with COVID?
Krieger: It depends what time the game is, but usually we'll wake up, take out the dogs for a walk, and then Ashlyn usually cooks us breakfast. After that we'll relax and kind of just shut down until we have to get ready for the game, since it’s really important to save our energy and be 100% in order to perform. Ashlyn is definitely the one who gets dressed to the nines before a game.
Harris: During COVID, since I haven't had access to getting my hair and my nails done, I’ve really started to enjoy pulling out all of my products. I've actually been doing Ali's hair since she's been on camera a ton to commentate for the men’s team. We've been playing with some nice, slick wet looks, and testing all these different textures. Ali will be like, Okay, I got to go! And I'm like, Wait, more hairspray! More bronzer! It’s been really fun for me. But it's also made us realize how important our hairstylists are and how much they do to make us feel good.
If you had to guess, which one of you spends the most time getting ready?
Krieger: We don't have to guess—it's 100% Ashlyn. She takes forever to get ready! But I think that’s just like her way of life. She likes to take her time. I'm not judging. But sometimes I’ll have to lie about what time we have to leave, because I know she’s going to take extra long.
Harris: I say life is about the details, so I'm very thorough in everything I do—whether I'm cleaning my house or doing my hair. And if I'm doing my hair, I don't have a single strand out of place.
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What’s one trend you’re obsessed with right now?
Harris: Slicked-back hair with a red lip. I love Smashbox and Tom Ford's reds. And Bumble and Bumble's Firm Hold Hairspray always keeps my hair down. I don't go a day without it.
Krieger: I love looking super undone and effortless—like I just rolled out of bed, but it’s intentional. I'm really into texturizing sprays that make me feel like I have worn-in hair. Like a little dirty and grungy, but I spend time on it to make it look like that.
What’s one beauty rule you guys swear by?
Krieger: Sunscreen! All day, sunscreen! We’re really into EltaMD's tinted sunscreen, which also has a nice look when we're out in training. It’s so smooth and it doesn’t feel heavy on your face.
Harris: And that’s even for our hair. People don't realize how much the sun impacts your hair. Especially for me, I'm very, very blond, so if I'm not protecting it, it'll start to look yellow and break. Bumble and Bumble's Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Protective Primer is literally in my gym bag 24/7—it's a heat and UV protective spray. I fly through it because the Florida sun is so harsh.
What city or country gives you the greatest beauty inspiration?
Harris: I loved it when we were in France for the World Cup. I was buying products left and right—everywhere you look in Paris, there are just beauty products galore. The culture is so centered around self-expression, and I'm literally like a walking tattoo, so I found that fun and inspiring.
Krieger: Ashlyn and I played together for a club team in Sweden in 2013. Stockholm is so beautiful—and so are the people there. Everywhere you look, the style and fashion is effortless, and everyone is gorgeous. It’s insane.
You’re stranded on a desert island. What are the three products you bring with you?
Harris: Sunscreen, hairspray, and mascara. I'm currently switching between a Chanel mascara and a Maybelline one. The Chanel one is a brown mascara. It’s really pretty.
Krieger: I definitely would bring my Bumble and Bumble Pret a Powder Post Workout Dry Shampoo Mist, because clearly you can't bring a ton of shampoo and conditioner on really fun trips to the stranded island and my dirty hair would need it. And then my Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer for my UV protection and, lastly, of course, my sunscreen—either my Elta MD Tinted Face Moisturizer or Elta's overall body sunscreen. Those are my three I can’t live without.
What’s your favorite getting-ready music?
Harris: Any hip-hop remixes right now on Spotify or Pandora. We listen to a lot of playlists.
Krieger: We both really enjoy listening to Arizona radio. It has a great combination of artists we love, but we really like Arizona. They're such a good band with such a chill vibe. I can’t wait to go see them in person when COVID is done.
You have $20 and free roam of a drugstore. What do you buy?
Krieger: Face wipes, some Cetaphil, and obviously mascara. And if I have anything left, some Aquaphor lip balm.
Harris: Aquaphor, for sure. I'm also obsessed with chewing gum, so I would probably get some Trident White or gum that's healthy for your teeth.
Who are the women inspiring you the most right now?
Krieger: Strong Black women.
Harris: I agree. Ali and I have been getting into a lot of strong initiatives and platforms to raise up women, and it’s been so inspiring to listen and create space [for Black women]. It’s such an important time to lend your platform to other people right now, to give back and listen and learn and evolve and check yourself. We're really trying to dig deep right now and grow so we can figure out how we can be better and create change. That’s so important.
Krieger: [Listening to advocates] has also encouraged us to check our families and friends. I think it's white people’s responsibility to check other white people, especially this year. Kamala Harris has also been such an inspiration for us—pushing us to continue this movement, to continue to inspire other young girls, and to continue to grow ourselves.
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If there were one thing you could change about beauty perceptions, what would that be?
Harris: I can only talk about women in sports, but people have this perception that we have to be tall, skinny, blond, and blue-eyed. I’m not the girl next door, and I don't want to be the girl next door. And I don’t want to feel like I have to be the girl next door. Having the freedom to express myself the way I choose and be valued and supported and rewarded for that, that’s what I love so much—and that’s what draws me to brands that uphold that value. I don’t need permission to be myself, and I hope that inspires other young women to own their own beauty in whatever shape and size that looks like.
Krieger: We want to live in a world that's realistic—where not only one type of human being is expected. And I think that's changing a lot in the beauty industry. It’s really encouraging to see, because people feel like they are allowed to be themselves.
Lindsay Schallon is the senior beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @lindsayschallon. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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