When Lexie Hull takes the court for the Indiana Fever, the cameras catch everything—sweat included. What they don’t catch is her makeup sliding off in the fourth quarter. In fact, the lip color still in place under the arena lights is her own product.
During her college days at Stanford, Hull grew tired of choosing between makeup that melted off mid-game and heavy, long-wear formulas that wrecked her skin. Unable to find a happy medium, she and her college roommate, Sarah Guller, decided to build it themselves. The pair co-founded Forta (short for “For the Active”), a collection of beauty products designed to stay put through high-intensity gym sessions or back-to-back meetings.
The line’s sweat-proof durability was put to the ultimate test this season, even if the Fever’s playoff run ended earlier than anyone on the roster hoped. The Fever entered the postseason anchored by Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell (the highest-scoring duo in WNBA history driving the highest-scoring offense the league has ever seen) with eyes set firmly on a championship. Instead, Indiana’s run ended in Game 3 of the first round.
Now, as Hull looks to reset, her recovery plan is simple: a few weeks away from the basketball court before she returns to training for her offseason team, Unrivaled, and a lot more time dedicated to Forta.
Below, she shares how she balances entrepreneurship and professional basketball and why she’ll remain an unrepentant overpacker till the day she dies.
What do those first few weeks after a loss like that look like?
Lexie: “It’s always funny when the season ends because you’re like, ‘Oh, I have a life outside of basketball.’ I can actually go see friends and go to events. It was a bittersweet ending for me. We would love to still be playing. But this past weekend I got to be a bridesmaid in one of my college roommates’ weddings, so there was something to look forward to.
For the first couple weeks you don’t touch a basketball. You don’t even look at one. If it’s a good game, I’ll turn it on, but mostly I’m just watching the scores, because it’s so hard to watch when you want to be out there so much. That’s what’s been so awesome about having Forta. There’s always been that other thing to reset mentally and physically. And basketball will start again soon, when Unrivaled starts in January.”
Where did the idea for Forta come from?
Lexie: “Between practices, games, and traveling, and still wanting a social life, I was constantly on the move. My makeup either sweated off or melted off. So I’d use really heavy long-wear products that weren’t great for my skin, or I’d try clean beauty products that just didn’t perform. Sarah and I were catching up and realized there wasn’t a brand built for women like us, women who are active and busy and want products that can keep up.”
Did the desire for reliable cosmetics -- have anything to do with the increased visibility of women's basketball?
Lexie: “There are so many more eyes on women’s sports now, and we wouldn’t trade that for the world. But there are [cameras] on us at practice, at games, even during travel. For me, confidence is a little color on my face, so I’m not scared to see the pictures of the Fever or the WNBA posts after a game. I want to be excited to see them.”
Sarah, you weren’t on a court. Why was this your problem too?
Sarah: “I couldn’t find products that lasted my 12-hour workday, which could mean sitting in the office, running between board meetings, going to client dinners, or hopping on a plane. For Lexie, it’s all about concentrated intensity. For me, it’s about duration. Our thesis is that if a product can last a WNBA game and a 12-hour workday, it’ll last everything in between, whether you’re a nurse, a working mom, or a girl staying out till 4 am.”
What do your regular work days look like?
Lexie: “With Sarah on the West Coast, I try to get my workout done before she’s even up. Right now that’s the weight room and conditioning, but in a week or two I’ll be back on the court. I drive downtown every day, which is 30 minutes, so I always throw on a podcast, usually Morning Brew. It gets me up to date, and the guys are really funny.
Then it’s Zoom calls with Sarah and our partners, meetings with our head of social, and a lot of Canva for Instagram. I invested in a monitor and a mouse, which Sarah thought was funny because I was so hyped about it. I guess that’s normal for people in the business world."
You’re in Indianapolis and Sarah’s in San Francisco. How do you stay in sync?
Lexie: “We use an AI assistant called Instinct, and our Instincts talk to each other. They know each other’s schedules, so if one of us is away, we don’t have to be on our phones constantly to get an answer. That was Sarah’s find.”
What’s your beauty routine on a practice or game day?
Lexie: “I’m a pretty practical person when it comes to beauty, especially when I know I’m going to be sweating. I don’t want to be worried about whether my face is on. I always wear our PR Proof lip stain in the morning for some color, and if I have concealer on, I’ll always use our setting spray. You shouldn’t need a 12-step routine to feel put together. Sometimes it’s just a little color on the cheeks and lips and brushed-up brows.”
You went from roommates to co-founders. What made that work?
Lexie: “We’ve seen each other at our best and at our absolute worst, and we love each other in all of those moments. I think that’s our hidden strength most co-founders don’t have. We don’t always agree, but our friendship lets us disagree and keep moving forward. We’ve let each other lean into our strengths. I don’t think we’d be a successful company without each other.”
Sarah: “When you live with someone, you’re bound to send or receive some snappy messages. ‘Hey, go clean the living room, it looks terrible.’ ‘You left hair in the shower.’ You get used to not taking it personally. So if Lexie tells me she doesn’t like my idea, no skin off my back. There’s a reason she’s saying it.”
What’s something you bought that felt wildly indulgent but has completely paid for itself?
Lexie: “I need coffee the minute I wake up, so we (Hull and her fiance Will Matthiessen) just got a Jura espresso machine. That was definitely a splurge. But if you’re happy the minute you wake up because you have your latte, it’s worth whatever you spend on it.”
Sarah: “Microneedling. You’re paying over $1,000 per package, but as someone who’s dealt with acne most of my life, it’s a game changer. I’m not afraid to go out for the night if I’m having a breakout. Knowing my skin is in its best shape is worth the investment."
If we opened your bags right now, what would we find?
Lexie: “I will overpack till the day I die. I have a hard time bringing just a carry-on, so take that as you will. I’ll probably have three different pouches: skincare in one, extra makeup in one, headphones and chargers in another. If you need something, I probably have it in my bag.”
Sarah: “I’m the total opposite. I get overwhelmed by packing, so I save it for the last minute and forget half my essentials. When I get to the trip, I’m definitely going to need to borrow stuff.”
The Toolkit
What Lexie can’t live without:
Forta PR Proof Lip Stain: “I always wear it in the morning to give me some color.”
'Forta Lock & Go Setting Spray: “If I have concealer on, I’ll always use it.”
Instant Hydration Electrolyte Packets in P.O.G.: “Passion orange guava is my favorite by far. If I’m home, I mix it with sparkling water. It’s a very elevated mocktail.”
Melatonin: “If I don’t have sleep and hydrating checked off, you don’t want to be around me.”
Weleda Skin Food: “I think I’m through my fifth bottle. When I find a product I love and I have empties of it, I keep going back.”
Libby, her dog. “Most mornings she wakes me up because she’s sitting on my head or snuggled up next to me. If I’m having a bad day, I know that as soon as I walk in the door or get out of bed, she’s the happiest girl ever. She’s my kid at this point in my life. If you don’t have a dog, you’re missing out.”