Kimberley Bosso is a celebrity makeup artist with a wealth of A-list clients – from Hollywood actors to America’s top politicians and their wives, including former First Lady Nancy Reagan.
But what do Kimberley is a president-elect Donald Trump‘s remarkable orange glow? How does he achieve that? And is it safe to try it at home? Here’s the plain, unvarnished verdict…
I met Donald Trump once, backstage at the Miss USA pageant in 2007.
It was fleeting. We smiled, shook hands and said hello.
Looking back, I remember his skin color looked normal. It no longer had that orange hue of years past. He also didn’t look like he had a spray tan, like many men on TV do. It just had that healthy, chic glow.
It was a very different story during his last presidency and the recent campaign.
I see pictures of him online and on TV, tanned with a striking bronze tint and stark white rings around his eyes.
As a makeup artist, I was perplexed as to why he would choose to look this way.
As a makeup artist, it’s baffling why Donald Trump would choose this dark bronze look (photo October 2024)
Even the most inexperienced novice artist would be able to blend the space under his eyes with concealer to offset the foundation color on the rest of his face. I’m sure they would be embarrassed if their client walked out with abrupt white circles like his (photo February 2020)
First and foremost, in my opinion, I have come to the conclusion that a professional make-up artist absolutely does not do this voluntarily for him.
Even the most inexperienced novice artist would be able to blend the space under his eyes with concealer to offset the foundation color on the rest of his face. I’m sure they would be embarrassed if their client walked out with abrupt white circles like his.
That leads me to believe that Trump is the one pushing for this look – or maybe he does his own makeup.
Maybe his wife Melania will help him, although I highly doubt that, because she is always so perfectly presented and is a strong woman with her own life.
My better guess is that as Trump gets older – and he is already 78, after all – he will become paler. Maybe that worries him, and he believes that a strong tan is the way to look healthy and more youthful.
Then there is the question of how he achieves this.
I suspect he uses a tanning bed and the white rings are a result of wearing goggles to protect his eyes.
Next, I’d say he applies foundation over his base tan to achieve the dark bronze shade we recognize today. And then he stops there without taking care of the whites under his eyes.
I suspect that as Trump gets older – and he is already 78, after all – he will become paler. Perhaps that worries him, and he believes that a strong tan is the way to look healthy and more youthful (photo August 2023)
He clearly doesn’t use concealer or any other product on those unattractive rings to achieve a more cohesive feel.
I’ve read reports that his former co-workers say he used the same brand of foundation for a long time – a label I’ve never heard of.
But anyway, his entire routine can’t take more than ten minutes.
It seems he doesn’t opt for side effects during the day either, as you often see him glowing, which most likely means he doesn’t use setting powder.
Many politicians and celebrities wear makeup. Who wants to look washed out on camera? But Trump goes a little overboard.
None of my male clients have ever asked for anything similar.
I’ve worked with top stars like Matt Damon, Paul McCartney and even Justin Bieber. None, and – to repeat – none of them would have been happy if I had left white rings around their eyes and their skin so tanned.
Naturally, they all have different preferences: some do not like to be powdered, while others, for example, choose not to be touched up. But they trusted me to do what was best.
I guess Trump clearly doesn’t listen to anyone’s advice when it comes to his appearance.
He has his own look that he likes. Different strokes for different people.
But if he were my client, I would do my best to convince him to change his overall appearance.
I would start with a really good moisturizer and primer, and then choose a cream foundation that is lightweight but provides adequate coverage.
Then I would use a concealer, in a beige shade and with a creamy consistency so it doesn’t look cakey or drying, and one that matches his skin tone better. And then I would mix, mix, mix!
If he were my client, I would do my best to convince him to change his overall appearance. I would start with a really good moisturizer and primer, and then choose a cream foundation that is lightweight but provides adequate coverage. (Image: artist Kimberley Bosso).
I’ve worked with top stars like Matt Damon, Paul McCartney and even Justin Bieber, as well as political figures like former First Lady Nancy Reagan (the photo shows me doing her makeup). None of them would have been happy if I had left white rings around the eyes and such tanned skin.
I would then apply an HD powder to the T-zone (nose, forehead, chin, cheeks, essentially) to reduce shine and make his skin look natural without texture.
Trump’s eyelashes are obviously very light – he has blonde hair – and he’s only getting older, so I’d recommend putting on a subtle eyeliner. A light brown pencil would do the trick and bring his eyes to life.
I would also use a tinted eye primer to ensure that the skin around his eyes is a healthier shade, reducing the risk of capillaries appearing.
And then I would probably trim his eyebrows slightly to give them a natural, clean look.
Finally, I would tell him to stop using tanning beds. Aside from being proven to be terribly carcinogenic, they also dry out your skin and are the fastest way to look old and wrinkled.
But then again, I doubt he would listen.
He has managed to be elected president twice with ‘the look’. Whatever I may think about his signature look, it doesn’t matter. It seems to be working for him…