Jarring Pics Of Kristin Chenoweth Prove Her Makeup Shouldn't Be Captured Up Close

Kristin Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda the Good Witch in the Broadway production of "Wicked." The 4 feet, 11 inch tall powerhouse singer embodied the ditzy, vain sorceress perfectly. Off stage, she appears to be similarly bubbly and kind. She also appears to love a full face of makeup on stage and at events, but she told Forbes in 2017 that when she's not working, she has a simple skincare and makeup routine. "So I put on Nivea chapstick, I put on my lashes, and call it a day. On a daily basis, I don't wear makeup — I let my skin breathe," she said.

The "Pushing Daisies" star absolutely needs off days for her skin, because there is an abundance of photo evidence proving that when she puts on makeup, she puts on a lot of makeup. Sometimes her skin was too orange or too shiny. Other times, her eye makeup looked messy, or she relied on too much blush. Botox has completely changed Chenoweth's face, but makeup should enhance her natural beauty; unfortunately, many of her makeup mistakes have had the opposite effect, covering it up instead. Chenoweth is a strong, talented woman who navigates an impressive Hollywood career amid constant struggles with chronic migraines. She deserves to look and feel amazing during glamorous work events, but it's hard to believe she could feel that way when her makeup mistakes took the spotlight away from her. 

Kristin Chenoweth's Broadway show, "The Queen of Versailles," ran from November to December 2025. The makeup for her character was intense and layered, as stage makeup has to endure bright lights. 

But on the opening night, close-ups of Chenoweth's face show that the application was messy. Her base was orange and shiny, and the blush and gloss were the wrong shades and over-applied. This could have been purposeful, but it certainly wasn't doing her any favors. 

Kristin Chenoweth didn't redeem herself later that night at the show's afterparty. Her base was a similar orange, signifying too much foundation or spray tan. She also had too much blush on, which wasn't as bad as the fact that its shade matched her lip color too closely.

He lipstick was messy at the edges, but the biggest mistake with this look was that up close, Chenoweth's fake eyelashes were apparently applied incorrectly, and looked like they were sliding off the edges of her face. It gave the effect of an underwhelming cat eye.

Kristin Chenoweth celebrated the opening night of "Smash" on Broadway in April 2025. From a distance, her makeup didn't look bad. But up close, she was wearing her usual shiny orange-tinted base. It might not have been too bad, if not for her eyes. 

The makeup on her lower eyelids looked like eyeliner that transitioned into reddish-brown shadow. It was an odd choice, because at first glance, her eyelids looked like they were inflamed. Also, her trusty eyelashes seemed longer on the left side than the right, or they clumped up strangely on the left side. 

Kristin Chenoweth made makeup mistakes early in her career as well. She wasn't in character at the 2004 Manhattan Theater Club Annual Winter Gala, but her hair and makeup were giving pageant queen. It's unsurprising that her face had an orange tint, but she was also wearing too much of everything, including a silvery eye shadow shade that lent a strange '80s rocker vibe. A close look at her lips revealed that they were over-glossed, and the product spilled slightly over the edges of her lips.

Surprisingly, Kristin Chenoweth's glam at the Broadway Barks event in July 2004 wasn't overdone. She went for a casual vibe in a pink t-shirt and a white baseball cap. Her face matched the vibe, but it was just too pink. No matter her shade of lipstick, she could've used a coat of gloss. Additionally, she didn't appear to be wearing any base foundation, and her blush definitely needed blending.

Kristin Chenoweth was back to her excessive ways at the 2007 Writers Guild of America East Awards. For once, her base makeup wasn't orange, but her blush appeared to be unevenly and excessively applied, especially to the right side of her face. Her bright pink lip gloss didn't complement the mature vibe of her black dress. Plus, her eyeshadow shade was a silvery purple that didn't work with the gloss or blush, and her mascara looked clumpy.  

The Human Rights Hero Awards are not a time for showy glam, but Kristin Chenoweth took a neutral, nearly monochromatic look to an extreme in 2015. She paired a white and pale pink dress with neutral, barely-there glam. Close-up photos show that she had makeup on; it just didn't flatter her. She apparently applied poorly-blended powder across her nose and cheeks. Her lip gloss was almost identical to her skin tone, and Chenoweth's eyeshadow was a similar shade.