Trump's Makeup Routine Has Undergone Some Eyebrow-Raising Changes

The Trump family has experienced quite a few makeup fails over the years, and Donald Trump has led the charge.

In fact, it's the president-elect's makeup routine that usually inspires the most discussion surrounding his appearance (i.e. his orange skin). For example, Stephen Colbert joined the conversation concerning Trump's makeup routine by posing as him during a mock makeup tutorial for "The Late Show." After riffing on Trump's extra shiny appearance, Colbert showed fans how to go from "golf to rally." He kicked off the theatrics by smearing his face with bronzer before following that up with gobs of Fenty Beauty highlighter. He then took an extreme liberty by using a slice of bologna for a seamless (but not really) finish.

In 2021, Jimmy Kimmel also broached the topic of Trump's makeup routine on his show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" In one segment, Kimmel joked about a rumor that Trump actually was responsible for doing his own makeup. "Of course he does his own makeup," said the host. "Look at this makeup. If a professional did this, they would be fired ... out of a cannon." As for Trump's supposed application? "He dips a pillow in cheese dust, and just starts whacking himself in the face with it," Kimmel quipped. He concluded the segment by expressing his desire to see Trump do his own makeup tutorial. 

Of course, Trump's actual makeup routine is one of his most guarded secrets — at least the routine in its entirety.  Over the years, facets of Trump's grooming habits have made their way into the media — including a couple of eyebrow-raising changes to them.

Roughly three months after Donald Trump committed the ultimate beauty sin during a Dr. Phil interview, the politician joined his new bestie, Elon Musk, and his granddaughter, Kai Trump, at a SpaceX Starship launch. And while he sported his usual garb — a suit and tie — it seems he may have spent a few extra minutes sculpting his chin via contour (or having someone do it). Although it's hard to pinpoint exactly what changed, that area of his face looked considerably different that day. Of course, this could've been the result of a little Facetune or even Photoshop. Then again, why complicate matters when makeup would do the trick?

Also, even though Trump's orange skin has somewhat become his signature during his time in the spotlight, Fast Company seems to believe that his glow isn't quite as sunny as it used to be, a trend that's been apparently progressing for several years now. As for one possible motivation? "Because he's 78 years old, he just needs to show up being authentic. His experience and wisdom should be demonstrating confidence in himself," shared Edith Chan, an image consultant and celebrity stylist. "His character is very bold, so why not offer the public a new thing to not get bored with another four years of him?"

By the way, Trump actually does have a makeup artist, at least part of the time. As of 2023, he was still putting his face in the hands of presidential makeup artist Kriss Blevens. She recalled how Trump pushed her to layer on more color even when she thought he didn't need it.