- 5 weeks ago
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders take us through their routine leading up to their holiday special performance. As they get ready for the iconic Christmas Extravaganza, the girls do their hair, put on their full stage makeup, get into costume and more.
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00:00Hi, Allure!
00:01We're the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
00:03And welcome to the Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza.
00:15Hi, Allure! My name is Kylie.
00:17This is my fourth season as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader
00:19and my third season doing Christmas shows.
00:22Hi, Allure! My name is McKenna.
00:23I've been a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader for three seasons
00:25and this is my second season doing Christmas shows.
00:30Okay, so I actually do my hair the night before.
00:32Every single time I give a full wash, dry, blow dry, and curl
00:37the night before because otherwise my hair just won't keep up while I'm dancing.
00:41So this is actually from last night.
00:42I curl it pretty tight and then it loosens up
00:43and ends up being the perfect loose curl.
00:47I always start with my hair because I have naturally curly hair
00:51so I feel like I kind of have to wrangle it to get the curls to stay
00:56and keep my natural curls at bay while I'm dancing.
00:59So I will curl it with a really like 1.25 inch, nothing crazy
01:06and then I'll let it sit for the entire time while I do my makeup
01:09and then I'll wait to brush it out
01:10and I feel like that helps it kind of set
01:12and then stay curled while I'm dancing.
01:15For makeup, I always just do a moisturizer.
01:17This is a pretty thick one because it's wintry and really cold
01:20so I'm like scraping it but we don't usually dance outside much
01:25but for the Christmas show, we dance outside.
01:28So we have to have more hydration for the weather.
01:31I like a glowier base and for Christmas show,
01:34we actually get to have a little bit more freedom with our makeup.
01:37We can wear a red lip and a little more glowy
01:41because it's a shorter show.
01:42It's only really like 20 minutes.
01:45Because we're outside,
01:47I feel like it's harder to keep your hair voluminized.
01:51We all kind of tease our hair more or less
01:53depending on the appearance or show.
01:56So I would say for Christmas shows,
01:58since it's so fast and so quick,
02:00you kind of just like tease it up as much as you can
02:03and then try to keep the style to stay curled by the finale
02:08when it's windy and humid outside.
02:11We learned so much about makeup
02:13just because we're photographed so much.
02:15Like you'll do a game and you'll try something new
02:18and the photographs will come back
02:19and you'll be like, oh, never gonna do that again.
02:21But we've learned a lot in four years.
02:23I feel like I've kind of started to perfect everything
02:26to be happy with my photos and my videos.
02:30We kind of haven't really had an off-season as of 2025.
02:33And it looks like 2026 might be similar.
02:36So I'm a big fan of hair masks
02:38and I like to sleep in them.
02:40So when I'll have my hair curled
02:43and styled for multiple days straight,
02:45I feel like it's super, super dry.
02:47And then I also swear by water filters in your shower.
02:50That's something that I try to put
02:51literally every single one of my teammates on.
02:54I like to do warmer tone first
02:55and then I kind of carve out with a cooler tone.
02:58And I like to do heavy contour
02:59because we have really, really bright lights on us
03:03that kind of make you look really flat.
03:05So if you want to look like you have a smaller forehead
03:09and high cheekbones,
03:10you have to kind of carve it out a lot.
03:13I would definitely say
03:14we kind of have the DCC voluminous curls
03:17because you want your curls to show up
03:20and stay curled during pictures,
03:22but you also want it to have a lot of volume
03:24and kind of bounciness.
03:25And I also think it makes your hair look cooler
03:27when you're doing your hair flips and choreography.
03:31I do use two different hairsprays,
03:33one for this and then one for when I brush it out.
03:36One of them's a light hold
03:38and the other is a heavy hold.
03:40So I feel like the light hold is more
03:42just to keep any flyaways at bay or frizz
03:45since I do have naturally curly hair.
03:47I feel like my hair is more likely to get frizzy
03:49when I get sweaty or when it's really humid out.
03:52And then I like the heavy control hairspray
03:55just to keep the curl style held.
03:58So this is what my curls look like
04:00before I brush them out.
04:02And then I'll leave them like this
04:04until after I'm done with my makeup.
04:06So it's going to set for at least 30 minutes like this.
04:09This is my favorite blush combo right now.
04:11This is the Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick
04:14by Charlotte Tilbury.
04:14And I love this red color
04:16and I always put it on the back of my hand first
04:18and I mix it with this pink one.
04:21I just like the look of them both together.
