Swimsuit

Ilona Maher Goes Bare-Faced for Simple and Splendid Morning Selfie

The Olympic rugby star and SI Swimsuit model took to Instagram to showcase her radiant skin and stunning green eyes.

Ananya Panchal

Ilona Maher
Ilona Maher / Molly Darlington/Getty Images

Ilona Maher woke up like this. The SI Swimsuit model started her day with intention—and a gorgeous, glowing selfie to match.

The Olympic rugby player took to Instagram this morning with a soft, radiant close-up that showed off her natural features and signature confidence. With her hair slicked back and barely-there glam, Maher proved (yet again) that effortless beauty is always in style.

Fan reactions

“mornin’,” she captioned the post.

“All hail,” Charli Jacoby commented.

“God is a women,” Georgie Lilly Perris-Redding chimed.

“Face card goes insane,” one fan guhsed.

A glow that speaks volumes

Maher‘s makeup look was subtle but striking: luminous base, rosy cheeks, a sheer wash of warm brown eyeshadow and feathery brows. The 28-year-old’s green eyes sparkled and a glossy pink lip added the perfect touch of summer freshness.

Captured in a close-up mirror selfie, her chiseled jawline and bare skin took center stage.

The post reflected Maher’s signature brand of body positivity and self-love. She’s known for embracing her natural beauty and encouraging others to do the same—whether she’s cracking jokes in the gym or strutting down the runway. Her social media presence has become a safe space for fans who crave authenticity, strength and joy.

From the field to the fold

Maher’s rise to stardom began on the pitch. She helped lead Team USA to its first-ever Olympic bronze in rugby sevens at the 2024 Paris Games. A month later, the Vermont native and San Diego resident landed the digital cover of SI Swimsuit’s September issue. This May, she made her print debut in Bermuda, posing for Ben Watts in fierce animal print pieces that showed off her muscular, powerful frame.

In the time between shoots, Maher also joined the Bristol Bears to debut in Rugby 15s and was runner-up on Dancing With the Stars season 33—proving that being multi-talented isn’t just a flex, it’s her default.

A role model, inside and out

Through it all, Maher keeps her community at the center. She frequently credits her sisters, mom and teammates for helping shape her into the confident woman she is. “The girls have made me who I am. It's my teammates, it’s my coaches who have truly just given me the confidence to be myself. So I love my girls. I would be nothing without them,” she shared.

Ilona, Olivia and Adrianna co-host the House of Maher podcast together.

The Coppertone and Maybelline ambassador is redefining beauty on her own terms—and showing fans that beast, beauty and brains can coexist.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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