When I say Megan Rapinoe is everything, I mean it. The soccer star and two-time World Cup Champion for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team blessed me with her time and energy to talk about her work with Shiseido in honor of their 150th anniversary. We touched on pretty much everything, from sunscreen and gray hair, her identity and cultural influence, to why male athletes get involved in NFTs.

Refinery29: What are your favorite beauty things? What are your favorite sunscreens? 

Megan Rapinoe: Favorite sunscreens: Shiseido, this is literally for ten years. I’m not even trying to plug the brand. I’ve used the sunscreen literally since college. I have very fair skin, I’m out in the sun all the time. I wish I was never out in the sun — not going to happen.

Other products I love: I have a great toner from Biologique Recherche. The Shiseido Altimmune serum, for me, is just bomb; it’s like got this thickness without being funky, but I feel I can goop it on. I love Aquaphor, I have a huge tub right next to my sink that’s on my hands, it’s on my lips. I haven’t ventured it on my face, but I’ve been hearing from people and the young TikTokers that’s a thing.

Refinery29: Slugging, it’s very popular. Okay, so we’ve got to talk about hair. I love it. It’s giving, like Lance Bass in the ’90s.

Megan Rapinoe: Right. I know. I’m like, wait, am I going back to my hardcore 1970s lesbian roots? Am I just a lesbian or what? This is so good. It’s almost so bad, it’s good. 

Refinery29: How does Megan Rapinoe do her hair?

Megan Rapinoe: Well, she doesn’t do it enough, I’ll tell you that much.[…] I definitely do a bit of DIY with the hair color at home because it falls out so quickly. After a week or two, it fades, but I like all the different stages. I like when it’s bright; I like when it’s brand new; I like when it’s all faded and it gets a little funky and there’s multiple colors in there. So, I try not to be too precious with it. 

Refinery29: I wear wigs, I am not ashamed of it, and yet people think it’s shocking I choose to wear silver hair. Like, I cannot wait to go gray.

Megan Rapinoe: It’ll be so much better. I better fucking have good gray hair. 

Refinery29:  What about your beauty routine brings you joy?

Megan Rapinoe: I feel really taking care of the skin on my face brings me a lot of joy, and sometimes I’m like, “Are you just shallow? You just care about what your face looks like.” But to me, it’s like getting dressed, or doing your hair differently; I want it to look fresh and healthy, that’s what’s important to me. That’s what makes me feel beautiful.

I think being out in the sun a lot, way more than I want to, playing a sport, I’m constantly battling the damage that I’ve done. I’m trying to repair it. That brings me a lot of joy[..] But doing my beauty routine, or doing my face routine, it’s getting out of the shower and feeling fresh. My actual skin feels good and looks healthy, and that makes me glow from the inside out.

Refinery29: Can we talk about Sue [Bird, Rapinoe’s fiancée and basketball star] for a second? I’m sure Sue has taught you so many things in general, but in terms of your beauty routine or even your thoughts about your idea of beauty, how has she impacted that and vice versa?

Megan Rapinoe: Having someone just love you the way that you would almost want to love yourself is just amazing. It’s like, if I want to wear makeup, great;  if I don’t, great. If I want to do my hair great, if not, it all just doesn’t matter. She’s just like, “Do you like what makes you feel good.”

Being gay has allowed us a little bit —  required us, I guess —  to think about a little more what actually does that mean? If we’re going on a date, we don’t have to dress up in heels, [It’s] traditional, which a lot of people are ditching, not just gay people or non-binary people. I think that license to be like, I just think you’re sexy all the time, whether you’re in sweats, or naked, or in a suit, or getting out of the shower. So, what is it that actually makes us feel beautiful? What does that even mean? And kind of getting down to that and then supporting each other.

Refinery29: As a disruptor, what do you think about the crossover between fashion, social media, and sports? We see it with male athletes — but female athletes like fashion, too.

Megan Rapinoe: The math ain’t math-ing. This is how I look at it: Sports, and fashion, and culture, and all of it has always been a mashup because sports are meritorious. It’ll never be this elite thing because people are always going to be coming from everywhere. Male sports has the advantage of [athletes being] assumed cool, assumed culture setters, because they have money to buy shit, [to] have stylists. Everyone just assumes they’re cool. I think, especially in the NBA, that’s the gold standard of cool. Some of them are very cool, are very fashion forward, have a very strong style sense. Some of them, I’m like, all that money…

Refinery29: All that money.

Megan Rapinoe: What a tragedy. With women’s sport, we have to be entrepreneurial. We have to be creative. We have to have a sense of ingenuity and we have such a stronger sense of ourselves.

