The Republican National Committee dedicated a chunk of the budget to getting its people camera-ready last year.
Campaign finance records, first reported by NOTUS, revealed how much money the RNC spent between April and November 2025 on what they billed as “media preparation.”
The disclosure comes amid increased scrutiny given to the appearance of key figures in the Republican Party. This includes President Donald Trump’s hand makeup to cover bruises and the lip injection marks photographed by Vanity Fair on White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s lips.
NOTUS reported that between April and November of 2025, the RNC spent more than $59,000 on a pair of makeup artists.
The majority of that money—$53,850—was paid to hair and makeup artist Brittany Goetz, who most recently worked at Fox News and began contracting with the RNC this summer. The Federal Election Commission filings from the RNC did not detail exactly which services Goetz provided.
Goetz’s social media accounts, which are now defunct, had shown she had done work for Karoline Leavitt, 28.
A few thousand dollars were also sent to Washington, D.C.-based makeup artist Carola Myers.
Her Instagram shows she has done makeup for figures across the political spectrum, including former President Joe Biden, former Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and the formerly engaged couple Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle.
It is not illegal or uncommon for campaigns and political parties to spend money on hair and makeup. NOTUS reported that the DNC paid one makeup artist who worked with former Vice President Kamala Harris $10,900. “In Trump land, as we all know, they all wear about a ton of makeup,” Meredith McGehee, a lobbying and ethics expert, told NOTUS.
Trump, 79, himself is a leading example of the trend. He has been repeatedly spotted slathering on poorly color-matched concealer onto his bruised hands.
The makeup mishap has been the subject of intense scrutiny, including mockery by late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel. Hand makeup is a newer addition to the president’s longtime practice of sporting a coiffed hairstyle and tan, orange-toned face makeup.
The RNC and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The RNC spending comes as the public is already beginning to take notice of what has become known as “Republican makeup.” The “Republican makeup” look typically features thick or cakey foundation, smoky eyeshadow, heavy mascara, overlined lips, and sharp, filled-in brows.
The online “Republican makeup” trend started with liberal online personality Suzanne Lambert, who posted a video where she pointed out a pattern she noticed among conservative women leaving hate comments on her videos.
“I noticed that all of the Republican girlies in my comments do their makeup the exact same, gorgeous way, so I thought that I would try to do it myself,” Suzanne said in a video she posted in 2024, which has since received more than 4.7 million views.
“We really want our makeup to cling to any dry spots and accentuate any texture,” she continued, adding, “we want to make sure it looks like we’ve never used moisturizer once in our life.”
The “Mar-a-Lago face" is a separate, but common facial aesthetic among MAGA figures, for both men and women. The look typically includes cheeks with a large amount of cosmetic filler, very pronounced lips, and, for women, a full face of makeup. The effect is often an overly exaggerated visage with high-contrast facial features.
Leavitt notably underwent a MAGA makeover since assuming her role as Trump’s top spokesperson. In her White House press briefings, she is seen wearing heavy makeup with pronounced lips, but she has not confirmed whether she has undergone any cosmetic procedures.
A photograph by Christopher Anderson for Vanity Fair may offer the closest look at Leavitt’s MAGA makeover, in which lip injection sites appear visible.
“It’s clear that Vanity Fair intentionally photographed Karoline and the White House staff in bizarre ways,” a White House spokesperson told the Daily Beast at the time about Leavitt’s photograph.
