Some Thoughts on “Republican Makeup”
And tips for couples with mismatched libidos.
The elephant in the room this week is Republican makeup. In fact, it seems that the elephant is alone in the room, at least when it comes to beauty news.
All anyone on TikTok (and in Allure’s private group chat) can talk about is the caked on, poorly blended, orange tinted, eyebrow-forward beauty look that creator Suzanne Lambert (above) brought to our collective attention when she posted a video on “doing my makeup like the MAGA girlies in my comments.”
This isn’t a generational thing, as some have suggested. Yes, Representative Marjorie Taylor Green (50) and Attorney General Pam Bondi (59) are prime examples of women who lean toward this look, but so are White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt (27) and Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon (76). The common thread truly seems to be a penchant for far-right politics. (At least for the famous people; there have also been videos from left-leaning normies who’ve been horrified to discover the makeup they’ve been wearing – just because that’s what everyone else in their small town wears – is now being branded as “conservative.”)
I get why these videos seem to be the only thing in beauty anyone is talking about this week. It’s fun to be a bully! That’s why bullies exist! Putting someone else down gives you a middle school-era jolt of endorphins that briefly distracts from the chaos coming from our halls of government. I am not too proud to admit that it gives me immense joy to know that people who have contributed to some of the most destructive chaos—particularly MTG, who has a history of calling for an end to reproductive and gender-affirming health care, inciting violence against her coworkers, implying DEI policies are the reason the recent fires in LA caused so much destruction…I could go on—might get their feelings hurt by the comparatively harmless accusation that they don’t own a Beautyblender.
But also… gosh darn if this doesn’t bum me out. Yes, beauty has always been political, especially for people of color and queer people—but it’s also always been a fun, creative hobby that sparks joy. I don’t want to live in a world where I feel kinda bad talking about beauty unless it is in a way that actively trashes the people I’m watching create policies designed to prioritize the minority group that is in my mind actually destroying the country (read: billionaires).
I want to be able to share mutual aid resources and community-led non-profits that are making the world safer and better for everyone and post an enthusiastic review of a new liquid blush. I need the deliberate distraction campaign happening in Washington right now to end so we can each pick the issue we want to prioritize (because, unfortunately, none of us can fix everything)—and go back to having hot takes about black mascara.
I’d love to hear from you: How are you feeling about these Republican Makeup videos or beauty in 2025 in general?
And in case you missed it, here’s some of the great reporting—on sex drives and weighted vests and more than one notable celebrity manicure—that the Allure team did for you this week:
Pillow Talk
At the beginning of this year, we sent out a survey to our readers asking what they wanted covered in Doing It, Allure’s sex column that’s written by sex educator Varuna Srinivasan. We got way more responses than I was expecting, and the most frequently asked question by far was a version of: My partner and I have mismatched sex drives—what do I do?? So, in this week’s edition of the column, Dr. Srinivasan has some advice for couples who might be dealing with a bit of a libido discrepancy (which, by the way, is the case for…basically all couples).
Weighty Topics
As Substacker Val Monroe wrote for us late last year, the menopause industry is flooded with “mostly useless” products that seem to be less about “bringing menopause into the open, but bringing you and your open wallet into the market.” But this year, Jolene Edgar seems to have found one trendy product that doctors say actually could be beneficial for the menopausal set: weighted vests. “It’s no longer enough, it seems, to log a bewildering number of steps and reps each day,” she writes. “We must hit these goals while wearing approximately 15 pounds of galvanized steel.” In an article this week, Edgar explores who can actually benefit from that fairly miserable sounding task.
To the Salon
Fun manicures are working way above their paygrade when it comes to my mood this winter, and it seems celebrities are feeling the same way: Keke Palmer opted for a reverse French with blood red half moons at her cuticles, while Kate Hudson showed up for the Critics’ Choice Awards wearing long, glassy nails with 3D metallic tips.
If you buy one thing this week, make it…
Make Up For Ever Super Boost Lip Gloss
I used to be a red lipstick loyalist, but now I almost exclusively reach for rosy nude lip gloss. The latest in my collection is this new moisturizing option from MUFE, specifically the shade Wherever Walnut. It has a slight plumping effect—the sensation is more cooling than burning—and isn’t remotely sticky. I like pairing it with my Bobbi Brown Lip Liner Pencil in Rose.
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