But there’s also a sense of knowing of who you are that translates into the style. I even look at a lot of the women around the league and their style, and you can tell, if that person had 10 million more dollars, you would see that reflected in their style. But the same sense of style would still be there. Maybe they can’t afford a luxury brand, or they just have one or two pieces.

I feel like it’s been something that we’ve owned and grown into over time, and now it’s been a way for us to get into the upper echelon of culture and media — because let’s be honest, when people think you’re cool, you are cool, and then brands think you’re cool and then brands think you’re worth giving money to and then the media. That’s what makes the NBA so popular.

But it gets into everything: Now all of a sudden they’re into wine and golf and tech and crypto and NFTs and style and doing their own businesses. It’s all part of the growth and breaking down the barriers for women’s sports. Oftentimes we’re just seen as, ‘Oh, they don’t really have a lot of money and they’re just grinding.’ Well actually, that’s not true and that is a function of status-quo society that aims to keep women, people of color, gays, non-binaries down.

So, we’re actually breaking the system with ingenuity, creativity — and by way of necessity — making a new world for ourselves.

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Hailing from Chicago, Shea Couleé is an internationally-renowned drag queen, model, recording artist, and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars fifth season champion. She’s the CEO of her own business and has been pushing her brand into new spaces, including recently launching a partnership with the Black woman-owned artisan soap brand, The Quiet Girl Shoppe. Together, they have developed shea butter-based skin-care and body products, including the $100,000 Bar soap, and the recently-released Slay Butter moisturizer, available now through next spring. The following interview was told to Amanda Mitchell and has been edited for length and clarity.

SUNDAY

I usually do the most self care on Sundays because Friday and Saturday, I was likely in the club, working. Sunday is really important for me to recharge after a busy weekend of work and I use Sundays as a total reset and wash day. 

I probably soak in the bathtub anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour, if I really feel like I want to luxuriate. I use Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts. Depending on my mood, I like both Eucalyptus and Lavender, but the Eucalyptus leaves the bathroom smelling so nice afterward… I can smell it right now actually! I also love throwing in a Lush Guardian of the Forest Bath Bomb. After soaking, I drain the tub and then shower. During my shower, if I’m not using my $100,000 Bar, I use Cremo Palo Santo body wash. Once I’m out of the shower, I pat dry, and put on my Slay Butter, and then I’ll put on some washable silk pajamas.

What’s beautiful about using the $100,000 Bar followed by Slay Butter is that when you’re applying the soap, you feel the thick moisturizing of the shea butter — but then it rinses off so well, no residue left behind — so when you go with the Slay Butter afterwards, it marinates beautifully with the way your skin already feels and you get that extra layer of moisture.

It’s obvious that I’m super passionate about beauty and skincare. Makeup is exuberant and fun, but it has to have a beautiful canvas behind it. The best way to get that is by taking care of your skin and using nourishing ingredients. Adrienne [Williams-Simmons] at The Quiet Girl Shoppe is very into that. The shop is Black female-owned and shares my values. I’m excited to be entering into the beauty industry in a very conscious and ethical way.

Now for hair: I love Tracee Ellis Ross’s Pattern line. I use the shampoo and the heavy conditioner. The reason I love the heavy conditioner is because it’s super-duper thick; you need some strong hand muscles just to get it out of the tube, and that’s the type of conditioner I live for. When I’m in the shower, I will rinse out the conditioner about 80%, still feeling a little bit of it in my hair, and then when I’m out of the shower, I’ll pat dry and follow it up with Miss Jessie’s Pillow Soft Curls cream. Depending on my mood, I may use a sponge brush and get my little coils going. Or, I’ll just leave my hair alone and let her air dry.

After all of this, I really love putting on some Huda Beauty under eye patches and relaxing for the night. I love playing video games or watching any of the Real Housewives franchises, wearing my silk pajamas and my cute little fuzzy Ugg slippers. I got the entire pride collection: the trans flag fuzzy slides, a pair I like to call ‘the Kool-Aid line,’ the pink, red, and yellow ones. Then I also have the cool-watercolored ones, which are blue, green, and purple. 

MONDAY / TUESDAY

During the week, it’s skincare only, as I want my skin to breathe, regenerate, and repair from all of the craziness I do to it on the weekend. When I wake up, I drink a glass of water and then I take my Metamucil — it’s important to get your fiber. I play with my little Baby Couleé because she’s always cuddliest in the mornings. 

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I always wake myself up in the morning by washing my face with Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser, followed by their Adaptogen Mist, and Mandelic Acid Superfood Exfoliant. After that, I’ll do their Dream Oil. Or, if I feel like I’m facing a breakout, I’ll use Sunday Riley UFO Oil. Lastly, I’ll follow that up with Fenty Beauty Hydra Vizor Sunscreen. Time to go about my day! 

