Politicians are not just criticized for their governmental work, but are often heavily scrutinized for their appearance. Somehow they are notorious for failing miserably when it comes to hair and makeup, as well as fashion. Despite having access to glam and makeup artists, both male and female politicians often make glaringly questionable makeup choices. These makeup flaws are pronounced even more under bright cameras lights, prompting viewers to laugh instead of listen.
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One of the more humorous offenses in modern politics is government officials becoming memes within minutes. Some jarring makeup fails seem to be a result of excessive application while others appear to be rushed jobs, likely due to tight scheduling and mismatched skin-tone shades. From unblended bronzer to bright blush, these are some of the most glaring makeup fails from politicians that we simply could not ignore.
Donald Trump has become synonymous with bright orange facial tan
Donald Trump’s bright fake orange tan is almost unsurprising at this point. It became an integral part of his signature look long ago. He has been pictured with an unnaturally orange hue countless times throughout his presidency and beyond. Any of his most orange moments could be considered among the most jarring politician makeup fails. President Trump’s makeup mishaps are a likely result of poor lighting, a hefty spray tan, or a combination of the two. It’s not just the brightness of the makeup that makes it a failure, but the application as it covers his face in patches. There also appears to be a lack of cohesion in the blending.
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Donald Trump seems to be confident in his own appearance as he reportedly does his own makeup, at least according to Jason Kelly. The official makeup artist for the 2016 Republican National Convention told The Washington Post that Trump arrived at the event in full glam, which did not stop Kelly from mocking him. “When I see him, I see a line of oxidized bronzer around his hairline,” Kelly recalled. “The application is like a kindergartner did it.” Criticizing Donald Trump’s excessive use of bronzer, Kelly added, “Bronzer shouldn’t be applied from forehead to chin. It’s meant to contour the face. Putting it all over is just going to make you go orange.” Given his presidential win, Donald Trump’s bright orange tan does not seem to be going away anytime soon.
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The elements revealed Donald Trump’s poorly blended makeup
Donald Trump’s makeup blunders warrant their own separate list due to their frequency. Viewers have been subjected to his bright orange tan long before he was elected as President of the United States. Trump has been captured in the midst of heavy winds on numerous occasions, leaving his hair flapping in all directions. To make matters worse, the elements rarely do his makeup skills any favors as they highlight the glaring contrast between his natural skin tone and all of his cosmetics.
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During a rally in Muskegon, MI in October 2024, Donald Trump fought strong breezes that put his poorly blended makeup on full display as his hair was lifted to reveal his bright orange tan line. He reacted to the forceful gust, covering his head with a “MAGA” hat.
Donald Trump has not held back when applying his makeup, and neither have his critics. “The View” co-host Ana Navarro poked fun at the president-elect during a 2024 episode of the show. “I want to show the Trump campaign, this is a makeup sponge. You use it to blend,” Navarro said while holding one to the camera and demonstrating its function. “The biggest border crisis that Donald Trump is encountering at this moment is the border between his real skin and his bronzer.” As long as Trump continues to deliver speeches outdoors, it’s extremely likely that the elements will expose his loud and poorly blended orange makeup.
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Matt Gaetz debuted a new look on his talk show
Matt Gaetz’s new appearance was apparent at the beginning of 2025 with the launch of “The Matt Gaetz Show” from One America News Network. People immediately noticed the former Florida Congressman conducting his broadcast on January 2 with a shockingly uneven orange shine on his face and stiff facial expressions, likely due to an excessive application of botox. Disturbed viewers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Gaetz’s look. One X user wrote, “Good God, I hope Matt tones down the makeup next time he goes on air. This is so disturbing to watch — truly the stuff of nightmares.”
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Matt Gaetz is no stranger to controversy and has been the topic of numerous scandals, including sex trafficking, statutory rape, and an alleged misuse of funds, not to mention his contentious political positions. In addition to Matt Gaetz’s many awkward moments, his appearance has also been ridiculed by the public. Rumors of plastic surgery circled the internet in July 2024 after many noticed significant changes to his facial structure at the Republican National Convention, with posts on X illustrating before-and-after photos. On top of the plastic surgery rumors, his makeup and poor highlighter application on his show has continued to fuel public scrutiny surrounding his appearance. While bad makeup has become part of some politicians’ signature look, Matt Gaetz’s glaring makeup fails have seemingly altered his appearance altogether.
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Lauren Boebert has never heard of ‘less is more’ when it comes to makeup
Lauren Boebert has had her fair share of makeup fails, from overly bright red lipstick to heaping layers of thick foundation. Of all her cosmetic blunders, one particular disaster stands out as undoubtedly the hardest to look away from. Despite wearing one of her better outfits while attending the 2024 State of the Union address, the congresswoman’s makeup choice was more than a glaringly questionable misstep.
