Karoline Leavitt's Botched Nose Contour In Throwback Video Proves She Needs A Lesson In Blending
Unfortunately for Karoline Leavitt, she's got a long list of worst makeup looks. Back in June 2024, when Leavitt was working for Donald Trump's campaign, she appeared on "The Benny Show" sporting an excess of contour that created an optical illusion, altering the shape of her nose and chin. The List contacted Luna Viola, a Los Angeles-based fashion/red carpet hair and makeup artist, to get her suggestions for how Leavitt could improve her technique. "Karoline loves the bronze look and carefully sculpts her cheekbones, nose, and forehead with bronzer, which is great, but it's just not blended enough," Viola explained. "This can make her face look harsh and change her face shape in an unnatural way."
Karoline Leavitt responds on the Benny show to CNN just after their host cut her off mid-interview ...
"it is shocking that they not only cut off my microphone but then dumped me from the entire program ... " pic.twitter.com/xsNaBJL4t3
— Gary D (@KMGGaryde) June 24, 2024
Leavitt demonstrated her makeup technique in a November 2023 Instagram video, when she liberally applied a thick, dark line of contour to her cheekbones, hairline, and jawline. Like Viola, others have noted that a lack of blending is a recurrent issue with the "Republican makeup" trend. While Leavitt does use a blender in her makeup demo, whoever did her makeup for this June 2024 TV appearance needed to work more to make the contour less noticeable.
In one instance, one of Leavitt's makeup artists blamed lighting for making a spot near her mouth look unblended. Suzanne Lambert, who famously panned "Republican makeup," was incredulous over this excuse. On "The Benny Show," Viola believes that lighting isn't responsible for Leavitt's odd-looking features. "I think Karoline's contouring technique and marked eyebrows are the issue," she contends.
Lighter product could perfect Leavitt's look
Karoline Leavitt could step up her beauty routine with a few tweaks. "I would suggest a slightly lighter shade of bronzer applied with a buffer and light strokes," hair and makeup artist Luna Viola informed The List. "This can be achieved with the right brushes: a bigger, angled blush brush for cheekbones and a small precision brush to contour her nose." Viola also recommends that Leavitt blend until the contour is super subtle.
While Leavitt is already using brushes in her Instagram demo, her biggest problem might be the amount and shade of product. Lighter cosmetics would complement Leavitt's skin tone. Currently, Leavitt's choice of foundation has a decidedly orange tinge, similar to Donald Trump's fake tan fails. A less heavy-handed approach could also help Leavitt avoid blocky brows. "I suggest the use of powder-based products," advises Viola. In contrast, Leavitt applies both eyebrow gel and pencil in her makeup video — two products that Viola would avoid.
Even so, Viola sees positives in Leavitt's beauty approach. "Her lip shades are always naturally understated yet slightly overdrawn and her skin always looks matte which is great for the camera." Overdrawn lips are a time-honored strategy used by supermodels and icons like Marilyn Monroe. However, some disagree with Leavitt's choices, since matte foundations can be more challenging to blend, leading to makeup errors. Others believe she's gone too far with enhancing her lips, and claim Leavitt's had fillers.