We Just Can't Forget About Kelly Ripa's Most Glaring Makeup Mistakes

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When Kelly Ripa goes makeup-free, the "Live" host proves she's aging like fine wine. These bare-faced moments are sometimes few and far between due to the demands of her TV career. "If I worked off camera, I would not wash my hair with regularity or wear makeup," Ripa informed People in September 2022. Rather than focusing on cosmetics, Ripa puts her energy into skincare, and she meticulously cleanses, moisturizes, and protects her skin from the sun. But she's in a business where cosmetics are standard, and she has not been exempt from makeup fails. 

With all the cosmetics Ripa wears in the line of duty, it's no easy job expunging the thick layers of product at the end of the workday. "I've been wearing television makeup for 33 years, and I can tell you with complete surety that it's the most damaging thing there is for skin," Ripa informed Glamour in 2022. Even so, Ripa's willing to go all in with complicated makeup schemes, like when she made her fans uncomfortable by transforming into an uncanny Ariana Grande lookalike.

Beyond the studio, Ripa still can't escape wearing makeup for special events, like awards shows, and it taxes her complexion further. With all these on-camera appearances, it's not surprising that Ripa's finished look is sometimes marred by mistakes. Whether the TV star is applying her own cosmetics or relying on a glam team, we're still haunted by some of Ripa's makeup mix-ups and instances of too much product.

A smoky eye can be a glamorous evening look, especially when walking the red carpet at the 2023 Oscars. In this case, however, Kelly Ripa's dark eye makeup is so heavy-handed that it obscures her brilliant blue eyes, making them look smaller. The thick coat of mascara looks clumpy, and the eyeliner on her lower lid is too thick and harsh. Ripa could have benefited from a lighter, blended approach on the lower lashes. Instead of the matte black eye shadow, a dark shimmery shadow would have been stunning and smoky.

This photo from October 2004 may be a flashback in more ways than one. Kelly Ripa's undereye area is notably lighter than the rest of her face. This mismatch could be due to makeup flashback or a tanning fail. In other pics from the same event, Ripa's skin tone looks more even, building a case for a weird interaction between her cosmetics and the camera. However, the TV star's also no stranger to tanning mishaps, like when her hands turned green after applying spray tanner. 

Once again, Kelly Ripa's glowing skin is contrasted by two oddly pale areas under her eyes. Maybe the TV star's sunglasses interrupted her tan, or she got carried away with brightening powder. In addition, Ripa's prominent line of black eyeliner could definitely use some blending to soften it on her lower lids. However, since this photo also hails from way back in 2004, we'll give her a bit of a pass. While this eyeliner looks raccoon-like now, this defined makeup style was on trend at the time.

Remember that old adage warning against getting dressed in the dark? It also applies to doing your makeup. Kelly Ripa found this out the hard way in January 2026 when the lack of lighting caused her to mix up her products. Ripa liberally applied contour, believing it was foundation, and ignored her gut. "Something doesn't look right, but I keep going," Ripa later admitted on "Live." She added, "I just keep adding more and more." Since she wasn't motivated to start over, Ripa ended up with a skin tone that looks a bit orangey.  

While Kelly Ripa's admitted to cosmetic procedures like Botox, she hasn't had lip fillers. However, her makeup hack for enlarging her top lip is so overblown that it started a lip filler rumor. In this July 2024 Instagram video, the "Live" host drew above her lip line with two different products to emulate a larger pout. 

Ripa also went overboard in other ways. Her brows look too dark and blocky, and her two-tone eyeshadow is a jarring contrast between the dark and light shades (and it extends high above the crease).

Ahead of the Oscars in March 2025, Kelly Ripa once again experienced the pitfall of too much lower eyeliner. However, the bigger issue here is the "Live" host's foundation. Ripa's base layer looks noticeably different compared to her arm and chest. Her attempt to mimic a sun-kissed look went too far and ended up looking orange. Luckily, this look wasn't for the awards ceremony itself. Once Ripa hit the red carpet, these mistakes had been corrected. Her lighter makeup accentuated her eyes, while her gown revealed Ripa's jaw-dropping killer legs.    

Makeup mistakes are inevitable, and it's fortunate that Kelly Ripa is adept at correcting these errors. As Ripa detailed in "Live Wire," a makeup artist got carried away while getting the TV host ready for the 2012 White House Correspondents' dinner. Unhappy with her over-bronzed skin and excessive eyeliner, Ripa removed the offending cosmetics. Using her own trusted products, she rapidly achieved the glowing look seen in this photo. If she hadn't dished the details in her memoir, we'd never have known about the mishap.