Nicki Minaj's Biggest Makeup Mistakes Are Hard To Look Away From

Nicki Minaj has gone full MAGA. But has she had a wild MAGA transformation like so many of the ladies in Donald Trump's inner circle have? The 12-time Grammy nominee certainly doesn't seem to be heading toward Mar-A-Lago face... yet. She has, on the other hand, sported some looks that scream "Republican makeup." And believe it or not, this started well before she hopped on the "I love Trump" train.

Minaj has been in the spotlight for years, and that means we've seen her style go through many phases. Overall, Minaj's makeup looks have been good. That said, when they're bad, they're really bad. Over the years, she's sported some makeup that has us scratching our heads to this day. And, unfortunately for her, when you're a celeb, your makeup mistakes are often caught on camera. From cakey foundation and crazy contouring to false lashes that make our eyelids feel heavy just looking at them, Minaj's most unfortunate makeup moments are all over the map. They have us wishing we could hand the "Monster" rapper a monster-sized pack of makeup wipes.

Nicki Minaj managed to be one of the worst-dressed celebs at the Kennedy Center premiere of Melania Trump's self-titled documentary. Yet, in this situation, her makeup was actually much worse than her dress. The biggest flaw in this makeup look were the totally over-the-top false lashes. Lashes like these have become a major part of "Republican makeup," so it's fitting that she wore them to this particular premiere. Still, without other eye makeup to balance them out, these lashes just looked weird.

In January 2026, Nicki Minaj surprised many when she took her Donald Trump love a step further by appearing at the Trump Accounts Summit. While some were shocked by where she was, others were distracted by how she looked. An up-close look at the star during the summit revealed her makeup was a cakey mess. Her heavy blush and contour layered on top of already heavy foundation left Minaj looking overdone. This overwhelmed the rapper and didn't let her natural beauty shine through.

Many of us remember Nicki Minaj's signature look when she first arrived on the scene — dark blunt bangs and winged eyeliner. Seeing a pic of her makeup look from 2009, however, made us realize that back then, her makeup was worse than ever. Or, at least, it was really, really bad when she attended Robin Thicke's "Sex Therapy" album release party. From severe nose contouring and over-the-top blush, to light eyeshadow and overwhelming lashes that made her eyes look closer together, Minaj's makeup was a total disaster.

Nicki Minaj arrived at the Los Angeles world premiere of "Barbie" in 2023 in on-theme straight, blonde locks. While this hair was perfect for the occasion, the makeup was not. Minaj rocked seriously harsh contouring, which featured too-light makeup under her eyes. Yet this wasn't the most eye-catching part of her look. That honor goes to her extra-thick black eyeliner. This eyeliner had such severe, upward-pointing wings that it was clearly meant to be somewhat campy and cartoonish. Even so, it altered her eye shape and made her look a bit uncanny.

In 2019, Nicki Minaj co-hosted Church On Sundays at The Argyle in California, but she didn't wear her Sunday best for the occasion — at least in terms of makeup. The star sported extra-thick eyeliner and a glossy lip. These details would have looked great with a different highlight and contour approach, but Minaj's under eye area was very light, and it didn't blend well into the much darker blush on her cheeks. Overall, this look was too high-contrast and she would have played a bit better with subtler makeup.

If you blamed her last high-contrast, too-light under-eye look on the makeup trends of 2019, allow this pic to change your mind. Nicki Minaj may not have been among the worst-dressed stars at the 2024 Met Gala, but if there was a list for folks with the worst makeup, she definitely would have earned herself a spot. This Met Gala's theme was "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," and she must have still been half asleep while applying this makeup look. Her highlight looked way too light, and her under-eyeliner didn't flatter her face.

Of Nicki Minaj's worst makeup looks, her Harper's Bazaar Icons appearance in 2017 was top of the heap. Nearly everything about this look was off. Her forehead was shiny while her cheeks were matte. Her lip color looked too light, as did her highlight. Her eyeshadow wasn't blended well and her lashes were excessively oversized. She should've wiped this whole look off and started over before hitting the red carpet.

Eyebrows frame the face, making them an important part of most people's beauty routine. Throughout Nicki Minaj's myriad makeup mistakes, her brows are seldom the problem. In 2017, however, this changed when she arrived at the Daily Front Row's 3rd Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards without her usual brows in tow. In the light, her too-heavy foundation and eye makeup were obvious, a the dark, thick eyeshadow under her eyes didn't complement their shape. Paired with much lighter brows than she usually sports, her whole face was thrown off.