Makeup has been a major part of politics for decades. This arguably goes back to when John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Richard M. Nixon had a televised debate. Those in attendance walked away convinced that Nixon had won. But those watching from home were convinced that Kennedy, who put on special makeup before getting in front of the cameras, was the real winner.
For better or for worse, appearances are everything when it comes to politics. And some of the politicians you love (or just love to hate) look utterly unrecognizable without it. Don’t believe us? Keep reading to discover the politicians who look completely unrecognizable without their makeup!
Sarah Palin looking like a ‘sheepdog’
Sarah Palin was a very controversial politician once John McCain tapped her to be his running mate. The Alaskan governor sounded like a pretty dim bulb whenever she opened her mouth, but that didn’t really matter to McCain’s conservative supporters. Most of them liked Palin because she was attractive and espoused folksy wisdom they could relate to.
However, Palin herself seems very aware that it takes plenty of makeup to win supporters over. Back in 2014, she shared a paparazzi photo of herself on Facebook taken from after she completed a hot yoga session. “Yup, here’s what I looked like sans makeup, drowning in sweat when the camera rolled; looking much like a sheepdog, I’d say.”
Palin once got big laughs at the RNC for saying the only difference between hockey moms and pit bulls is lipstick. From her own mouth, it seems the only difference between her and a dog is also whether or not she is wearing any makeup!
RELATED: Celebrities Who Were Teen Moms
Lauren Boebert’s pre-politics mugshot
One of the reasons that you don’t often see politicians without makeup is that they carefully control their appearance. So, unless someone willingly shoots a video without makeup or releases an old photo, we may never know what they really look like. That’s not the case with Lauren Boebert, however, whose no-makeup look has been preserved forever as the last thing you’d expect: a mugshot!
She was arrested back in 2017 over failure to show up in court over charges of unsafe driving. With her plucked eyebrows and plain face, she looks completely different in the mugshot. And while the politician has never admitted to it, she seems to have a slightly different face shape in the older photo that signifies she has had some work done.
Needless to say, the woman with this unflattering mugshot always has a lot to say about being tough on crime!
The no-makeup look that Marjorie Taylor Greene’s boyfriend hates
Marjorie Taylor Greene is, in some ways, Sarah Palin 2.0. After all, she’s another firebrand female conservative voice who is known for looking and dressing very high-femme. That look requires plenty of makeup, so it was surprising when she went on X (formerly Twitter) in September 2023 with a video rant in which she wore no makeup.
Her rant included the usual targets like Joe Biden and illegal immigrants. However, most who engaged with the politician wanted to talk about how different she looked without the makeup. Some liked the look, but don’t expect her to wear it very own: as reported by RawStory, Greene’s boyfriend, Brian Glenn, has claimed that he likes makeup because it makes women look more conservative. “Liberal women tend to be some of the ugliest women I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I mean, zero makeup … Half of them look like men.”
Sticking with a guy who thinks the only reason you don’t look like a man is a ton of makeup?
Good luck, Congresswoman!
RELATED: The Unknown Truth of Marjorie Taylor Greene
Kyrsten Sinema looks unrecognizable
Very few politicians have been defined by their looks quite as much as Krysten Sinema. Historically, many female politicians have tried to downplay their looks and tried to look the opposite of feminine. Hillary Clinton arguably led the way on this, with her pantsuits becoming an iconic bit of counterprogramming against the notion that women should always be wearing skirts or dresses regardless of their role.
And then there’s Kyrsten Sinema. She has traditionally gone in the opposite direction, wearing quirky clothes that indicate she is on the cutting edge of fashion. She’s always got some new outfit on, one that she tries to pair well with one interesting lipstick choice after another. This is a woman who spends so much time trying to look pretty that you might have missed how she managed to collectively anger both Republicans and Democrats (her own party) leading up to announcing her retirement.
If you missed that, you most definitely missed the picture she posted to Instagram in 2013 of herself right before she competed in the Ironman triathlon in New Zealand. Without her makeup or glasses, she literally looks like an entirely different person! Who knows…now that she’s retired, we may well see more such natural pics after her political retirement.
Nikki Haley looks pretty different, right?
Before serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under the 45th President, Nikki Haley was a two-term governor of South Carolina, beginning in 2011, as reported by CNN. Prior to that, she was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2004, representing the 87th district. Even earlier in her career, she served as president of the National Association of Women Business Owners. With a long and accomplished political track record, Haley has certainly made her mark as a seasoned leader.
Despite her achievements—and the fact that running for president seems common these days—Haley has no interest in pursuing the presidency. “Truly no one believes me: I am not even thinking about it,” she told The Atlantic. “You know what I think about? I think about sleeping in. I do. I think about binge-watching TV for a day, I think about not having the stress level that I’ve had for the last eight years.” After all she’s accomplished, it’s easy to understand why!
Hillary Clinton looks prettier?
Hillary Clinton: the woman, the myth, the legend—she’s one of the most iconic female politicians in American history. Though she didn’t secure the presidency in the 2016 election against Republican Donald Trump, she did win the popular vote by 2.9 million votes, as reported by CNN. This is just one highlight of her extensive political career, which includes serving as secretary of state in President Barack Obama’s administration, as a New York senator, and, of course, as first lady during her husband’s time in the White House.
Clinton has spoken openly about the challenges of being a female politician, including the pressure to maintain her appearance on the campaign trail. In her memoir, she shared how demanding it was: “I’ve never gotten used to how much effort it takes just to be a woman in the public eye,” she wrote. She even calculated that she spent approximately 600 hours—around 25 days—on hair and makeup during her campaign. “I was so shocked, I checked the math twice,” she added. That’s a wild amount of time! The struggle is indeed real.
Ivanka Trump did’n change much
Since her father’s election as President, Ivanka Trump has been a constant presence by his side, serving as a White House adviser, according to CNN. She stepped away from her clothing and accessories brand and put her work with the Trump Organization on hold to focus on her role in the administration.
When it comes to makeup, Trump is no stranger to beauty routines, and she has one essential tip she swears by: “Always remove your makeup before bed, no matter what,” she advised in an interview with New Beauty. “As a teenager, my mother once woke me up in the middle of the night to make sure I took off my makeup. She believed it was terrible for the skin, and I agree.” Pro tip: Keep those makeup wipes within reach, ladies!
Her hair routine is equally noteworthy, though surprisingly low-maintenance. Despite her polished look, Trump revealed she avoids one common beauty tool. “I don’t own a blowdryer, and I’ve never learned to use one,” she admitted. “Most days, I walk to work with my hair still slightly wet.” Who would have guessed?