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Allison Kaye never intended to become the preferred makeup artist for the wives and girlfriends of professional athletes. However, after providing hair and makeup services for Sophie Scott, the longtime partner of 49ers quarterback Mac Jones, at the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland, requests from so-called WAGs have been relentless.
Jones, who was picked 15th overall by the Patriots, was seen as the successor to Tom Brady, who departed the team in 2020. Sophie mentioned me in several Instagram posts from that evening, and wives and girlfriends from across the NFL began following me right away, Kaye, now based in South Florida, told Front Office Sports.
Months later, a group of Dolphins wives and girlfriends, upon learning that Kaye was local, asked about booking their own makeup sessions. Then, as she puts it, everyone jumped on the bandwagon—it was simply one NFL referral after another.
This surge prompted Kaye to turn her work into a formal business, launching Game Day Glam in 2022. Since then, she has traveled nationwide to get partners of pro athletes—not only NFL WAGs—ready for lengthy sideline appearances.
But this football season, Game Day Glam, like numerous other brands, is extending its services to college campuses. Her inaugural college visit was on Sept. 5 in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided glam for four girlfriends of Ohio State players, including starting quarterback Julian Sayin. They were connected through the girlfriend of former OSU linebacker Sonny Styles, who had hired Kaye for her makeup before his appearance in the 2026 NFL Draft in April. (The Washington Commanders selected Styles in the first round.)
Because Kaye posts many client transformations on Instagram and TikTok, she considers herself more of a content creator who also does makeup. Videos from her Ohio State trip garnered hundreds of thousands of views within days and attracted a new wave of interest from college football WAGs across the country. She told FOS that she is focusing on schools with massive fan bases as she sorts through direct messages.
That approach brought Kaye to Penn State's homecoming weekend, where six Nittany Lion WAG glam sessions generated even more widely viewed content. Kaye believes her content has become so popular because it offers an inside glimpse into the lifestyle of players and their partners. The players don't share that kind of content themselves, she says. It gives people this insider look, and obviously, people love the fashion and beauty aspect of it the most. It's fun to see what people are wearing to games.
To make any game day worthwhile, Kaye says she must have a minimum of four clients and factors travel into her fee, which varies widely based on distance. Player partners arrange and pay for the services themselves; teams are not involved. But a professional glow isn't all Kaye provides. Her roughly 200,000 followers make her a target for beauty brands that want to be featured in her content—and that want to reach her equally influential clientele, meaning WAGs often leave with plenty of gifted products and swag bags.
I'm providing a pretty unique opportunity for companies because of my contacts, says Kaye. It feels like nearly every wife in the NFL follows my page at this point. Plus, my clients usually like to share their experiences, so if I'm doing five or six or seven girls for a game, a brand is most likely going to get incorporated into all of their content as well.
Kaye is also known for turning her hotel rooms into glam suites, complete with team-themed decor, food and drink, and plenty of good vibes. And she's going even more all-out than usual for her new college clients since, unlike pro WAGs, she says they're not used to being offered gifts or more luxury experiences.
Getting into the college game means Kaye's fall weekends are now almost totally booked, but that hasn't stopped her from thinking about what's next. Working with teams and leagues in a formal capacity is at the top of the list. My dream is to have a team call me up and let me go in the locker room, she says, and walk around with a mini mic while I quiz players on different makeup products.
That dream could soon become reality: Last month, the NFL told FOS that it has been scaling up its female-focused content with a particular focus on player wives and girlfriends, and will be doing even more in the future.
Originally reported by yahoo.