In her role as White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt is spending more time than ever in the public eye. Leavitt has made some makeup mistakes along the way, including excessive eye makeup that generated comparisons to Kimberly Guilfoyle. The press secretary’s look is also evocative of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, a sure sign that Leavitt has embraced TikTok’s shady “Republican makeup” trend.

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Photos of Noem show a liberally applied foundation that’s unflattering and accentuates pores and lines rather than using light coverage to provide a smooth, glowing look. “We really want our makeup to cling to any dry spots and accentuate any texture,” comedian Suzanne Lambert explains in her TikTok parody of this makeup aesthetic. “I wanted a really matte finish … we want to make sure that it doesn’t look like we’ve ever used moisturizer once in our life.” While Leavitt’s foundation doesn’t look quite as heavy-handed as Noem’s, the excess product seems to collect around her eyes, heightening the creases in that area and increasing the appearance of aging. “You look so cooked for being under 30,” remarked one commenter on Leavitt’s Instagram account.

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Another similarity between Noem and Leavitt’s makeup stylings is their overly bold brows. Leavitt’s been making this mistake repeatedly, as she demonstrated in a 2023 Instagram tutorial of her camera-ready makeup. Leavitt’s brows look great sans makeup; unfortunately, she applies two different products to make them unnecessarily prominent in the tutorial.

Despite all the panning, some makeup artists are fans of Kristi Noem and Karoline Leavitt’s shared approach to applying foundation. In addition, “they’re making the eyes, the cheeks, and the lips stand out,” makeup artist Kriss Blevens explained to Huffington Post. On one hand, a matte foundation can be more durable and obscure any problem areas. Even so, overly matte looks can appear extremely dry, as Suzanne Lambert noted when she lambasted “Republican makeup” on TikTok. 

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In contrast, a super dewy foundation could lead to criticism for being too greasy. When done correctly, however, a dewy foundation can exude a youthful vibe — something Leavitt has in abundance when she ditches the makeup. If Leavitt opted for a dewier style, it could complement her skin, rather than prematurely aging her appearance. Still, it could be less appealing to Leavitt since it requires more maintenance than a matte look.

Although she likes Noem’s and Leavitt’s current approach, Blevens agrees that blending is an essential step after product is applied. As evidenced by Leavitt’s makeup tutorial, after she applies primer and two different foundations, she uses a blender. However, the makeup layer still looks thick. Then Leavitt adds concealer under her eyes, putting even more product on her skin. To add to the problem, even when blended, the thick, dark lines of contour that Leavitt applies to her cheeks, forehead, and under her chin add to the appearance that her foundation doesn’t quite match her skin tone.

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