Everything We Know About Donald Trump's Orange Makeup

President Donald Trump is about as good at applying his own makeup as he is at running the country; whether that's a compliment or an insult depends on one's perception. The president's signature orange hue has been the subject of many a gossip column, and it's safe to say that even the folks in his administration might be rather curious as to how their leader maintains his stand-out complexion. It seems like White House makeup artists are none the wiser, with sources telling The New York Times in 2019 that the president would not let makeup artists near him. Instead, he insists on doing his makeup himself.

Trump first stepped out with his now signature tangerine tan in 2012. Back then, he was still the host of reality TV show "The Apprentice," with no one (except perhaps Trump himself) able to dream that he'd one day become the country's first apricot-tinged president. Perhaps he thinks it makes him look better; Trump has claimed he's more attractive than several other prominent people, after all. There are many possible reasons why he would hide behind an orange glow, but doing so has ironically evoked more questions and criticism than if he'd simply stuck to his natural skin tone.

Trump tried to shut down the rumors about his orange skin by blaming — wait for it — energy-efficient lightbulbs. Trump made this allegation while addressing Republican legislators in 2019. "Number one, to me, most importantly, the light's no good. I always look orange. And so do you! The light is the worst," Trump jabbered (per The Guardian). We can say with certainty that energy-efficient lightbulbs are innocent in this matter, and that Trump's mysterious orange glow is entirely of his own making. Here's what else we know about his mango makeup.

While it appears that the formula responsible for Donald Trump's orange glow is classified, there's been ample speculation that the president maintains his terracotta complexion with the help of a tanning bed. It's certainly true that Trump has given off some tanning bed victim vibes on several occasions.

Former White House communications director Omarosa Manigault Newman, who worked under the Trump administration throughout 2017, alleged that one of Trump's most prized possessions is his tanning bed. In fact, she claimed in her book, "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House," that Trump reportedly fired the chief White House usher because she apparently failed to handle the contraption with the care it deserved during its transportation to the Executive Mansion.

Manigault Newman chronicled the president's routine, noting that he preferred to use the tanning bed first thing in the morning, often with his phone on hand, and that some of his most legendary Twitter gaffes, including that infamous "covfefe" tweet, were conceived during his sacred tanning bed routine.

Trump's tanning rumors go beyond the former White House aide. Makeup artist Jason Kelly, who was responsible for glamming up the speakers at the 2016 Republican National Convention, told Harper's Bazaar at the time that, while he hadn't been tasked with doing Trump's makeup, he'd come ready to work with the presidential candidate's flaming glow, just in case. "I know exactly what he does to himself — the tanning bed, the spray tan, he wears the goggles and you can see the hyper-pigmentation around his eyes," said Kelly. "What I'll do is use a slightly deeper color and blend it into his tan so there's not an abrupt contrast. I'm ready for it."

Donald Trump's tan has drastically evolved since 2016, and some of the enemies he made during his first term have been perfectly happy to shed some light on how, exactly, Trump concocts his tawny appearance. Former FBI Director James Comey offered up his opinion on the president's, well, beauty routine in his book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership," noting that he was pretty sure Trump went for regular spray tans. He came to this conclusion because Trump's "face appeared slightly orange with bright white half-moons under his eyes where I assumed he placed small tanning goggles" (via Politico).

Makeup artists have concurred that the president might very well be reaching for a bottle of self-tanning lotion on the regular. One makeup artist, Kriss Blevens, who has actually had the rare opportunity to do the president's makeup, told Fast Company (via The Mirror) that she's pretty sure self-tanner is a staple in Trump's routine. "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 disclosed.

Celebrity makeup artist Safia Cox told The Mirror that she agrees with Blevens' assessment, noting that tanning beds provide a very different hue than the one Trump's face is sporting. She added that, upon closer inspection, one can actually see the point where the tanning cream ends, leaving a notable white line, especially near the president's hairline. "I think he uses some sort of fake tan or tinted moisturiser with a bronzer," Cox concluded.

