Beauty trends among American conservatives: History and Key Facts

United States conservatives in the 2020s have demonstrated at least two notable beauty trends. The first is Republican makeup, also known as MAGA makeup, MAGA beauty or conservative girl makeup. This term describes the style and application of cosmetics by people (including both men and women) affiliated with Trumpism. The style refers to eyeliner, mascara, rouge, and foundation that are heavily applied so as to make their use obvious. This style contrasts with the natural makeup style. Kristi Noem and Karoline Leavitt have been cited as examples. Suzanne Lambert, a comedian on TikTok, is credited with popularizing the Republican makeup concept through a video she made shortly after Donald Trump's victory in the November 2024 presidential election. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a video of her makeup routine on social media that showed her using some of the techniques Lambert had mocked.

The other trend is known by the pejorative term Mar-a-Lago face, which is used to refer to a plastic surgery and fashion trend among American conservative and Republican individuals. Mar-a-Lago face is characterized by excessive or uniform plastic surgery interventions such as lip augmentation, Botox, and jaw contouring, coupled with spray tans, fake eyelashes, and dark smoky eyes. Cosmetic surgeons listed facial surgery, injectable filler, and cosmetic dental work among the procedures constituting the look. The trend is named for Trump's home in Florida, Mar-a-Lago. Noted public figures described as having the Mar-a-Lago face include First Lady Melania Trump, Matt Gaetz, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump.

Plastic surgeons and consultants describe Mar-a-Lago face as a deliberately conspicuous and homogenized aesthetic. The trend has been described as a status symbol among Donald Trump's inner circle, signaling wealth, privilege, and alignment with Trumpism. Journalistic and academic analyses have situated Mar-a-Lago face within far-right and Trump-aligned visual culture, arguing that a recurring, highly stylized face helps signal allegiance to Trump and project shared values among his supporters. Academics and fashion writers have also written critiques, observing that the Mar-a-Lago face look embodies an exaggerated aesthetic of gender performance that evokes drag queens, suggests that the superficial is the only important aspect of political policies, and marks the merger of political and celebrity culture.

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