This Side-By-Side Photo Of Meghan McCain's Wild Makeup Transformation Should Be Studied

As the daughter of the late U.S. Senator John McCain, Meghan McCain's lived in the spotlight for a long time. Growing up, she was occasionally photographed during her dad's media appearances. Since we've been able to witness Meghan's stunning transformation firsthand, we can see the evolution of her beauty routine. In 2004, Meghan joined her parents, John and Cindy McCain, for a special event in New York. When compared to a 2023 photo of Meghan, the differences are obvious.

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For starters, Meghan's 2004 brows are plucked into thin lines — a look that was everywhere at the turn of the millennium. She also made liberal use of the popular Y2K frosted eyeshadow by applying it all the way up to her brows. This shimmery theme extends into Meghan's foundation and blush, and is accentuated by her glossy lips. 

By 2023, she went in the opposite direction, pairing a matte foundation with bright red matte lipstick. Her brows grew back, and their gentle arches highlight her eyes. She's got just a touch of light brown eye shadow, which places more attention on the prominent black mascara and eyeliner. One thing remains the same, however: Meghan's skin looks flawless in both photos, as well as when she goes makeup free. The TV star and podcaster revealed in a 2023 Instagram story that she takes skincare seriously and hasn't used Botox.

With over 20 years between those pics, it's no surprise that Meghan McCain has changed her beauty approach. Although McCain hasn't provided any specific shopping recs or tutorials, a 2012-era snap of her travel makeup proved that she likes to use a pretty extensive array of products. 

Beyond her own cosmetics collection, she's also had the opportunity to work with makeup pros during her TV career. As McCain noted in her final year on "The View," she enjoyed trying different products to create unusual looks. In one instance, she sported a bold application of yellow highlighter product at the inner corners of her eyes. When some people panned the choice, McCain defended her decision. "Can a b***h experiment with makeup? I liked it!" she proclaimed in a January 2021 post on X, formerly Twitter. She was equally adventurous with her hairstyles, trying out glittering gems in her part as well as all kinds of braids. Not surprisingly, she also roasted fans who dared to criticize her hair.

However, since she began hosting her own podcast, McCain's adopted a more subdued look. With her hair long and sleek or pulled back, she often accessorizes with eyewear and rocks a bold red or berry-hued lip. While she's far from her 2004 style, a hint of it sneaks through occasionally, like when McCain wore just a hint of sparkly silver eye shadow during a holiday episode of her podcast.