7 Weird Secrets You Learn Doing Makeup For US Politicians

Leah reported a similar experience with George W. Bush, back when he actually was the Republican nominee for president, though not quite yet president. She also received a background check, but said that the Secret Service didn't check her assortment of powders, although "they did search the bag."

She worked on Bush twice. The first time was in a hotel room full of his people, but the second time was on his campaign bus:

"I guess it was his campaign manager, she left the bus, and I did think it was a little odd she left me alone with him. That was the second time I did his makeup, so maybe they trusted me more ... I just kinda remember thinking, I'm all alone with this man?"

Stacey has also done some very high-profile makeup jobs, including for Jeb Bush and Elizabeth Warren. She pointed out that the only time her powders have actually been checked is when she was working on some big-shot bankers:

"In Boston I had to go to the federal reserve building and I was doing makeup for one of their very important clients, and there was a lot of new banking that was going to be announced worldwide ... your license is being copied, I'm going through a scanner, my makeup products are going through a scanner ..."

We're not suggesting that nefarious evildoers train up a cadre of unstoppable cosmeticians, complete with poisonous foundation, but if the folks writing the next Bond movie are hurting for ideas, well, there's a freebie.

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"Usually, the politicians that I do, they are used to it. But Bernie Sanders, I did his makeup, it was his first time running for a major office and I don't know how much TV he did before. But he was appreciative of it, y'know, and you do their hair too. He can look a little disheveled if you're not careful."

She thinks she was one of the first stylists to work with Senator Sanders, as this was the week before he announced his candidacy.

"I don't think I thought it needed to be perfect, but it did need to be nice looking and laid down, not sticking out everywhere. Y'know, I personally like his hair when it's cut a little shorter. But it wasn't short that day. And he didn't care, he could care less one way or the other, but he appreciated it looking as nice as it did."

For some men, the unkempt look can be part of their appeal.

"I did Tim Russert's makeup. I was getting ready to brush his hair and he was like, 'No, no, no, I'll brush my hair.' And that was his look. The tousled look is what he was."

Most of our sources pointed out that women took more makeup than men, because it's more acceptable for women to look visibly made up on television than men. But some female politicians, like Elizabeth Warren, consciously avoided too much makeup. Or as Stacey told us:

"Senator Warren said to me, 'Not too heavy on the makeup, they need to pay attention to what I'm saying.'"

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In some cases, this is because her clients have suffered the sting of a bad makeup or hair job in the past:

"Some of them have been burned, men and women. Typically, it's that they've had too much makeup applied, to where you can tell they've had makeup on. Unfortunately, in the state of Georgia, you don't have to have any certification to apply makeup. So there are a lot of makeup artists working that shouldn't be, because they haven't properly educated themselves."

Establishing trust with anxious men is a big part of the job. Being able to read people is as important as being able to put down a good foundation:

"I can tell right away if they're dreading it, and as soon as I can find out why they are apprehensive, then I can find out ... last time you were too orange? OK, check this out. Here's the color I use, you're going to be just fine."

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"This is the year that will make or break makeup," Leah said. She thinks the recent change in the quality of President Trump's makeup is evidence of that. "I don't like the spray-on makeup where you see the lines ... I'm not really sure why people are doing that, because definitely you can tell. So I think this is the year for that."

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Leah seemed genuinely surprised when we asked if her own political bias might impact the quality of her work.

"No, no there wasn't. I guessed uh, because I am a professional, I do both sides of the spectrum. As far as like, even, George W. Bush and I've done, oh God what is his name... Al Sharpton. And so I think I guess, I make them both look equally as well. So I think because I am professional, they trust me to do that."

Hmm ... Perhaps Ted Cruz should have a word with whoever keeps doing that to his face. There must be somebody on his team harboring one hell of a grudge.

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Leah had some inside information that suggests Trump, at least for a while, did his own makeup:

"South Carolina's governor Henry McMaster was one of the guys that was backing Trump in South Carolina, so I never did Trump's makeup but told me that when he was around him, Trump did his own makeup. But then I heard from, I guess news articles, that there are artists who have done his makeup."

For her part, Leah thinks Trump's original makeup job was "a spray can which makes tan turn orange. So I think that's what he was going for, at the beginning, being new to it all ... and makeup, he just did what he was normally doing in business. Which you know, a lot of men do their spray tan, so that isn't odd. White circles under the eye can be from sunglasses, or even the brim around your hat -- the hairline can be from a hat. So a lot of that can be a tan, not just a spray tan." She did add, "But I do think his makeup's great now."

Don't believe her? Here's Trump during his first week in office, looking like a human being:

And here he is in February of 2016, looking like the result of a disastrous attempt to breed an orange with an iguana:

So whatever our politics, we can all agree that at least one person on his staff is doing their damn job.

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