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Lauren Boebert’s face was heavily caked with an overwhelming amount of makeup. Her eyebrows were noticeably too dark, drawing attention away from her look instead of complimenting the rest of her facial features. However, the most obvious flaw of Boebert’s makeup was her excessive use of bronzer, which was disproportionately layered across her face, leaving her with an unnaturally orange tan.
Additionally, Boebert’s bright red lipstick only further highlighted the stark contrast between her makeup and her natural complexion. Her heavy-handed countenance may not have been as noticeable in person, but clear photographs of her look at the event made the heavy application of bronzer and eyebrow pencil even more apparent. Lauren Boebert’s makeup mishaps are well documented as this was far from the first time she had received backlash for her cosmetic choices. Ultimately, her look at the 2024 State of the Union stands out as one of the most glaring makeup fails from a politician that are nearly impossible to ignore.
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Melania Trump is a fan of heavy eyeshadow
Much like her husband, Melania Trump’s makeup fails warrant their own list. She has been scrutinized online on numerous occasions, especially when it comes to her appearance. From poorly blended bronzer to mismatched lip liner, Melania’s makeup choices have been known to raise eyebrows. Her unfavorable use of cosmetics has even prompted rumors of plastic surgery from the general public.
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Out of all Melania Trump’s most glaring makeup, the most egregious is her repeated excessive application of eyeshadow. Some extra embellishments around the eyes can often round out a look and highlight the rest of one’s makeup, but Melania has heavily applied dark, black eyeshadow to her look multiple times.
One of Melania’s most memorable uses of unflattering eyeshadow was during an appearance on Fox News in October 2024. She appeared to have been going for the smoky effect for which eyeshadow is often used. However, the first lady left much to be desired. She not only had on a lot of eyeshadow, but the dark shade overwhelmed the rest of her look. Instead of complimenting her eye color, it made the rest of her makeup more apparent and mismatched her dark, blond hair. Melania regularly wears a full face of makeup that fails to accentuate her skin. A lighter shade of eyeshadow and a little less bronzer would certainly go a long way. When she wears less makeup, Melania Trump’s facial features are showcased more naturally.
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Melania Trump’s aggressive eye makeup continues to dominate her face
Heavy eyeshadow seems to be a recurring choice in Melania Trump’s history of makeup failures. Despite photos from her young adulthood that reveal her natural beauty, she has opted for cosmetic enhancements, including a supposed nose job and lip fillers. Melania denied rumors of plastic surgery in an interview with GQ, claiming to be “against Botox [and] injections.” “A lot of people say I am using all the procedures for my face. I didn’t do anything,” she claimed. Whether or not she has undergone any surgeries, Melania’s appearance has certainly changed over the years. However, her loyalty to eyeshadow has remained consistent, never wavering when it comes to making public appearances.
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During a fundraiser dinner at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson in April 2024 in Palm Beach Florida, Melania wore a floral purple gown as she arrived at the event alongside her husband. However, her makeup detracted from her outfit as the aggressively applied eye shadow redirected attention to her harsh face. Melania Trump’s eye shadow was so dark and loud that it commanded the rest of her look. Her heavy eye makeup made it appear like she could barely even open her eyes. Abundant and disproportionate application seem to be consistent trends in the Trump family when it comes to makeup, and Melania’s jarring face paint at the 2024 fundraiser dinner was no different.
Lara Trump’s heavy makeup at the 2024 RNC received backlash online
Glaring makeup blunders clearly run in the Trump family. Given Donald and Melania Trump’s dramatic cosmetic failures, Lara Trump somehow outdid them. The wife of Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, delivered a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention, campaigning for her father-in-law’s reelection as the 47th President of the United States. Unfortunately, Lara Trump’s makeup distracted viewers from her 20-minute address as it was equally excessive as it was overpowering. The clear quality of television cameras only made matters worse, especially during closeup shots of her face. Lara’s look immediately garnered harsh reactions on social media. “She looked scary and had way too much bronzer,” one X user wrote, adding clown emojis to their post.
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Hair and makeup artist Luna Viola examined Lara Trump’s epic makeup fail in an exclusive interview with The List. “It looks like the contouring was not blended to Lara’s hairline, resulting in a visible line coming through,” Viola explained. “The tone of her skin also looks very bronzy, adding a lot of orange warmth to her skin tone.” The choice of an overly orange bronzer combined with a lack of blending resulted in the wrong kind of attention that one would want for their appearance. Among the most glaring politician makeup fails, the Trump family undoubtedly holds the most offenses. The debacle surrounding Lara Trump’s makeup at the 2024 Republican National Convention stands out as arguably the most alarming.
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