Does Barack Obama Wear Makeup? Here's The Rumored Reason He Does

Barack Obama's grooming and self-care routine has drawn as much interest as his wife, Michelle Obama's, who, by the way, looks amazing without makeup. From the early days of his presidency to the lavish life he and The Obama family have settled into, the public has always enjoyed learning about what Mr. Obama' does to keep himself looking distinguished and camera-ready. And he's been pretty forthcoming about it all! In 2021, Obama revealed that prioritizing exercise and family time boosted his mental health during his two-term presidency. "The two things that were most important for me was exercise in the morning, hitting the gym," Obama shared with The Skimm (via Self). "And the second thing was family; having a block of time with my girls and with Michelle that was inviolate unless there was a genuine immediate crisis."

One thing the former POTUS has never addressed directly is the rumor that he periodically wore makeup during public appearances. The rumor first began in 2013 after HuffPost ran an article questioning whether the then-president wore bronzer during his second-term inauguration. Although the outlet was unable to officially confirm the answer, the question of the Obama's penchant for bronzer became the subject for all sorts of gossip, as well as source material for plenty of comedians. "Key and Peele" famously performed a sketch that depicted him getting his makeup done, complete with, his "anger translator" complained about the makeup artist's poor technique. "D*mn girl, don't make me look like a caked up clown," said the translator. But has Obama ever actually worn makeup in real life? Well, it's very possible.

According to Allure, who interviewed presidential makeup artist Lois Cassano, Barack Obama likely did wear makeup under certain circumstances. However, it's unlikely that the president was going for a full face with bronzer and all, as the rumors suggested. Instead, the beauty professional told the outlet that most presidents opt for light coverage concealer and foundation to "even out [their] skin tone." The reason for this pretty much boils down to having to sit under bright, unforgiving studio lights. "Anyone who has ever seen himself on television without makeup will never do that again," said Cassano. Given Obama's endless public appearances, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of photos taken of himself in office, a little photo-ready coverage makes sense.

Still, we may not ever get a full answer about what products the president used, because despite personally working for Richard Nixon and George Bush Jr., Cassano wasn't actually Obama's personal makeup artist. Obama's makeup artist is none other than Karen Lynn Accattato, who shared her best client-based secrets to Forbes. "It's designed to fit into any guy's routine—even the president of the United States," Accattato shared. "Cleansing, shaving, and moisturizing are key for every man." Accattato also stressed the importance of regular trims, lip care, and eyebrow maintenance.

Per The New York Times, the practice of presidents wearing makeup for public appearances goes back well into the 1950s, and possibly before. But unlike presidents of today, who are made to look as natural as possible, makeup looks of the pre-HD television era were a lot more intense and theatrical. Speaking to the outlet way back in 1994, Lillian Brown, who had a history styling and grooming multiple presidents for debates during the mid 20th century, explained, "Nobody knew what to do. We just experimented with black lipstick and heavy pancake makeup and all these crazy things."

Decades later, makeup is thankfully a lot more refined and subtle enough that we barely notice it — except for those moments where we catch a concealer line on TV. Politicians, by the way, don't have any shame about it. "Presidents understand that being made up is part of the job," Cassano said to Allure, "I make him look like him, just a little bit better."