Photo Of A Young Kristi Noem Proves Her Makeup Routine Has Received A Major Downgrade
Kristi Noem has experimented with quite a few beauty trends over the years. In the early 1990s, Noem sported blonde curls with maximum volume, and rocked a short, layer-tastic Karen cut in the 2010s. These days, although Noem's hair extensions often look obnoxious due to their massive length and quantity, they're still an improvement compared to some of her past 'dos. When it comes to makeup, however, Noem's current approach has gone in the wrong direction, leaving us longing for a return to her older cosmetic style.
Noem's 2025 look is a quintessential example of the "Republican makeup" trend, complete with false eyelashes, heavy brows, and a thick layer of cakey foundation. In contrast, Noem's earlier look was considerably understated, as evidenced by a vintage pic she shared on Instagram. Back then, Noem sported just a hint of glossy lip color and a glowing complexion. Since only one of Noem's three children is in the photo with her and her husband, Bryon Noem, it's possible this pic hails from as far back as the mid-1990s. Regardless, Noem's lighter makeup looks fabulous, and her eyes look so much larger with a light coating of mascara.
kristinoem/Instagram
Even when she was in her beauty pageant era, Noem's makeup was much less prominent than her present-day style. For her official 1990 Snow Queen portrait, Noem paired her crown with minimalist makeup, in keeping with this Instagram pic from several years later.
Noem's makeup was hit or miss through the 2010s
Although Kristi Noem's face and style have changed a lot over the years, sometimes it feels like there was never a time before her MAGA makeover. However, that throwback pic wasn't just a one-off — the Secretary of Homeland Security doesn't always slather on the cosmetics. Noem's gone nearly makeup-free a bunch of times, even as recently as in a video montage from 2024 she posted on Instagram. Her fresh face and glowing complexion in pics like those prove that there's no need for her to load up on foundation that leaves her skin looking overly textured and dry.
It terms of less makeup on a routine basis, the early days of Noem's stint as South Dakota governor coincided with her following a beauty regimen that was a middle ground between the present day and her older snaps. As governor, Noem seemed to see-saw between more balanced looks (sans heavy eye makeup) and looks that foreshadowed her current style with way too much blush or eyeliner.
When she was running to become a U.S. congresswoman, Noem's 2010 ads were also uneven in terms of her on-camera makeup. In one ad, Noem rode in on horseback with an over-the-top smoky eye and berry-hued lipstick. However, in another, Noem kept her cosmetics more balanced, delivering her message with just a hint of mascara and lip color.