Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East may be one of the most athletic couples out there, as a former Olympic gold-medalist gymnast and a professional football player, respectively. However, their concerns about what Halloween costumes to go with, Sunday scaries and keeping their kid’s teeth clean are very familiar. We caught up with Shawn about her skin-care favorites and her ever-evolving love for beauty ahead of the holiday.
What’s your favorite Halloween costume you’ve ever done?
“My favorite costume that I’ve done in my lifetime? Oh my gosh. I kind of remember it. I was young. I think I was six or seven years old. When I was a kid, I used to have hair like all the way down past my butt. It was so long. I really wanted to go as Jasmine, and so my mom got really creative with it and took toilet paper rolls, took all the toilet paper off, and stacked them on top of my head. I remember having the full-on ponytail, and I felt like a million bucks. I was a little kid, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I think that would be my favorite.”
Do you have costumes picked out for the family this year?
“We do! Our daughter turns three this week, and she’s so opinionated now, so we asked her what she wanted to be. She was Elsa last year, and she’s going to be Elsa this year as well, but she got a light-up costume, so her dress lights up. Then we’re doing a whole family thing which we’ve never done. So, I’m Anna, appointed by her, Andrew is Kristoff, Nash is Sven the reindeer, and then Jet is going to be Olaf, which is the best part.”
So after all of the Halloween candy you’re bound to get in these adorable costumes, how do you plan to take care of yourself and the kids’ teeth?
“We’re partnering with Crest. We’re huge fans of the brand. I remember working with them years and years ago doing a bunch of charity events with them, which was incredible and they just kind of left a lasting impact on me. So when they reached out for this, it was totally natural and normal.
We’re fortunate our kids love brushing their teeth. They didn’t until we got them electric toothbrushes, and it changed the game. They just love electric toothbrushes, which are not cheap, but they love them. And we had the whole ‘it’s spicy’ moment, which is trending on TikTok, but they love the spicy toothpaste now and just truly enjoy it. We try to really promote healthy eating and healthy body image and everything in this household, but we’ve been counting down the day to when we’re going to gorge ourselves with candy and obviously go through the teeth brushing at the end of the night and probably before.”
You grew up in the public eye as an Olympic gymnast. How has your experience being a young gymnast on display affected your perception of the beauty space?
“It’s been a long journey for me. I feel like I kind of ran from it for a while because I lived within that subjective like ‘You had to look a certain way, act a certain way, convey yourself a certain way to be considered successful’ or whatever. So I had a hard time with the beauty space for a while just because I always was trying to play into what I thought people wanted to see. I kind of struggled with that for a while and then grew up and got healthy and moved on and have really embraced the beauty world now in the sense that it’s art, and it’s you, and you get to just do whatever you want, and I love it now.”
Do you have any favorite skin-care products?
“A bunch! I kind of jump all over the place. Tula has always been a great partner of mine. I think their foundational products are incredible. Elemis has an awesome Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm ($40) that’s really thick that I love. I recently found a local place here in Nashville called Skin Pharm. Their stuff is amazing. It’s legit.”
Are there any makeup looks you love playing with?
“We’re in the whole eyebrow century, so I’m obsessed with eyebrows—microblading, laminating, gels, but other than that, not really. I love skin care, so that’s kind of my thing. So I like a foundation that’s very thin and just flawless. This look is kind of what I do every day.”
You and your husband are both iconic athletes, so I know you’re big into exercise and staying active, but what is your favorite way to wind down?
“A glass of wine? We love being outside. We play and hang out outside a lot. We have a side patio that we sit on all the time. We love being by the fire. Just peace and quiet, especially having kids. The quieter, the better.”
