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White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently stirred the pot by candidly discussing key figures in President Donald Trump’s administration during an interview with Vanity Fair. Known for her fearless demeanor, Wiles did not hold back, labeling Vice President JD Vance as “a conspiracy theorist,” and describing Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought as a “right-wing zealot.” She even claimed that Elon Musk engages in “microdosing” ketamine and characterized President Trump as having “an alcoholic’s personality.” The December 2025 interview left no stone unturned in its two-part series that explored the dynamics of Trump’s team. However, it was the accompanying photo spread that drew attention to Wiles’ outdated makeup style, noted for its less-than-flattering execution.
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White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles made headlines when she sat down with Vanity Fair and proceeded to sing like a canary, once again proving she’s not afraid to do something no one else in President Donald Trump’s orbit would dare to do. Between calling Vice President JD Vance “a conspiracy theorist,” Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought a “right-wing absolute zealot,” accusing Elon Musk of “microdosing” ketamine, and even claiming that President Donald Trump had “an alcoholic’s personality,” she seemingly left no stone unturned during the two-part spread published in December 2025, speaking on nearly every key player in the Trump 2.0 administration. Alas, in the end, it was the photos from Vanity Fair’s spread that did Wiles dirty, effectively proving once and for all that her makeup is always a dated disaster!
Unfortunately, Wiles’ makeup woes extended beyond her choice of lipstick. Her foundation appeared dry and cakey, her mascara was clumpy, eyeliner uneven, and eyeshadow blotchy, suggesting a dire need for a professional makeover.
The Vanity Fair feature visually underscores the need for Susie Wiles, President Trump’s Chief of Staff, to consult a professional makeup artist to refine her look.
Renowned makeup artist and LA-based expert, Caroline Hernandez, offers valuable insight for women with mature skin. She emphasizes the importance of adapting makeup routines to suit aging skin, noting, “Drier, heavier, or matte formulas can make our skin appear duller and more textured,” as she shared with Women in November 2025. Hernandez advises against heavy foundation, suggesting instead a light application of tinted moisturizer focusing on key areas.
Hernandez also warns against heavy under-eye makeup, which tends to smudge and settle into fine lines, as evidenced in Wiles’ Vanity Fair photos. “This approach can be aging, as the product accumulates in lines, highlighting rather than concealing them,” Hernandez explained.
When it comes to mature skin, less is more
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As evidenced in the photos from Susie Wiles’ spread in Vanity Fair, President Donald Trump’s White House Chief of Staff could majorly benefit from a makeup consult with a professional makeup artist.
According to makeup artist and LA-based male groomer, Caroline Hernandez, aging women should adopt a makeup routine that is better suited to a more mature skin type. “Drier, heavier, or more matte formulas can make our skin look duller and more textured than when we were young,” Hernandez told our sister site, Women in November 2025. Hernandez also advised that women with mature skin shouldn’t be slathering their entire faces with a heavy coat of foundation, but rather stick to key areas, and use only a thin layer of tinted moisturizer.
Hernandez also discourages the use of heavy under-eye makeup, citing its tendency to smudge on mature skin, similarly to the way Wiles’ does in the Vanity Fair photos. “This is also aging, and the product can gather in lines and emphasize, rather than flatter,” Hernandez explained.
Susie Wiles was probably none too pleased with the article OR the photos
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As one can imagine, shortly after the Vanity Fair article and photos were published, Susie Wiles took to X to deliver her official rebuttal, denouncing it as a “disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history.”
Still, Christopher Anderson, the photographer for the article, was adamant that he didn’t do anything to exacerbate the photos, other than get very up close and personal. “It’s not like I was hiding what I was doing. I was physically standing so very close that even Susie Wiles at one point said to me, ‘You’re too close.’ And I backed up. So no, they’re not cropped versions. I’m standing very, very close,” he explained to Vanity Fair about his process for photographing Wiles and other members of the Trump cabinet, including JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Karoline Leavitt, and Stephen Miller.
Between Wiles’ makeup disaster, Karoline Leavitt’s cakey bronzer, and Trump’s expired peach bronzer fail in Davos, perhaps it’s time the powers that be plan a proper makeup application class in the West Wing.