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Donald Trump recently stepped into the spotlight with a look that seemed plucked straight from a classic Western film. While he hasn’t swapped his iconic MAGA cap for a cowboy hat and boots, it was his noticeably thinning hair and a rustic makeup style that drew attention on January 4, 2026.
The intriguing snapshot was captured aboard Air Force One as Trump spoke to reporters about his contentious decision to apprehend Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and detain him in the U.S. An act that many, including Venezuelan officials, have deemed akin to a kidnapping, drawing parallels to cinematic Western exploits. Despite the legal questions surrounding Trump’s actions, it was his makeup that truly caught the eye.
Typically, Trump’s makeup can appear overly glossy, but on this day, it seemed unusually unkempt. His trademark orange tint deepened to a rugged, dusty hue, reminiscent of the bronzed and weathered appearance of Western film icons. These actors often portrayed characters who endured harsh conditions, whether traversing the frontier on horseback or facing off against outlaws to defend their fictional families.
It’s unclear what inspired Trump to embrace this Western-themed look or how he overlooked the conspicuous bald patch on his head. Nevertheless, should you wish to emulate this unique style, tutorials are readily accessible!
Donald Trump might not be the typical beauty influencer, unless one’s aim is to sport a peculiar shade of “corpse orange” or a mango-infused bronzer daily. Nonetheless, his supporters are often full of surprises, so it wouldn’t be shocking if someone desired to mirror this cowboy-inspired makeover. If that’s your ambition, you’re in luck. Although Trump guards his beauty secrets closely, makeup artist Ben Nye revealed the secrets to achieving this Western vibe back in 2015.
How to replicate Trump’s cowboy makeup
Donald Trump probably isn’t the average person’s makeup muse, unless their heart’s desire is to rock an unnatural shade of “corpse orange” or wear mango bronzer every day of their life. However, time has proven that, when it comes to the president’s admirers, you never really know what to expect. So perhaps there is someone out there hoping to replicate these changes to Trump’s makeup routine — specifically the cowboy-coded version. If that sounds like you, you’re in luck. While Trump keeps his best makeup tips tucked safely to his chest (or in his neck flap), a makeup artist named Ben Nye unlocked the tips to the perfect Western aesthetic back in 2015.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Nye walked a live audience through some of the most important products needed to transform a 21st-century man back to the wild, wild west. Throughout the 25-minute tutorial, where he went in depth about the hallmarks of cowboy makeup, Nye layered his model’s face with several products, including bronzing body tint, fake beard stubble, and fake dried blood. Amazon actually sells Ben Nye’s Final Seal makeup setting spray, which he stressed the importance of in the video. By the time he showed the finished product, the model looked positively Western, donning sunburnt skin that was lathered in layers of dirt and grime. For a more realistic touch, Nye even showed the audience how to fake the tooth decay that plagued humanity during this era.
Given Trump’s apparent proficiency at the cowboy look, we’re inclined to believe that he at least skimmed Nye’s video. Then again, it’s not like his latest political stunt has left him much time for beauty maintenance; he was probably too busy watching video tutorials on how to kidnap the president of a foreign state, so perhaps he was just born with these marvelous makeup tricks.
