Exclusive: Dearica Hamby’s Pregame Beauty Routine Embraces This Mindset

The professional athlete, who joined the ‘Ulta Beauty Roster’ earlier this week, shares the products that currently line her top shelf.

Dearica Hamby / per Ulta Beauty

When it comes to Dearica Hamby’s pregame beauty routine, the Los Angeles Sparks forward abides by one particular philosophy, she tells SI Lifestyle: “Less is more.”

Before unveiling her spot on the inaugural “Ulta Beauty Roster” on Wednesday, Feb. 4—joined by fellow athletes Anna Leigh Waters, Emma Navarro, Madisen Skinner, Midge Purce and Vanita Krouch—Hamby revealed her go-to pregame process in this midst of her second Unrivaled season with Vinyl Basketball Club. Below, shop a few of her favorites.

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Hamby’s go-to game day products

Lips

“I [always] include my e.l.f Cosmetics Glow Reviver Lip Oil [$9],” the 2022 WNBA Champion tells SI Lifestyle of her favorite lip product. She named the shiny oil—which comes in 10 sheer shades—as a standout when asked about her “beauty holy grails.”

Base and eyes

Hamby then explains that in her routine, she uses
“WYN Beauty Featuring You Hydrating Skin Enhancing Tint SPF 30 [$2.90] for coverage” along with “a waterproof mascara from Essence [$4.99].”

Highlighter

For a natural glow that you can spot from the stands, the athlete finishes off her look with highlighter. “I top everything off with literally any FENTY Beauty Bomb Highlight [$43] or NYX Professional Makeup Buttermelt Highlight [$12],” she continues. “And that’s enough for me to feel good and perform at a high level.”

Hamby’s routine has evolved along with her more than decade-long professional basketball career. Selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft, the former Wake Forest hooper headed to the San Antonio Stars. The team relocated to Las Vegas following the 2017 WNBA Season and then became the Aces.

“I used to think that you should wear ‘enhancers’ only for special moments,” Hamby says of her makeup mindset. “I think now and the way people view women’s sports is that it’s O.K. to add elements that make you feel your best.”

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After five seasons with the Aces—along with two All-Star nods (2021, 2022) and her first WNBA Championship (2022)— Hamby joined the Los Angeles Sparks in January 2023. She signed a contract extension to stay with the organization throughout the 2025 season in June of 2024.

And while she still believes less is more, Hamby isn’t afraid to make a beauty choice that makes her stand out every once in a while.

“I remember one of my first few years, I wore red lipstick during a game and then felt a bit weird after and now everyone is confidently wearing whatever they want during games without feeling judged, including myself,” she continues. “I still have an element to me that loves natural beauty and I try to be authentic in that area.”

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