Trump's Real Skin Color Exposed (& It's The Same Shade As His Bleached Hair)
Donald Trump's list of fake tan fails keeps getting longer by the day. While the lack of blending and blotchy appearance is a huge makeup mistake, what really puts things into perspective is an opportunity to get a look at the president's bronzer-free skin tone. Trump inadvertently provided this chance for comparison while giving a salute. In an Instagram Story, "Fox and Friends" showed a snapshot of Trump standing at attention with his hand raised. It's very clear that Trump's face is a very different hue from his hand. Unfortunately for Trump, the camera was zoomed-in for an extreme close-up, emphasizing the unconvincing color of his face. Instead, Trump's hand matched up with his hair color. Unsurprisingly, the president's face makeup wasn't uniform, but even the lighter flecks were shades darker than his hand.
Over the years, there's been tons of speculation about Trump's beauty routine. However, given the contrast between body parts, it appears that the old rumor of Trump using a tanning bed just doesn't hold up. For eagle-eyed experts, his hands aren't the only things that reveal his true complexion color. "If you look closely at his hairline, it's very pale, and that's not from sunbeds; he's slapping some sort of cream product on," Safia Cox, a makeup artist, explained to the Mirror. In a 2019 interview with The Washington Post, Jason Kelly, another makeup artist, observed a similar phenomenon, with a distinct border where Trump's application of product ended.
Although Trump's hands may highlight his makeup struggles, they don't represent the solution to his problems.
Trump shouldn't rely on his hands for makeup mastery
Without makeup, some individuals have a noticeable contrast between their faces and hands. Kriss Blevens, a makeup artist who has done makeup for each U.S. president starting with Jimmy Carter, seemed to confirm this was Donald Trump's reality in a 2024 Fast Company interview: "Because I have done Trump's makeup several times, I can tell you that, at times, his face looked bronzer than the rest of him, and that was before makeup." (She felt that was due to his self-tanning efforts.)
So if Trump decided to go for a hue that complements his hands, it'd probably be a misstep. Trump occasionally goes makeup free, but from afar, it's not easy to tell how closely his hands and face match. According to L'Oréal Paris, he might be better advised to use his jawline or chest to test his makeup and make more accurate product decisions.
While Trump does have access to seasoned pros, he's proved time and again he's more a DIY guy. Even when he does use a makeup artist, he reportedly prefers to start the process rather than arrive with a bare face. Color matching can be tricky, and Trump seems loathe to end his bronzer obsession behind. On at least one occasion, though, Trump celebrated his natural hue. "I got the whitest skin 'cause I never have time to go out in the sun," Trump explained at a 2024 campaign rally (via X). "But I have that beautiful white [skin]." In addition to being naturally paler, Trump likely has a cooler undertone, which makes his preference for warm undertone products a recipe for disaster. Trump would be better off going for an approach that works with his particular skin tone.