USC Basketball Star JuJu Watkins Talks Self-confidence in New NYX Professional Makeup Campaign, Beauty Standards in Women’s Sports and More
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University of Southern California women’s basketball phenom JuJu Watkins already has a contract extension with Nike — reportedly one of the most lucrative in women’s basketball — but her NIL deals don’t end there.
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Now, the 19-year-old is sharing the secret to her success on the court in her first video campaign as the face of NYX Professional Makeup — one of her latest partnerships announced last year that made her the first female college athlete to have a makeup brand ambassadorship. “I think that looking good on the court is underrated,” she says in the empowering digital project, which debuts on Monday. “Your self-confidence in how you look translates to performance.”
The campaign includes a digital rollout in addition to life-size displays at retailers like CVS and Walmart. Also, social media takeovers will happen across accounts for NYX, Watkins and retailers around the end of the month during the Sweet 16 tournaments.
While Watkins often sinks a clutch shot on the court wearing Kobe sneakers, her shoes aren’t the only part of her appearance she considers on game days. As she’s grown up, she’s become more interested in makeup. “I was definitely a tomboy growing up,” she shared. “My sister always put on makeup and stuff. Definitely, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found my own kind of aesthetic when it comes to makeup, and have grown to love it even more.”
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NYX has a demonstrated interest in women’s sports, a fact that helped Watkins get on board with the company. The cosmetics label became a sponsor for the New York Liberty in 2023 — before the team won its first-ever WNBA championship in 2024. The company also sponsors the Los Angeles-based Angel City FC, which is part of the Women’s National Soccer League.
“We are so proud of how NYX Professional Makeup is changing the game for the beauty industry and raising the bar for female athletes,” said Yasmin Dastmalchi, general manager, NYX Professional Makeup. “The intersection of sport and beauty has never been more relevant, and with March Madness coming up, we knew that it was the perfect time to highlight JuJu Watkins as the first-ever female collegiate basketball player in a nationwide beauty campaign. The partnerships showcases her irrefutable confidence and self-expression both on and off the court. When you look good, you feel good, which is so true for JuJu, and shows in her peak performance every day.”
Watkins, who described herself as a previous fan of the brand, said her connection was solidified by its commitment to women’s sports. “They’ve really shown up for women and especially in sports. So I really admired that, and it definitely motivated me to partner with them.”
Now, her must-have products from NYX are the eyebrow gel and the Butter Gloss, both of which she shows off in the new campaign. For an everyday look, she likes to keep things natural, but she’s not afraid to go for a more dramatic aesthetic for special occasions.
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Watkins, who also has a deal with Gatorade in addition to her headline-making Nike contract, emphasized that her deal with the cosmetics company exemplifies how women can’t be boxed in.
“For women especially, I think there’s so many avenues that we can do,” she said. “And this is one of my favorite partnerships because makeup is not something that’s usually correlated with sports. And so just to be able to do that as a woman in sports, and be able to tap into different things, like makeup — I think it speaks to just the feminine nature of being a woman, and then being in sports as well.”
Feeling confident in how she looks only strengthens Watkins’ winning mentality on the court. For her go-to “super natural” game day look, she might cover up a dark spot or pimple with concealer, then use eyebrow gel and eyebrow pencil.
She says in the campaign video, which shows her getting glammed up and exhibiting her skills on the court, “basketball has always been a part of my life. It just gets me up every morning… I actually didn’t start getting into makeup, like, ’til a couple years ago. But for me, self care is super important. ‘Cause if feel good, if I look good, there’s a high chance that I’m playing good.”
As for whether or not women in basketball might feel pressure to present a certain polished image compared to men, Watkins offered, “I think internally, like women playing against other women, I don’t think we put those expectations on ourselves. You know, you wear makeup if you want to, you don’t have to. But I would say, in terms of the larger scope of things, beauty standards definitely do exist in that sense.”
Watkins, who looks up to retired WNBA star Candace Parker, was recently named The Athletic’s National Player of the Year. She said of the recognition, “It’s such an honor. I think it’s really cool to see, especially when you put in so much work, just to see it kind of pay off in that sense. It’s really cool and I feel really blessed.”
While she doesn’t put too much thought into her game day arrival outfits these days, she says she might get more invested in them once she’s playing in the pros — an eventuality that countless fans are rooting for.
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