Kristi Noem's Killer Legs Accidentally Exposed Her Glaring Makeup Fail
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem might love to show off her legs, but her favorite feature to accentuate has seemingly betrayed her. The MAGA Barbie and "Mar-a-Lago face" prototype has altered her appearance drastically over the last few years, but it's not just her high-profile position at the DHS that inspired the urge to glam up. Back during Noem's time as South Dakota governor, a group photo celebrating her 2023 Distinguished Hunters' Leadership Award on Instagram highlights one of the most blinding makeup mistakes a public figure could make — photo flashback.
Noem is no stranger to makeup fails, but what makes this cosmetic catastrophe even more damning is the stark contrast between her bronzed legs and ghostly complexion. The former representative wasn't particularly interested in shade-matching her foundation to her fake tan, a mistake exacerbated by a common makeup phenomenon. Photo flashback occurs when camera flash bounces off powders or SPF on a subject's skin, leaving their face blown-out and casted in white. While the effect is hardly noticeable in real life, this photo reveals the extent to which Noem has powdered and caked-up her face (to the point that her nose is barely even distinguishable). The photo was seemingly taken prior to Noem's speculated overuse of lip fillers, but is no less jarring and uncanny as ever.
The camera has never been Kristi Noem's friend
Long before Kristi Noem's seemingly expensive hair extensions and purported cosmetic procedures, she was still struggling to look photo-ready on the job. In a photo from August 2013 at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Noem was spotted on stage in sloppy makeup and self tanner. Her eyeliner and clumpy lower lashes made her eyes look weighed down and muddled — not particularly helped by her thin, but obviously penciled-in, brows. Additionally, her unblended stripe of blush on her cheekbone looks unnatural and out of place, only helping to amplify her orange undertones thanks to her fake tan. It's fitting that Noem sucks up to President Donald Trump so much, seeing they've shared the same shade for over a decade.
The most confusing thing about this particular makeup fail is the fact that Noem managed to shade-match her foundation to her tan significantly better than she did in 2023. It's rare to see someone get worse at doing their makeup over time, especially considering the multitude of online resources available and Noem's own rise to power and funds to hire a professional. In fact, even older pictures showcase that Noem's makeup has been consistently downgrading over the years. Ultimately, the former governor should know better than to tan her whole body and rely solely on bad bronzer to even out her complexion, lest she end up with more photos featuring muddy makeup on Capitol Hill.