Getting Ready With Teen Track Star Sydney McLaughlin
As a professional runner and athlete, 19-year-old Sydney McLaughlin’s daily life is mostly focused on training and recovery. With some international racing now under her belt (including the U.S. Championships, which occurred just last weekend) and a partnership with New Balance, Sydney spends her days going to practice, attending track-related appointments, and seeing friends and family. “I try to relax and recharge as much as possible when I’m not practicing,” she tells Teen Vogue. “I enjoy a lot of things on the beauty side like experimenting with makeup, doing hair, in addition to shopping and being on social media.”
For Sydney, beauty is a fun escape from training. “It is something I can do with my girlfriends when I’m traveling or home,” she says. Like the editors at Teen Vogue, Sydney believes makeup can help boost one’s confidence. “When you look good, you feel good,” she says. Before track meets, Sydney likes to get ready at home to help get in the zone, and she does her makeup and hair so she will feel her best when it’s time to compete.
On racing days Sydney opts for a neutral color palette rather than bright colors. “I do like to do cat eyes and lashes to be a little dramatic,” she shares. Her favorite products include Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer, Too Faced Born This Way Concealer, and Laura Mercier highlighter. But on her days off she tends to be as natural as possible (“I’m typically tired from practice”) and uses POREfessional from Benefit Cosmetics, Morphe Setting Spray, and any type of mascara from Maybelline.
Sunscreen and making sure she’s wearing SPF is also important to the star athlete who won her first Diamond League victory in Oslo earlier this year. “I bought a bunch of products from Supergoop and also bought this facewash I’m obsessed with at the London airport from Boots.” While she recommends Supergoop’s Glow Stick Sunscreen SPF 50 and Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Facial Wash, if Sydney had to pick one favorite product it would be Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner. “It gets the job done and it’s alcohol free, so it doesn’t sting.”
When it comes to racing, Sydney loves the way the sport challenges her to put her best self forward through hard work and dedication. “As track and field athletes, we don’t get to see our hard work pay off as frequently as other sports that have games or matches for most of the year,” she says. Sydney dedicates herself to training all year for the summer season of racing and always looks forward to stepping onto the track for a race.
What excites her most about all of it? “I love the progression of the sport and the depth of talent that we have in the U.S., especially in the 400-meter hurdles. The women in hurdles are incredibly talented and through their dedication are pushing the sport forward,” she explains. With the 2020 Olympics on the horizon Sydney says, “I am excited to be a part of this group of women and to see how sports can change everything.”
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
