“Comeback girl” Emily Awbrey, who was confirmed to have made the team on July 16, posted a step-by-step guide on her Instagram
New Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Emily Awbrey Reveals How She Covers Her Tattoo
Emily Awbrey reveals how she covers her hand tattoo.
Dallas Cowboys cheerleader rookie Emily Awbrey has given fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how she covers her hand tattoo
It was revealed this week that Awbrey was among the “comeback girls” to make the 2026-27 team after being cut the previous year
She shared a step-by-step guide on Instagram of how she covers her inking, given that cheerleaders aren’t allowed to have even the smallest tattoos “visible in the uniform or in rehearsal attire,” per the DCC website
America’s Sweethearts star Emily Awbrey is giving fans a glimpse of how she completes her Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders look.
PEOPLE reported on Thursday, July 16, that Awbrey was among the “comeback girls” to make the 2026-27 team after being cut the previous year.
Some fans will have noticed on season 3 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders that Awbrey had a hand tattoo, and the DCC official website clearly states that although “you may try out if you have a tattoo,” cheerleaders have to make sure that even the smallest inkings are not “visible in the uniform or in rehearsal attire.”
In a recent Instagram video, Awbrey revealed that she covers her hand tattoo using multiple products, sharing, “I’ve gotten a lot of questions asking how I do it, so I thought I’d do a little video and show you how I cover it.”
She explained in the clip that she’d recently had a spray tan so her skin tone wasn’t “very even right now,” adding, “I take this most disgusting, dusty, gross beauty blender that I only use for this,” before putting on Dermablend leg and body makeup.
“Not a super heavy layer, because we’re going to double layer it,” Awbrey explained, sharing that it tends to blend better if she does the whole hand.
She added that she also moves her hand around to “get in the creases,” before applying the same brand’s loose setting powder.
Awbrey then told fans “a little secret,” admitting she doesn’t always cover her finger tattoo, saying that the pom-poms usually cover it.
New Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Emily Awbrey Reveals How She Covers Her Tattoo
New Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Emily Awbrey Reveals How She Covers Her Tattoo
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
She told the camera that it’s “almost impossible” because her hands are rubbing and when she puts makeup there “it doesn’t stay.”
Awbrey then added another layer of foundation, telling followers, “I don’t think anyone knew I had a hand tattoo until the show came out,” before putting on more powder and a slightly darker foundation that “actually matches” her arm.
New Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Emily Awbrey Reveals How She Covers Her Tattoo
New Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Emily Awbrey Reveals How She Covers Her Tattoo
“You’ve got to be careful because the more you touch, the more you pick up the foundation, because there’s just a lot of layer there … you can’t blend it too much, you kind of just have to let it low-key sit,” she said.
Awbrey admitted that although the look was “not perfect,” covering hand tattoos is “kind of hard.” “Is it perfect? No. But it will get the job done, I’d say,” she insisted, before adding more powder, insisting she was really going to “pack it on.”
Given the spray tan situation, Awbrey then added some bronzer over the top, before completing the look with a setting spray — first applying a Charlotte Tilbury one, before finishing off with L’Oréal Paris’s Infallible version.
She said the setting spray was “arguably the most important” step in the routine, later filming herself while laying in bed.
Emily Awbrey.
Emily Awbrey/Instagram
“I had a phone call right after that clip and I forgot to film the rest of the video, soo that’s how I cover my tattoo, thanks for watching,” Awbrey told the camera.
While the DCC squad changes each year, the strict set of rules that all the athletes must follow stays the same.
The guidelines were first established in 1972, but Suzanne Mitchell, who led the group from 1976 to 1989, added even more during her time as director. The rules specifically outline all the traits and qualities that define a Cowboys cheerleader and how they should act.
Emily Awbrey on season 3 of ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’.
Courtesy of Netflix
Many of the decades-long rules — which include maintaining a certain body shape and having neutral and natural makeup — have stayed the same under the DCC’s current director Kelli Finglass’ tenure.
Finglass told PEOPLE in 2024 that the rules may be strict, but she stands by them.
“I don’t make excuses for our standards,” she said. “It is a highly visible organization with very elite dancers and the uniform is amazing and beautiful and custom-tailored to each individual figure. So that’s my answer. I’m not making any excuses.”