Normally, Mondays and Tuesdays are a lot of meetings and errands — because it’s kind of like my weekend — but I also balance that with work and the gym. If I do go to the gym, I’ll do my skincare before and then the same routine again after showering.

For my nighttime skincare routine, I’ll start with that same Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser and then Sunday Riley Pink Drink Mist. I’ll follow that with Sunday Riley Luna Oil. Retinol is reactive under UV rays, so you don’t want to use it during the daytime, only at night. After the Luna Oil, I’ll use Sunday Riley A+ Retinoid serum. To top it all off, I’ll do Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate and Glow Dream Mask, and then lights out.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday really centers around ‘Noodle Wednesday,’ which is a tradition my friends and I started during the pandemic when we started to be able to hang out with six people again. We go back and forth between making an Italian pasta dish or an Asian-inspired dish, like ramen or pho. 

What started this, though, was my homemade ramen. I make really, really good ramen. Shout out to my Instant Pot: I love her, she really is the breakout star. I soft boil my eggs in the Instant Pot, then soak them in a salt and soy-sauce brine for six or more hours in the fridge. If we are going Italian, I’m obsessed with the Pasta Queen. People request I make her ‘Devil’s Kiss Pasta,’ which is rigatoni with a pancetta chili vodka sauce. Since Noodle Wednesdays tend to go late, I do the regular nighttime skincare routine and go to bed. 

THURSDAY

Knowing I’m probably going out of town for the weekend, Thursdays are typically my studio day. My art studio is just a mile away from my place. Studio days are for writing music, sketching, finessing wigs. If I need to adjust or make costumes, I can do that. I have a sewing machine and table if I need to get heavy-duty. While I’m working, I love to listen to podcasts. I usually record episodes of my podcast, Wanna Be On Top?, on Thursdays in my studio. If I’m not recording, I like to re-listen to episodes because it’s fun to recount those conversations. Additionally, I listen to That’s Messed Up or My Favorite Murder, if I’m in the mood.

At my studio, I have a mini fridge and I don’t keep drinks in it — it’s strictly for skincare. I like to store some Slay Butter to reapply throughout the day. It’s cold in Chicago, and I want to add extra moisture to my skin. I also love keeping Touchland hand sanitizer on hand, in my bag, and at my studio; it’s great because it come in such amazing scents. I love lavender, it’s really calming. I’ll also use Elta MD 50 SPF sunscreen. Sunscreen is so important and in the winter, people don’t think about it too much, but when it snows, the snow reflects the sun back at you. 

FRIDAY / SATURDAY

Friday and Saturdays are typically show days. I’m normally up around 3:45 or 4 a.m. because I’ll have a very early flight. I’ll usually bribe my dog Baby with a treat so she doesn’t wake up my partner. She absolutely loves Grandma Lucy’s Organic Banana & Sweet Potato oven-baked treats.

I love to shower and use Lush Cup O’ Coffee Mask. The coffee wakes you up and the coffee grounds are hella exfoliating. I’ll use that alongside their Buffy Bar, which is a shea-butter bar with coffee grounds in it. Or, I’ll use my $100,000 Bar, which is a shea-butter bar with a fragrant, aromatic essential-oil blend. You can sense the theme: I’m trying to wake up! I’ll do the same skin-care routine then with Youth to the People and Sunday Riley products.

In addition, I’ll do some Sunday Riley Good Genes and get some of that lactic acid in there because we’re really trying to get this skin primed. Then I’ll do the Youth to the People Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Creme and Fenty Beauty Hydra Vizor Sunscreen for the flight.

When I get into town, I’m going to start with the Youth to the People Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial, which is a super-duper fine exfoliant. I wash that off with my favorite Superfood Cleanser. I will shave with a Harry’s razor followed by generic witch-hazel toner. Then I’ll go and wash my face again, super lightly. I like to do a double cleanse when I shave…it’s just my process. After that, I spray Adaptogen Mist, apply Dream Oil, then apply the tiniest bit of the Air-Whip Moisture Creme and then Youth to the People Superberry Dream Eye Cream. 

To exfoliate my lips, I love to use Kim Chi’s Mint Lip Scrub and then lather on Aquaphor, because Aquaphor is the tea, mama. I’ve used a lot of chapsticks and lip balms in my life, but Aquaphor is the one for me. To prime my face, I love Patrick Starrr’s Makeup Primer. 

Though makeup is always different, I’ll give you a few of my consistent faves. I do Anastasia Beverly Hills Foundation for my overall foundation and Smashbox Studio FX foundation around my perimeter. For my highlight, I use all liquid-based makeup: Juvia’s Place as my medium highlight and Makeup Revolution for extreme highlight. Then I do a cream contour by Fenty Beauty.  After, I set my makeup using Laura Mercier’s translucent powder. For eyebrows, I draw them on using NYX cosmetics That’s The Point liquid eyeliner. For my eyes, I like to use BPerfect X The Vivienne Sceptre Palette. 