04:23And then I mix it on my hand
04:25and then I just focus it on my cheek.
04:29Rosy cheeks like Santa.
04:31I'm going to start with my eyes first
04:33and then I'll do my base next.
04:36My boyfriend hates when I get ready at his place
04:39because I take up the entire bathroom.
04:41I feel like for all the times
04:43we've had our makeup done
04:44for video shoots or cameos
04:46or even just live performances,
04:48all the makeup artists I've noticed
04:50have always started with my eyes
04:51and so I just started doing that
04:53because that's what they did.
04:54I'm like, they're professionals.
04:56They know a thing or two about it.
04:57I think a lot of the trial and error
04:59is kind of figuring out
05:00what your specific face needs.
05:02Like I feel like I have a smaller eye
05:03so I like to, when I do my eye makeup,
05:05I like to make it,
05:06my eyes look a lot more exaggerated and bigger
05:08and I like to focus on my cheekbones
05:11because I feel like I have higher cheekbones.
05:12So I try to really accentuate even more.
05:14And I specifically like to do my eye
05:18a certain way to make my eyes look a lot bigger.
05:20I know some people contour this part of their nose
05:22but I actually like to just lighten it up
05:24as I think it makes my eyes look further apart.
05:27Okay, and then I also do a lot under eyes
05:29with my eyeshadow
05:32because I feel like that really opens my eyes a lot too.
05:34And then for me,
05:35probably the biggest impact of my makeup
05:37is using a eyelash.
05:39This one's main character.
05:40It says it's faux mink effect.
05:43I do black eyelash glue
05:46which can be risky
05:48but I do eyelashes every single day
05:51so I've gotten pretty good at it
05:53and I feel like it makes my lash line
05:55just look fuller and deeper and darker
05:57and it just photographs better.
05:59And one trick I have is
06:00if you are really bad at doing your eyelashes,
06:04they have eyelash glue in liner form
06:08so you can put eyeliner on
06:09and then I also put
06:11if you're really bad at it,
06:13you know, put a clear one
06:15and then when you put them on together,
06:17they're both wanting to stick to each other.
06:19And then also just letting them
06:20be really, really tacky
06:22before putting them on
06:23so you can place them right in the spot
06:24and they won't move around.
06:26Kylie, I need you to repeat that.
06:30Have you used the eyelash glue eyeliner?
06:32No, I haven't.
06:33I did in college
06:34and I couldn't figure out how to do it
06:36so I just stopped using it.
06:37I feel like it's kind of hard to use it
06:39just on its own
06:39because it's not like enough glue
06:41but if you use it with glue,
06:44it like melts together.
06:46Oh.
06:47See, I was just using the liner.
06:51Okay, yeah.
06:52McKenna and I were just in New York together
06:53for multiple appearances
06:56for Giving Tuesday,
06:58which was actually really fun.
06:59And we were roommates.
07:00And we were roommates.
07:01I know, I feel like I get to hang out
07:03with you so much.
07:03We've been getting ready together all week.
07:05I know, really.
07:07I feel like a lot of us are roommates.
07:10I think Soph and I are the only ones
07:11that live together.
07:12Oh, really?
07:12Yeah.
07:12I feel like it used to be more common
07:14for girls to live together.
07:15Mm-hmm.
07:15But now I feel like we're so busy,
07:18sometimes you just need your own space.
07:21But a lot of girls are married
07:22or have long-term serious boyfriends
07:25or are engaged
07:26so they'll live with their significant others too.
07:29Now I'm gonna use
07:30a super bright highlighter on the inner.
07:33I really only do this for Christmas show
07:35because I think it looks like snow.
07:37And then I go just a little bit up.
07:41But not really for games.
07:44I feel like a lot of girls
07:45do maybe like a fun red lip or something
07:48for the holidays.
07:50That's something a little bit different
07:51that girls will do.
07:52So when I do my holiday lip,
07:55I always start with brown liner
07:58on the outside.
08:02I would never wear a red lip like this
08:05unless it's a Cowboys Christmas extravaganza.
08:07But not on game day.
08:11Okay, now that my makeup's done,
08:13I'm just gonna go ahead and brush out my curls.
08:16And I don't know what this brush is called,
08:19but I really like it
08:20because it makes my hair really smooth
08:22and all the curls really smooth.
08:26And you don't have any like coily curls
08:28coming together.
08:29This is where the light hairspray comes in
08:32and then you spray away any flyaways.
08:36We can't really do gloss when we perform
08:37because it'll get in your hair.
