It's no secret that Melania Trump loves her some eyeliner and eyeshadow. Her makeup transformation over the years has seen her go from the "no makeup" makeup look to attending red-carpet events sporting a bold smoky eye and enough black eyeliner to put 2005 Pete Wentz to shame. However, no matter which step in the glam process, too much is never a good thing, and her bad habit of going heavy-handed with her eye makeup has resulted in some of Melania's worst makeup fails yet. While she may be aging
so well that her husband Donald Trump basically looks like her grandfather, this doesn't mean the first lady won't look older than her years with caked on eyeliner and dark eyeshadow. In fact, this was exactly what happened when she committed this makeup mistake during a 2011 interview.
Five years before she entered the White House, Melania spoke about her son Barron Trump during a chat with Sherrina Navani on "The Mommy Helper Show." Melania explained that she was a hands-on mom who enjoyed doing regular activities like tennis and golf with her then-5-year-old son. But we couldn't help but be distracted by Melania's makeup, which looked way too intense for a simple interview about motherhood. She not only lined both her eyes with thick black eyeliner, but she also sported what appeared to be an unblended smoky eye that was less sultry siren and more panda eyes.
Read more: The Worst-Dressed Stars & Politicians At Trump's Inauguration
Melania Just Can't Seem To Leave Home Without Eyeliner And Smoky Eyeshadow
Though Melania Trump looked stunning overall during her interview with "The Mommy Helper Show," going HAM with the eyeliner and black eyeshadow unfortunately resulted in a dated makeup look that was far from flattering.
However, this makeup blunder can't be blamed entirely on Melania. She might have signed off on it and chosen to appear in front of cameras with that much eyeliner and eyeshadow caked on, but it was likely her longtime makeup artist Nicole Bryl who was responsible for this look and many of the first lady's other major makeup fails. In a 2021 Instagram post, Bryl revealed that she had been doing Melania's makeup for "20 years and counting" at that point, suggesting she may have actively participated in this makeup disaster.
Melania and Bryl did eventually ease up a little on the eye makeup, especially after the former became first lady. However, eyeliner and a smoky eye remain staples of Melania's makeup, and she has continued to sport them even when the time, place, or occasion doesn't call for them. In 2024, her inappropriate eyeshadow completely threw off her attempt at a professional look during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business. In another bizarre move, she also paired her spring-inspired white top and floral pants for the Congressional Picnic in June 2025 with intense eyeliner and a smoky eye.
Read the original article on The List.
