What Kristi Noem Looks Like Going (Nearly) Makeup-Free

It's hard to believe that Kristi Noem spends time without makeup, considering how heavy her daily makeup style is. Noem's been accused of cosplay during her newly appointed position, dressing up as ICE patrol, a prison warden, and even a nurse. It all feels like a world of dress-up and make believe to her. But Noem's love of makeup is the ultimate cosplay, because her complete embrace of the MAGA Barbie identity signals her deeper sentiments.

Noem's excessive use of makeup becomes a political signifier where she ornamentally displays her adherence to Donald Trump's ideology. Noem has a complicated line to walk; on the one hand, as the Secretary of Homeland Security, she's responsible for protecting the nation's borders from threat, working a job that's traditionally been a masculine role. On the other hand, Noem is at the heart of an organization that places traditional expectations on women. The Mar-a-Lago plastic surgery trend fights aging by any means necessary, even when the results are unrealistic. The MAGA aesthetic is all about pageant-girl level glam, with an expectation that the women in that circle adopt traditional femininity. Noem has a foot in both worlds, and that seems like an impossible position. Perhaps in attempting to come off as the "tough guy" for her job, Noem is trying to balance that with extreme femininity through excessive makeup use, which is why we almost never see her without it.

Kristi Noem jumped on Instagram in November 2024 to share a photo of herself without makeup. The Secretary of Homeland Security posed with her granddaughter, Addie, to share a photo of them in front of a tree. "Miss Addie had a 'grandma' day and I broke my own rules and we put up the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving[...] But we had so much fun!" Noem wrote in the caption. In the picture, Noem uncharacteristically looked like she had skipped her glam routine. Ordinarily, she steps out with what looks like a time-consuming and high-maintenance makeup look, a choice that often goes awry. From cakey foundation to excessive eye liner, Noem's overdone it countless times.

It seems like grandma mode is one of the rare instances where Noem doesn't lean into makeup in a major way. After all, she has become famous, among other reasons, for her love of flamboyant makeup. Unfortunately, her love of prom queen-level glam means that Noem has a long list of big makeup mistakes. Her clear interest in her looks has led to rampant speculations that Noem has allegedly had plastic surgery; and honestly, when comparing old photos to recent ones, it's pretty hard to deny that. In short, Noem's face transformation is a sight to see, largely due to her alleged love of cosmetic procedures and her excessive use of makeup.