Dana Perino’s Remarkable Transformation at Fox News Highlighted by Striking Throwback Photos

In a playful 2023 Facebook post, she humorously urged her husband, “Peter, take this photo before I take all my makeup off!” Speculation about cosmetic surgery abounds, suggesting she might have had procedures ranging from a facelift to injectable treatments. Regardless, her current look is strikingly different from her earlier days, as we’ll explore further.

Let’s begin with a snapshot from 2007, capturing Perino addressing reporters. Back then, her makeup was understated, though not always flattering, with smudged light brown eyeliner and untamed brows. This contrasts sharply with her current polished and expertly applied makeup, prompting us to do a double-take to confirm it was indeed Perino.

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During her time as the White House press secretary, Perino often sported a simple bob and minimal makeup. The transformation is so significant that we had to pause, momentarily confusing her with a young Charlize Theron. Her lighter eyebrows and the disappearance of fine lines, likely due to Botox, contribute to this dramatic change in appearance.

Sticking with those pared-back makeup looks, and a chic bob that was a mainstay during Dana Perino’s tenure as the White House press secretary. Once again, we had to do a double take at just how much of a difference the lighter glam made, and for a sec, we weren’t sure if we were looking at Perino or a young Charlize Theron at a press conference. As with the previous pic, Perino’s lighter brows play a key role in how different she looked, and it’s also worth noting that she had some fine lines that have since disappeared too (shout out to Botox, presumably!).

It’s worth noting that even on days when a much-younger Dana Perino wore heavier makeup, it was still nothing on what would come in her later years. The White House staffer was serving old school Jodie Foster vibes with a darker lip and black suit, and despite looking slightly more “done” than during some other press conferences, her foundation was still light enough to let her freckles and a scar above her eyebrow shine through. TBH, it was one of her best looks during this period. 

There’s a lot to unpack here. When Dana Perino and some of her colleagues posed together to highlight their Italian American heritage, she looked probably the furthest from how she appears now. Granted, a lot of that came down to the styling, because in addition to the light-but-drying makeup, which left her looking slightly dehydrated and much older, she also donned the frumpiest outfit we’ve ever seen her in to date. All that made Perino look significantly older than she actually was at the time. For reference, the political commentator would have been around 35.

Many have accused Dana Perino’s new appearance of being too tuned up these days, and sure enough, once upon a time her face moved a lot more than it does now. In fact, Perino’s forehead barely moves when she speaks, so when we spotted this throwback pic, we were stunned. The White House press secretary didn’t look bad; she just looked more natural with her animated expression. Unfortunately, what did age her was this gold granny jacket. Perino walked so Karoline Leavitt’s grandma looks could run, we guess. 

Dana Perino’s pared-back pre-Fox look reminds us of several famous ladies, but Hillary Clinton is undoubtedly the most surprising. Nowadays, Perino resembles tons of other women in the Mar-a-Lago set. Back then, her Clinton-inspired glam is evident in everything from the hairstyle and highlights to the soft glam and the jacket. And, considering the political commentator has praised Clinton in the past (much to some conservatives’ dismay), that may well have been intentional. The next time President Donald Trump flirts with Perino live on the air, she should try this look.

Dana Perino’s look on her final day as the White House press secretary was worlds apart from what we’ve come to associate her with as a glammed-up Fox News anchor. She stayed true to her more natural beauty vibe, opting for soft pink lipstick, and we even detect some subtle shimmer on her eyelids too. Glamorous, but wearable in normal life, Perino’s look back then was focused on emphasizing her natural features. Including, notably, her actual skin-tone! 

New administration, who dis? Seriously, though, when we saw pics of Dana Perino handing out M&Ms to the White House press corps on President Barack Obama’s inauguration day, we weren’t sure if it was her at first. Of course, camera angles do play a role, and on closer inspection there’s no question it’s Perino. We’re also thrilled that at every age, and even with the changes over the years, the Fox News anchor’s cheerful smile lines around her eyes have remained a firm fixture. 

Plenty of news anchors are barely recognizable makeup-free, but Dana Perino definitely isn’t one of them. Some of the former White House staffer’s makeup in older pics may have been a bit messy, but when it comes to what was probably her most pared-back look ever, we kind of wish Perino would go without makeup (or heavy makeup, anyway) more often. Sure, it might not have been TV-anchor ready (and certainly not in line with the Fox News aesthetic), but it photographed well, and she looked stunning.