The spirits were high in Washington well before Sunday’s home-opening win against a division rival.
For the Commanders’ Week 2 matchup against the Giants at Northwest Stadium, some of the significant others of Washington players got glammed up by celebrity makeup artist Allison Kaye as they kicked off the day at a tailgate.
“They were so excited for their home opener and were going to tailgate together,” said Kaye, who curated game-day looks for Melanie Ekeler, the wife of running back Austin Ekeler; Daniela Fowler, the wife of defense end Dante Fowler; Hannah Allen, the wife of defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, among others.
To ensure the makeup lasted through the blazing sunshine, Kaye — who most recently worked with the partners of Cowboys players ahead of their Week 1 win over the Browns last Sunday — used Beauty Pie’s setting spray, an airbrush foundation from TEMPTU and Huda Beauty’s setting powder.
The 1 p.m. contest came down to the wire, with Commanders kicker Austin Seibert sealing the 21-18 victory with a 30-yard field goal as time ran out, giving Washington its first win of the early 2024 season.
Melanie, who wed Ekeler in a glamorous Las Vegas ceremony in May, praised the Commanders running back after the game, in which he rushed for 38 yards.
“So proud of this guy,” she posted Sunday on Instagram. “Commanders win!!”
Ekeler joined the Commanders in March after signing a two-year deal worth up to $11.43 million.
The festivities will continue Monday as the ladies of the Commanders are set to gather for a luncheon.
“All the girls are super excited to go to that and continue to meet each other,” said Kaye, who also styled Mikaela Worley, Mickayla Peardon and Seliana Carvalho, the partners of safety Jeremy Reaves, linebacker Jordan Magee and cornerback Mike Sainristil, respectively.
“It’s really nice to see a team of girls who are genuinely all friends with each other.”
The Commanders will visit the Bengals next week in a “Monday Night Football” matchup.