I haven’t danced since middle school, have never cheered a day in my life, certainly cannot kick my legs anywhere nearly as high as the cheerleaders do in their iconic Thunderstruck dance, and yet I am one of the millions of people who’ve become obsessed with watching America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. I love to see women win, obviously, and get quite invested in everyone who makes it through tryouts to training camp. As a beauty editor, I’m enthralled by the perfectly-done makeup and hair that all somehow stays in place through hours of games and practices.
I’m also a football fan—my fantasy team is aggressively managed—and watching the DCC is a nice break from the otherwise male-centered Sunday Night Football. So, it’s safe to say I’ve watched enough of the show to know that being a DCC is basically an Olympic sport. These women are serious athletes whose impossibly high kicks and stamina to get through hours rehearsing perfectly synchronized routines deserve extreme levels of respect.
But, again, as a beauty editor, there’s another part of their performances I can’t stop thinking about: How the heck do they keep their hair and makeup looking so good through all that intense exercise? That question became even more pressing when I recently attended my first-ever Dallas Cowboys home game (as a guest of Charlotte Tilbury, who sponsors the cheerleaders’ makeup). Seeing the DCC in action IRL (and practicing with former DCC Megan McElaney) gave me a whole new appreciation for their signature beauty look: voluminous hair, flawless makeup, bronzed skin, and perfectly polished nails.
So, how much time, money, and effort really goes into maintaining that level of glam? I decided that I needed to find out for myself. I set out to recreate the full Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders beauty routine—or at least, as much of it as I could—before putting the finished look through a long day of my own.
Naturally, the foundation of the whole DCC beauty look is wearing high-glam, long-wear, sweat-resistant makeup that can stand up to a lot of physical exertion. The DCC have partnered with Charlotte Tilbury to make that happen, so I also went with a full face of Charlotte Tilbury makeup, both to get as close to a DCC look as possible and put the same formulas to a real-life long-wear test. for my eyes, I opted for a daytime, cool-toned smoky look with lashes. On my cheeks, plenty of sculpting and bronzer paired with a peachy nude blush.
But the products that really helped me channel my inner DCC were the Airbrush Flawless Concealer, Airbrush Flawless Blur Loose Setting Powder, and lip combo Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk Medium paired with Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk. They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and that goes for the hair too. Tangerine Salon is the go-to salon for the DCC, and while I didn’t get to try their services while I was in Dallas, I did get a blowout from another Aveda-affiliated salon in New York City right before the trip.
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