Ilona Maher on posing for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and her beauty routine

Good things come in threes.

That’s certainly true for pro rugby player Ilona Maher, who appears in this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for the third consecutive time.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt as sexy as I do when I’m shooting with them,” the 29-year-old Olympic athlete told Page Six Style of posing for the bikini bible.

“I just wear so many swimsuits, and you’re in so many cool locations — exposed in so many ways, but I also feel so good about it. You’re almost like, ‘Take my top off!’”

When it came time to prep for her shoot, Maher reached for a longtime favorite: Coppertone Sport Sunscreen Spray, her go-to for long days on the beach and on the field.

“I hate farmer’s tans,” the brand partner said, adding of her “aggressive” chosen sport, “I’m going out there, I’m sweating, I’m tackling. I need something that I can genuinely trust.”

Given she’s got her whole team stealing her SPF spray — “those little bitches,” she joked — it makes perfect sense that Coppertone would create a limited-edition Coppertone Sport bottle printed with her likeness.

“What a wild thing, to have had something in your locker and for it to now be your face on it,” the Vermont native said.

Maher’s other on-field beauty must-haves include Maybelline’s long-lasting Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick in Self-Starter and Pioneer, two of her signature reds.

The athlete also told us she’s “getting into moisturizer,” and that Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Moisturizer is a particular “love.”

When it comes to off-the-field fashion, Maher’s known for experimenting with everything from daring cutouts and dangerously high slit skirts (both of which factored into her SI Swimsuit launch party look this week) to corsets and crop tops.

“Wear things that genuinely make you feel confident,” she advised. “If you feel the sexiest in a sweatsuit, then wear that. If you’re wearing a minidress and you don’t feel good, we all can tell.”

Added Maher, “I just think that’s really important: to dress the way that makes you feel the most like you. Because your energy will shift.”

Given the “Dancing With the Stars” alum’s seemingly boundless confidence, it’s no surprise she’s been rumored to anchor an upcoming season of “The Bachelorette.”

Unfortunately, fans might have to wait a long time to see the sports star hand out roses.

“I don’t know if my man is on there, you know what I’m saying?” Maher said, adding that she’s hoping to meet someone “in the wild.”

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This article was written by Erica Radol, Page Six Commerce Reporter. From identifying the top anti-aging skincare secrets the stars trust to dishing on the latest fashion collabs to finding a great deal on all of the above, Erica has a knack for reporting on – and even testing – Hollywood’s bestselling fashion and beauty products. Before joining Page Six in 2025, she wrote about entertainment, lifestyle and shopping trends for Us Weekly, The Daily Beast, Entertainment Tonight, Well+Good and Hearst.