For lip liner, I love to use Patrick Starr’s; it’s actually a black eyeliner and texture-wise, it’s sharp. I love the outer edge of my lip to be as sharp as possible. Then I’ll start adding in Pat McGrath after that because I love how blendable her lip liners are. My lips are super full and have a lot of texture, so having a beautiful creamy lip liner underneath lipstick will prevent the lips from looking chapped or dry. For lipstick, I’ve been obsessed with the nude color “Goode” from the Christian Audette, x Gigi Goode Collection. 

Scents are super important to me. Since I’m going to be interacting with people at my shows, I like the full fantasy to extend. I love Lazy Sunday Morning by Maison Margiela perfume. If I want to level up — and want you to really smell me coming — I’ll wear Bamboo by Gucci.

When it comes to taking my makeup off, I start with the Fresh Seaberry Skin Nutrition Cleansing Oil to break up all this makeup. I do four pumps, even though a single pump would do it for most people. I need to get all that makeup lifted and broken up until my face looks like I’m wearing a mud mask. Then, I use Patrick Starrr’s makeup wipes because they’re big and juicy. I’ll cleanse with my classic Superfood Cleanser. If I want some extra care, I’ll put on a Lush Rosy Cheeks Mask; it’s full of rose petals and when it dries and you touch your face, you have the texture of a literal rose petal.

After that, I’ll wash the mask off with Superfood Cleanser. Then, I’ll repeat my usual routine of Pink Drink Mist, Luna Oil, and A+ Retinoid Serum. I finish off the makeup-removal process with Youth to the People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream. I get into my silk pajamas and it’s lights out for me.

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I accepted a long time ago that my brain works differently than others, and that my version of jumping to conclusions looks a lot more like Jackie Joyner-Kersee than, say, hopscotch. So color me unsurprised when over the weekend, images of Harry Styles’ new nail polish and skincare line leaked, and my brain immediately leapt to “Oh, that’s a really gorgeous butt plug.” The line being called “Pleasing” helped that matter none. 

Before I get ahead of myself, let’s discuss what exactly Pleasing is: Per a press release, Pleasing is “a life brand that moves to wherever there’s something Pleasing to be found. Founded by Harry Styles in 2021, Pleasing’s mission is to bring joyful experiences and products that excite the senses and blur the boundaries.” The brand’s first drop launched on Monday, November 15, and is called “Perfect Pearl,” including four nail polishes as well as an Illuminating Serum and the Pleasing Pen, which is a dual-ended eye serum and matte lip oil. Never mind that “matte” and “oil” and oxymorons, this all feels very on-brand for the moment, with the stunning marbleized packaging and the millennial/Gen-Z friendly font style. Maybe I’ve been spending too much time reading horrific threads about people, uh, getting creative with the objects they are using as sexual instruments and winding up in the hospital, but I truly think Pleasing may need to come with a warning label. 

Don’t get me wrong — I am thrilled for the concept of a Harry Styles nail polish line because, well, I would watch that man stir paint and lecture me on the proper pronunciation of “encyclopædia,”, but man, I was super pumped for the conversation about male pleasure and embracing your sexuality that “Harry Styles Butt Plugs” would spark. There’s a free idea for you, Sir Styles! Take it! Lead the discourse! 

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I am just as much a Harry Styles stan as I am an Ariana Grande stan, too — but of course, when my eyes first saw the new r.e.m. beauty matte lipsticks, I thought, “oh, Ari’s trying to take us out of this planet in an entirely different way.” Again, a perfect brand link: Ari is by far the most DTF of today’s pop princesses, and as a person who may as well have “DTF” tattooed on my forehead because I am eternally single, that’s why I love her. I am all on board for sexual expression, and my fellow Cancer sister seems to agree with me. If you can listen to “Sweetener” without blushing at the unexpected Bop It x Sexual Content crossover in the lyrics, you are a different breed of person. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if the r.e.m beauty launch took “vibe” to an entirely new level, considering the source. 

My mind is in a dirt-filled gutter accepting the runoff from a sports stadium, and that is my curse to carry around. All I can say is be safe, enthusiastic consent is real, and do… not use anything for sexual activity that isn’t intended for such. It’s cool to think about Harry Styles and Ariana Grande during the fun sexy times we’re having, but let’s leave the sex icons in our minds for now. But if Pleasing doesn’t involve a future launch of massage candles called “Sweet Creature” or “Meet Me In The Hallway,” I will pretend I don’t want it and secretly buy it anyway. 

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