08:39So I'll leave this on,
08:40let it kind of hydrate.
08:42And then once it kind of dries down
08:44to make it look like I have gloss on,
08:47I will take just a little bit of highlighter.
08:50And then, oh, okay.
08:52That was a lot of it.
08:55I can draw it in just a little bit.
08:58And then it photographs like a gloss.
09:03Okay.
09:04And this is my final glam
09:05for the Cowboys Christmas extravaganza.
09:07This is my final look
09:09for our Cowboys Christmas extravaganza.
09:12Now that I'm all ready with my hair and makeup,
09:14I'm gonna prep my costumes.
09:15So we have little boxes
09:17and we take them under the tree
09:18or backstage where the girls that dance on stage go.
09:22And we'll have three different costume changes.
09:24You wanna make sure your electric cowgirl costume
09:26is plugged in because that lights up.
09:28Then we have our Santa baby,
09:29which is our classic Santa costume.
09:31And that's kind of the grand finale of the show.
09:33But we start the show in our uniforms.
09:35That will come first.
09:36And that first dance is called Thunder Holes.
09:38And it's kind of just like a Christmas version of Thunder,
09:40which is really fun.
09:42I am Michelle Sharp.
09:44And my role with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
09:47is Team Operations Coordinator.
09:50We're in our ninth season of the Christmas show.
09:52And it was the brainchild of our illustrious director,
09:55Kelly Finglass.
09:56She always wanted a spectacular,
09:59rockette-style show.
10:00I helped them with their wardrobe for the show.
10:03They have two quick costume changes.
10:06They begin the show
10:07in their Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniform.
10:10Then the cast of 22
10:11will all go into the huge Christmas tree
10:14for their very first quick change.
10:17They change into their electric cowgirl outfit.
10:22It has been quite the project
10:25keeping 22 ladies
10:27with all of those costume pieces lit.
10:30But it is fun.
10:32It's a challenge.
10:34Once the ladies arrive,
10:35I already have all of their costumes
10:38plugged in on a charger
10:41with a good old USB port.
10:43They will pack their boxes.
10:45The boxes go downstairs at 5.15.
10:47They have a hard call time
10:49of those boxes being packed and ready at 5.10.
10:51I have to use my teacher voice
10:53sometimes to get them focused.
10:56But that's just part of the fun.
10:59What is your paper number?
11:02Oh, mine is Jingle Bells.
11:05Oh my gosh.
11:06We wear this little Santa baby costume
11:08is what we call it.
11:09It's like fur
11:10and just all the holiday magic
11:12in one outfit.
11:13I love it.
11:13It's really holly jolly
11:14and it's so much fun.
11:16Because you said Jingle Bells,
11:17I would also say that's my favorite.
11:19But we have light-up costumes
11:21which are literally specifically tailored
11:23to kind of like be DCC uniform
11:25but light-up.
11:26So you look like little Christmas lights
11:28and that one number is really fun.
11:29It's also long
11:30but it's really fun.
11:31And we call it Electric Cowgirl.
11:33Which is sick.
11:35And there's lights
11:36throughout this entire thing.
11:37Yeah, will it turn on?
11:38And they turn off all the lights
11:41in the area that we perform
11:43and so we're the only thing lit up
11:45and it's just so magical
11:47and fun and really, really cute.
11:49What would you say
11:49is the hardest part
11:51of the Christmas performance?
11:52I would say starting off
11:54with Thunder Hauls
11:55makes the whole thing harder
11:56because that's our hardest piece
11:58of choreography
11:59that we probably have
12:00in our entire regimen.
12:02so I would say
12:03Thunder Hauls
12:03is the hardest.
12:05I think starting it off
12:06with Thunder Hauls
12:07and ending Thunder Hauls
12:08with a full kick line
12:09and jump split
12:10and then we pretty much
12:12hop-hop up
12:13right after the jump split
12:14turn around
12:14and get up
12:15and run the next thing.
12:18Electric Cowgirl
12:19is the hardest
12:20because you just have to try
12:21so hard
12:22to make it look
12:23really, really sharp
12:24because everything's so happy.
12:25And because it's dark
12:26so people can't see
12:27your expressions as much
12:28and I feel like
12:29that really amps up
12:30the performance factor.
12:31So when it's dark
12:32and you just have
12:33all of this
12:34to get everyone excited
12:35you definitely have to
12:36put in a lot more effort
12:36to that one.
12:38Compartmentalization
12:38is your best friend
12:39this time of year.
