Karoline Leavitt's Real Skin Tone Is Blinding Under All That Bronzer

There have been numerous occasions in which Karoline Leavitt's tan fails were almost worse than Donald Trump's, and that's saying something. Courtesy of some social media snaps, it has come to light that, underneath all the bronzer Leavitt seemingly lathers on before making public appearances, she has flawless, milky-white skin. 

Many of Leavitt's worst makeup looks to date feature that Trump-like orange glow, and she's frequently made the mistake of applying too much bronzer, bronzer that's too dark, or simply failing to blend the product properly. In some snaps Leavitt has posted to her Instagram feed, one can see a clear line of bronzer making its way from the bottom of her cheek all the way to her brow line. Someone, hand the press secretary (or her makeup artist, for that matter) a blending brush, please. 

Interestingly, snaps Leavitt posted of her and her son on Valentine's Day in 2025 showed her dressed in more casual attire, but her face was still lathered in bronzer, which, once again, appeared to have been applied by an unpracticed hand. Other photos on her Instagram feed show the press secretary looking remarkably pale. It seems Leavitt jumps between wanting to look like her boss (Leavitt has accidentally exposed how Trump-obsessed she really is on numerous occasions) and opting for a more natural look, which is a far cry from the signature tangerine associated with the Trump clan.

Some folks might argue a good pair of sunglasses might be required to gaze upon Karoline Leavitt's natural complexion. In a February 2025 a snap the press secretary posted to Instagram celebrating Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, Leavitt appeared to be sporting her natural complexion, and it was a jarring change from her usual orange glow. The picture was vastly different from an October 2024 photograph Leavitt posted of her and Sonny Joy Nelson, who serves as President Donald Trump's special assistant in the White House. The two women had an almost identical tan.

Leavitt has occasionally put her natural complexion on display. In some photographs of her having fun with her son on the beach in August 2025, Leavitt appeared almost makeup-free, her usual orange tinge notably absent. In professional settings, the press secretary has lost her orange glow unintentionally on one occasion, and it was so notable that an MSNBC reporter felt the need to point it out.

Leavitt's tangerine tinge couldn't hold up in the face of Russian Vladimir Putin's meeting with Donald Trump in August 2025. The two leaders failed to negotiate a peace deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, and MSNBC reporter Peter Alexander seemingly couldn't help himself from pointing out Leavitt's pale complexion after she emerged from the talks with the rest of Trump's team. Speaking to fellow host Jen Psaki, Alexander recounted, "What struck me, Jen, in particular, was really just the looks on the faces of the American delegation here. [Press Secretary Karoline] Leavitt appeared to be a bit stressed out—anxious—their eyes were wide, almost ashen, at times" (via the Daily Beast). It appears Putin can suck the orange glow right out of you.