Donald Trump's strange orange tan has been around for ages, and yet, everyone is still trying to figure out exactly how he achieves his sunset hue. A 2019 report by The Washington Post actually shed some light on this, but mentioned it in passing, so much so that it was easy to miss. The president's former personal housekeeper, Sandra Diaz, exposed his routines, his preferences, and the secret of his orange skin tone to the outlet. Diaz mentioned that the collars of the president's shirts would often be stained orange, courtesy of a Swiss makeup brand called Bronx Colors.

Lo and behold, further investigation by Vox discovered that the brand does, in fact, sell an orange concealer. While Bronx only sold its products briefly in the United States, Trump's wealth certainly empowers him to import as much of his favorite orange concealer as his heart desires straight from its country of origin.

Here's the kicker — and it's kind of hilarious: The president is using said orange concealer all wrong. While it is, indeed, a tangerine-colored product, it's supposed to be used in tandem with other products to conceal imperfections and is only effective on darker skin tones. It was certainly not made for Trump's pale skin. As makeup artist Alexis Androulakis explained to Vox, "It's never an on-its-own product. It's a neutralizer and certainly most effective on the overall complexion for darker skin tones."

Meanwhile, former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham noted in her book, "I'll Take Your Questions Now," that Trump slathered on makeup every day, though Grisham didn't pinpoint Bronx Colors. Clearly, nobody — not even Grisham — has had the guts to tell the president that he's using his favorite concealer all wrong. That, or he simply refuses to listen to sound advice.

The White House might have told The New York Times that Donald Trump's cheesy glow is his "good genes" doing their work, but the last time we checked, people's natural skin color doesn't dim and brighten of its own accord. The president's orange complexion sure does, though, and makeup artists speculate that it has everything to do with Trump's fragile ego. Speaking to the Mirror in 2025, aforementioned makeup artist Safia Cox offered up an interesting theory — that the intensity of Trump's orange hue is entirely dependent on how confident he feels when he wakes up in the morning.

"He has pictures taken of him and cameras on him a lot, so he must think it's a good look, and some people say when he's stressed, he uses more tan. If you look at photos of him towards the end of campaigns, he's much more orange," Cox noted. Photo editor Emily Elsie agrees. She took to her Instagram Stories in 2024 to discuss the president's complexion, noting that the hue of orange often correlated with Trump's circumstances. "The more stressed ... the more makeup," Elsie opined, per The Independent.

Elsie backed up this theory with various instances, noting that, after his first term ended, Trump's bare complexion was on display much more often, and he didn't resemble a Cheeto as much as he usually did. She added that Trump also toned down his makeup after former President Joe Biden completely collapsed during the 2024 presidential debate, seemingly having more confidence.

Perhaps it all does come down to comfort and ego. Researcher Tania Woloshyn dissected Trump's copper complexion in a 2018 paper, noting (via Grazia), "Trump's skin colour is a target of ridicule of a man obsessed with vanity yet marked by signs of failed masculinity." Ouch.

All colorful speculation aside, the real answer to Donald Trump's penchant for wearing so much makeup might be hidden in his medical records. In 2017, The New York Times reported that the president was taking antibiotics for a condition called rosacea. This chronic skin condition is known to primarily impact the face, and it can really do a number on your self-confidence. Not only does rosacea cause notable redness, it can also make the skin dry, cause pain and stinging, and result in orange-looking patches of skin.

Stress can worsen the condition, which tracks with makeup artists' observation that Trump lathers on more orange makeup when he's not feeling particularly confident. The orange patches caused by rosacea might also explain why Trump thought Bronx Colors' orange concealer might help hide his discolored skin.

In 2018, eagle-eyed pundits noticed that Trump's makeup was covering what looked like dry blotches on his face, and Yale dermatologist Kathleen Suozzi told Business Insider at the time that she suspected these patches were the result of some form of keratosis, which, in short, is caused by excessive keratin buildup on the skin. It's not a dangerous condition, and it's not usually cancerous. "You're partly genetically predisposed to them, and they're also worse in patients that have more sun damage," Suozzi noted.

It's yet another skin condition Trump has to cover up. Knowing how conscious the president is of his appearance, it will likely give his detractors great joy to know that Trump's own face doesn't want to cooperate with him, therefore leaving him no choice but to reach for the most orange-looking concealer he can find — and apply it liberally.