12:40Like I don't think
12:41of regular Thunder.
12:42I don't think of my regular spot.
12:44I don't think of my regular forms.
12:45Even Baby I'm Stark.
12:46You just push it out
12:47of your brain
12:47and you say
12:48that's going to be
12:49game day's problem
12:50or rehearsal problem
12:51and then you come here
12:52and we actually have
12:52a full run-through
12:53before the show
12:54just to make sure
12:55you remember all your parts.
12:56But for me
12:56I have to be like
12:57Thunder doesn't exist.
12:58It's only Thunder Hauls today.
13:00I would say November
13:01is our busiest month
13:02maybe of the entire
13:03football season
13:04because Thanksgiving performance
13:05we start Christmas shows
13:07and other games.
13:08And then honestly
13:08when it gets to be
13:09November and December
13:10it's less practice
13:12and more just performances.
13:13Like we have put in the work
13:15throughout the beginning
13:15of the season
13:16you know
13:16learning all those routines
13:17and we learn Christmas
13:19in September.
13:21Maybe October.
13:22October, October.
13:23And so we're ready
13:25so far in advance
13:27so that when we get
13:27to our super busy season
13:28which is November
13:29and December
13:29and we just have
13:30not just rehearsals
13:32every day
13:33but performances
13:33every day
13:34we're ready
13:34and we can pull those things
13:35from the back of our brains
13:36and we're ready for it.
13:38So true.
13:39But this year
13:39there's two casts
13:40on the field.
13:41And that's our point
13:42for Christmas Field
13:43and she kills it
13:44every time
13:44and she looks so good
13:45down there.
13:46I'm blushing.
13:46Yes, this is the last show
13:51for current field cast
13:52and so this is
13:54kind of like
13:54our halfway point.
13:55This show will kind of
13:56push us into the latter
13:57half of Christmas shows
13:58so next week
14:00I don't know
14:01if we're going to have
14:01a full dress rehearsal
14:02but we'll switch field casts
14:04and girls have been
14:05understudying this whole time
14:06so then they'll pull in
14:07and then the girls
14:08who aren't in full cast
14:08this time
14:09will be Santa's helpers
14:10where they walk Santa out
14:12kind of a magical thing.
14:13Here comes Santa Claus
14:14and the kids love it.
14:15They scream their heads off
14:16because it's adorable.
14:17This will be a special show
14:18because it's our last
14:19first cast.
14:35Which of your teammates
14:37from the Christmas show
14:38is most into skincare?
14:40I'm going to say Kennedy.
14:42She is a big skincare girly.
14:43Probably Sophie.
14:44She is very regimented about it.
14:47She's right here.
14:48She's my best friend
14:49so we go home
14:50and we live together
14:51so we go home
14:52and she's the first
14:52to just take out
14:53her full glam
14:54and do a full skincare routine.
14:55I need to learn
14:56something from her.
14:57Who is most likely
14:58to give the best beauty tips?
15:00Best beauty tips
15:01has to go to Kylie
15:02for sure
15:03or Sophie.
15:04Megan is a makeup artist
15:05so she actually gives us
15:07a lot of tips
15:07but also Soph.
15:08Soph is probably
15:09one of the best
15:10at makeup.
15:12Carly.
15:14Easy.
15:17Carly.
15:18Who could be a hairstylist
15:19on the beach?
15:20I'm trying to think
15:21of another name
15:21but also Carly.
15:23She's really good at hair.
15:24Who?
15:25Who'd you say?
15:27I said Carly.
15:29Yeah.
15:29She teases everybody's hair.
15:30She does tease everyone's hair.
15:31Allison has the best hair.
15:32Yeah.
15:32Actually Allison.
15:33Yay.
15:35Cut.
15:39I said Carly.
15:40I said Carly.
15:41I said Carly.
15:42I said Carly.
15:43I said Carly.
15:44I said Carly.
15:45I said Carly.
15:46I said Carly.
15:47I said Carly.
15:48I said Carly.
15:49I said Carly.
15:50I said Carly.
15:51I said Carly.
15:52I said Carly.
15:53I said Carly.
15:54I said Carly.
15:55I said Carly.
15:56I said Carly.
15:57I said Carly.
15:58I said Carly.
15:59I said Carly.
16:00I said Carly.
16:01I said Carly.
16:02I said Carly.
16:03I said Carly.
16:04I said Carly.
16:05I said Carly.
16:06I said Carly.
16:07I said Carly.
16:08I said Carly.
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