Former First Lady make-up artist reveals precisely why she thinks Trump is all of the sudden so orange… and why it makes her worry for his well being

Kimberley Bosso is a celebrity make-up artist with a wealth of A-list clients – from Hollywood actors to America’s most senior politicians and their wives, including former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

But what does Kimberley make of President-elect Donald Trump‘s remarkable orange glow? How does he achieve it? And is it safe to try it at home? Here’s the plain, unvarnished verdict…

I met Donald Trump once, backstage at the Miss USA Pageant in 2007.

It was fleeting. We smiled, shook hands and said hello.

Looking back, I remember his shade of skin looking normal. He didn’t have that orange tone of recent years. Nor did he look as if he’d had a spray tan, as a lot of men in TV do. He just had that healthy, posh glow.

Through his last presidency and recent campaign, it’s been a very different story.

I see photos of him online and on TV, tanned with a distinct bronze shade, and stark white rings around his eyes.

As a make-up artist, I’ve been perplexed as to why he would choose to look like this.

First and foremost, in my opinion, I’ve concluded there is absolutely no way a professional make-up artist is doing this for him voluntarily.

Even the most unskilled, novice artist would know to blend the space beneath his eyes with a concealer to meet the foundation shade on the rest of his face. I’m sure they would be embarrassed to have their client walk out with abrupt white circles like his.

Which leads me to believe Trump is the one insisting on this look – or that, maybe, he is doing his make-up himself.

Perhaps his wife Melania is helping him, although I highly doubt that, because she is always so perfectly presented and a strong woman with her own life.

My better guess is that, as he gets older – and he’s already 78, after all – Trump is getting paler. Perhaps that worries him, and he believes a strong tan is the way to look healthy and more youthful.

Then there’s the question of how he is achieving this.

I would guess that he’s using a tanning bed and that the white rings are the result of wearing goggles to protect his eyes.

Next, I would say he is applying foundation over the top of his basic tan to achieve the dark shade of bronze we recognize today. And then he’s stopping right there without tending to the white under his eyes.

He’s clearly not using concealer, or any product on those unattractive rings, to help achieve a more cohesive feel.

I’ve read reports that his former staff say he has long used the same brand of foundation – a label I’ve never heard of.

But regardless, his whole routine can’t take more than ten minutes to complete.

It seems he also doesn’t opt for any touch-ups throughout the day because you can often see him getting shiny, which most likely means he isn’t using a setting powder.

Many politicians and celebrities wear make-up. Who wants to look washed-out on camera? But Trump goes a bit overboard.

None of my male clients have ever asked for anything similar.

I’ve worked with A-listers like Matt Damon, Paul McCartney and even Justin Bieber. None and – to repeat – none of them would have been happy if I left white rings around their eyes and their skin so tanned.

They all have different preferences of course: some don’t like to be powdered while others opt not to be touched up, for example. But they would trust me to do what is best.

My guess is Trump clearly doesn’t listen to anyone’s advice when it comes to his appearance.

He’s got his own look that he likes. Different strokes for different folks.

But if he were my client, I’d try my best to convince him to change his overall look.

I would start with a really good moisturizer and primer, then reach for a cream foundation that is lightweight but with ample coverage.

Then I’d go in with a concealer, in a beige tone and with a creamy consistency so it doesn’t look cakey or drying, and one which more closely matches his skin tone. And then I’d blend, blend, blend! 

I’d follow up with an HD powder on the T-zone (nose, forehead, chin, cheeks, essentially) to cut the shine and make his skin look natural without texture.

Trump’s eyelashes are obviously very light – he has fair hair – and he is only getting older, so I would recommend putting some subtle eyeliner on. A light brown pencil would suffice and bring his eyes to life.

I would also use a tinted eye primer to make sure the skin around his eyes is a healthier shade, reducing the risk of any capillaries appearing.

And then I would probably lightly trim his eyebrows, to give them a natural, clean look.

Finally, I would tell him to stop using sun beds. Aside from the fact they are proven to be terribly cancerous, they also dry out your skin and are the fastest way to look old and wrinkly.

But then again, I doubt he would listen.

He has managed to be elected President twice with ‘the look’. Whatever I may think about his signature appearance is irrelevant. It seems to work for him…