The Biggest Makeup Mistakes From The Women In The Trump Family

When you're a member of one of the most famous families in the world and everyone's watching your every move, it can be easy to make a misstep with your appearance. The Trump clan? They know that too well. Tiffany Trump has worn several outfits that didn't work, while her half-sister Ivanka Trump has a handful of looks that equally missed the mark. But along with making several fashion faux pas, this duo — along with their famous sisters-in-law and step-mother — also isn't immune to an unflattering makeup mistake. Or two.

We looked back at the occasions the Trump women could have done with a blending brush and a (much) lighter hand. We spoke to fashion hair and makeup artist Luna Viola, who broke down some of their worst mishaps and how to avoid them.

When Lara Trump, wife of Donald Trump's son Eric Trump, appeared at the Republican National Convention in July 2024, fans noticed something was off with her makeup. Lara had heavy bronzer on her forehead, likely intended to give her face a more tan and healthy look. Instead, the product looked muddy and too dark on her skin. "Lara Trump is known for her very tanned look, and by looking at her arms it is evident she loves a spray tan [but] the bronzer used to contour her face is not perfectly blended to the hairline," Luna Viola told Women.com, pointing out a thin, pale line that ran along the top of Lara's forehead. "This combined with a much lighter concealer shade can make the face darker and orange," she added.

One of the best ways to avoid muddy bronzer is by applying it as the last step in your routine. Putting cosmetics over the top can spread it and make it look patchy (particularly if it's a cream product), which could explain why Lara's bronzer appeared less than fresh.

The 2024 Republican National Convention wasn't only a bad makeup occasion for Lara Trump, as Kimberly Guilfoyle also suffered a mishap. Guilfoyle wore very heavy eye makeup, including thick black liner, voluminous faux lashes, and brown shadow. "Kimberly's makeup style is just too dark and too defined," Luna Viola told us, pointing out the dramatic line between Guilfoyle's brown shadow and the much lighter champagne highlight under her brow bone. "Blending eyeshadows always creates a much softer youthful look." One of the easiest ways to blend harsh shadow is via a specific blending brush, which is fluffier than a standard eyeshadow brush (NYX's Pro Blending Brush and e.l.f.'s Blending Eye Brush are both designed to soften harsh lines). These can be used with or without product, but, in Guilfoyle's case, applying a warm, light brown shadow with a blending brush would have been more flattering.

Guilfoyle also went dark and heavy with her brows, which is an aging mistake. "Eyebrows are best defined with a soft powder-based products instead of a dark pencil to avoid harsh lines," Viola said.

When Melania Trump appeared on the Fox Business show "Mornings with Maria" in October 2024, some viewers questioned how morning-friendly her makeup look was. Just like Lara Trump, Donald Trump's wife wore heavy bronzer all over her face, with severe gray eyeshadow that wasn't properly blended and stretched almost to the outer part of her eyebrow. "The eyeshadow deliberately outlined her eye shape to make her eyes look wider. Unfortunately, the shade used was a dark one and if not blended well, the result is too harsh," Luna Viola shared.

Melania's makeup artist could have easily fixed the issue with a softer shadow that wouldn't have been so difficult to blend. "A lighter shade of brown well blended just on Melania's eye socket would have done the job. Taking the eyeshadow any further than makes the look dated and way too dramatic for day time TV appearance," Viola shared.

We appreciate that Ivanka Trump tried something different with her makeup for the 2003 premiere of "Born Rich," but this risk just didn't pay off. Donald Trump's eldest daughter hit the red carpet looking pink all over as she gave the look now known as the tomato girl aesthetic a go — but with a too heavy hand. Ivanka had a deep pink all over her cheeks as well as on her nose, her chin, and either side of her forehead. The effect gave her more of a bad sunburn aesthetic than glowy goddess, and she made a case for why sometimes brown blush can be more flattering for a sun-kissed glow.

Ivanka also needed a hydrating product on her lips. The beauty's pout looked dry and cracked, almost as if her makeup artist had spent too much time on her blush and forgot to apply so much as a moisturizing lip balm. Adding a slick of the 2003 equivalent of e.l.f's Glow Reviver Lip Oil in Crystal Clear or NYX's Fat Oil Lip Drip in My Main wouldn't have changed her makeup aesthetic but would have made her lips look much healthier.

In August 2014, Tiffany Trump shared an Instagram snap with friend Andrew Warrant that didn't show her makeup in the best light. Her foundation appeared several shades lighter than her body, which made it look like she was wearing a mask. Matching your foundation to your exact skin tone is usually a good idea to avoid an orange face (take note, Tiffany's dad) and we love that Tiffany clearly knew how important it is to apply SPF to her face to keep her skin healthy. However, it's also important to have a foundation one or two shades darker for when your body is naturally more tan (usually in summer) or after applying faux tan. Luna Viola recommended using your neck and chest to get the best match.

The super light affect could also have been caused by powder flashback. Makeup pro Benjamin Puckey explained to Teen Vogue that face powders that contain silica can reflect camera flashes, making where it's been applied look a ghostly white. "[Silica is] a light-reflecting substance that is great at absorbing shine and is used a lot in sunblock," he shared. "These powders work fine if you're not planning on getting photographed (especially with flash photography), but if you are, avoid these white silica-containing finishing powders at all costs."

Unfortunately, Kimberly Guilfoyle hasn't experienced just one makeup mistake. In June 2023, Guilfoyle interviewed Sarah Palin on "The Kimberly Guilfoyle Show," but many viewers were more focused on her appearance than what the Republican women were discussing. Guilfoyle wore heavy black eyeliner, a dramatic take on trendy boyfriend blush, and striking deep pink lipstick. "Is Guilfoyle aware that lipstick should stay ON lips, not be smeared around the mouth?" one X, formerly known as Twitter, user joked. "What the hell is up with Kimberly Guilfoyle's makeup?" another asked.

"Less is more and blend, blend, blend!" Luna Viola said of how to avoid Guilfoyle's distracting look. "Darker eyeshadows and lipsticks colour are usually reserved for evening looks, so it is best to use natural shades for daytime. Earthy tones are usually best, paired with nude soft coloured lips." While it's, of course, fine to wear as much makeup as you want to feel comfortable, she also recommended steering clear of faux lashes and harsh pencils during the day to avoid unwanted attention.