Tara Davis-Woodhall — long jumper, gold medalist, and one-half of one of my favorite Olympic couples — believes her beauty routine is a critical part of her competition-preparation process. “It’s like getting ready for battle, getting ready for war,” she says. “I’m putting on my war paint, and it’s something that’s so sacred.” And now, the 26-year-old has a new beauty job as a star of Clinique’s latest campaign, which features the athlete and her husband, Hunter Woodhall.
But her relationship with the skin-care brand began a long time ago, when she’d take her mom’s beauty products, including a Clinique moisturizer. “My mom is a beauty queen,” Davis-Woodhall says. “She used to wear a full face of makeup and heels to work every day, and her hair was always done to a tee. My beauty introduction to beauty came from her.” (Now, Davis-Woodhall says her husband steals her serums and moisturizers.) Below, she shares her skin-care routine, her wash-day essentials, and the setting sprays that keep her looking camera-ready, even after a long day of sweating it out on the track.
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A.M. Routine
I start my routine by cleansing my face, and I often use the Origins Checks and Balances face wash. I use the Clinique Moisture Surge serum and Moisture Surge hydrator to moisturize. My skin stays hydrated all day, and they give me an instant glow. If I need it, I use the Dr. Jart+ Cryo Rubber peptide face mask in the morning or in the evening after practice. For eye cream, I apply the Origins GinZing eye cream, and for lip balm, I like Augustinus Bader’s. I also apply my SPF, which is the Tula Protect + Glow sunscreen. I use the cucumber-scented Dove spray deodorant.
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Then I brush my teeth, and by that point, my dogs are begging for me to go outside and play and be fed. So I’ll go and play with them and feed them. I do my morning journaling, drink some coffee or tea, and use some recovery devices that we have, like the NanoVi.
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P.M. Routine
I usually shower in the evenings. I use the Dove Deep Moisture body wash. Wash day is a little scary with natural hair. I go from a week to two months between washing my hair. I use the Cécred hydrating shampoo, conditioner, and mask. When I get out of the shower, I cover myself with body cream from Augustinus Bader. My skin-care routine is similar to what I apply in the morning, but I use the Clinique cleansing balm to remove my makeup. It’s my favorite for taking off waterproof mascara or a full beat. Everything comes off so quickly.
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On styling her hair
After I wash my hair, I use the Fenty Beauty 5-in-1 styling cream. I feel like some spray-on heat protectants kind of dry my hair out, but I need it to be moisturized. I want to feel like there’s something on it to actually protect it. Then, I’ve been curling my hair with a T3 curling iron. But I feel like I switch my hair up at least once or twice a month, and I also get braids and sew-ins. It’s the best part about having Black girl hair. I also love the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray.
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On makeup essentials
When I’m competing, I apply a little bit more blush, just so you can see it on television. I like the M.A.C Glow Play blush in Plush Pepper. It’s this darker red that just makes me look like I’ve been working out a little. I set everything with the M.A.C Fix+ matte setting spray and the Charlotte Tilbury setting spray, because I’m usually on the runway for two and a half hours and sweating all day long.
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On nails
I get my nails done all the time. I’m on a nail journey where I just use hard gel on my natural nails. Before, they were so long, and I couldn’t do it anymore. My nail girl is @missdanidonails, and she’s pretty legit.
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On her workout routine
It depends on the cycle. Right now, I’m training every single day, except for Wednesdays and Sundays. Well, Hunter trains on Wednesdays, but I don’t. Mondays are on the track, and that goes from 10 or 11 a.m. to around 2 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we do two-a-days, where we lift and we run. On Wednesdays, Hunter runs. On Friday, we both run. Saturday, we lift. It’s about four to five hours a day. Then, we have to do recovery, which includes hyperbaric chambers, saunas, and the Eleve red-light bed, which is really good for my skin and recovery. Some of my other tools come from Theragun, Hyperice, and Firefly. I also ground myself by using PEMF mats and electromagnetic fields and by taking my ass outside.
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On managing stress
I do a lot of therapy. I have a holistic doctor who helps with the brain, and I have the support of my coach, my husband, and my family — they definitely help (or sometimes add to it).
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