Olympian Heather Mitts on Beauty and "Game Hair"

Real Beauty: So first off, do you wear any makeup to games or practices?

Heather Mitts: A lot of the team doesn't wear anything, but I'll usually do a little mascara. For me, it comes down to my skincare routine and making sure I have a lot of sunscreen on since we're outside all the time. People make fun of me and say I look like a geisha, but that's okay with me. At this point in my career, I've been in the sun for—gosh, I don't even know. I just lather up and try to make sure I don't get any more wrinkles than I'm already going to.

RB: Have you ever had any unfortunate experiences with makeup and sweating?

HM: There were a couple of years in high school when my mom and other people would make comments about the makeup I wore during practice running. But I was stubborn! Years later, I've learned that less is more or you end up looking like a raccoon. As an athlete, I also think there's something very attractive about how you feel after a workout and embracing the fact that you just kicked your butt. I don't look at being sweaty as a negative, but as a positive.

RB: You mentioned you're a big sunscreen person. Do you wear it all over or just on the exposed areas?

HM: I wish I was good enough to do my whole body, but I usually do SPF 50 everywhere except what's covered by my clothes. My teammates are embarrassed I think, but I just tell them to wait until their 30s when they start seeing sun spots. It's the young'ins who don't see it, but I was the same way, too.

RB: You have this amazing blonde hair. What kind of tricks do you have for keeping it looking so great?

HM: I put my hair up almost every day for practice, and it's really long, so I have to work at it. I don't wash it every day, which some of my teammates find disgusting, but I know it keeps it healthier. After a sweaty workout I'll rinse it with water and apply conditioner, but I only use shampoo two or three times a week. Whenever I get my hair done at the salon, I'll have them use a super deep-conditioner.

My teammates are always telling me I wear my hair down so much, but since we put a lot of stress on it, I really like to let it breath. I try to be delicate with it, which includes letting it air-dry rather than using heat, and I rarely ever use products.

RB: Do you ever have moments where you think about cutting it?

HM: When I as at the University of Florida during my freshman year, I had long hair and didn't want it to to be sweaty and nasty every day. I cut it and instantly regretted it! Ever since then I've always wanted to keep my hair long, and I just find ways to deal with it.

RB: Soccer's your main thing, but you get to attend some glitzy events, too. What do you like to do to amp things up for the red carpet?

HM: I love dressing up and since I don't get a lot of opportunities to do it, I try to step out of my comfort zone a little. I always want to keep it natural, but just a little more glamorous. I'll sit there and write down every single product and step and then run to the store to buy, but when I try to recreate it it's never the same.

RB: You've traveled so much for tournaments and different Olympic games; have you ever noticed a difference in how other nationalities approach beauty on the field?

HM: Across the board, no one's really going out of their way to look cute. I think our team is different though since we have more girly girls who are looking for ways to identify themselves and be different. Hope [Solo] can wear some makeup when she's playing, but she's a goal-keeper so she's not running around as much which makes a difference.

Hair is really where we can be creative. I have my "game hair," which is always different than how I'd wear it at practice. Alex Morgan has the pink headband which is kind of her signature look. Sweden and Norway are the only other teams who have game day hair, too. They have really good braids and all these cute styles.

RB: But you're not allowed to use barrettes or clips or anything during games, right?

HM: Right—it definitely limits the ways you can wear your hair. All you can use is a lot of hairspray and an elastic. You have to get really creative.

RB: Do you have any amazing snacks or noshes you swear by?

HM: We're getting ready to go to Japan at the moment, and I'm already coming up with a list of things I'll take. Whether I'm flying two hours or across the country, I always make sure to have a packet of almonds with me, an apple, and a Luna bar. I carry those around on a daily basis in case I'm stuck somewhere or hungry.

For right after a workout, I make this really great tofu shake. If I can't do that, I'll have a pre-made one from GNC.

RB: Are you a big breakfast girl?

HM: I eat a huge breakfast every morning—it's what I look forward to. I'll do steel-cut oatmeal with blueberries and strawberries, an egg white scramble with mushrooms, zucchini, and onion, and a piece of cinnamon Ezekiel bread with almond butter. I could do that every single day. Oh, and you've gotta start your day with coffee. I think I mentally need it.

RB: How do you take it?

HM: I just did a cleanse and stopped drinking milk and all that stuff, so right now it's black. I never thought I'd do that, but the secret is to have a really good coffee or else it takes like crap. If I had crappy coffee, for instance, I'd do one raw sugar and some cream.

RB: It seems like during the Olympics there are always stories about how the Olympic Village is such a wild animal-house for athletes. True?

HM: We're actually the only sport not in the Village since we play on a field that's usually set further away. We always heard those crazy stories, and I remember wondering what it would be like, but when we get there for the finals we don't even notice what's going on because we're so focused. We'll end up staying and partying for three or four days after we're done, which is pretty fun, but we haven't seen any crazy orgies or anything.