French President Macron under fire for $30,000 makeup costs

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It was only three months ago that the global social media acclaimed about French President Emmanuel Macron's gorgeous looks, and now it proved all beautiful things come with a price. French magazine Le Point reported that the 39-year-old president has settled two bills for his personal makeup artist Natacha M., one for 10,000 euros and the other for 16,000.

French President Emmanuel Macron /AP Photo

President Macron's office confirmed the report, saying that they have been trying to find a cheaper alternative.

The report came at a time when polls show that Macron's popularity has been plunging in recent weeks after his announcement of budget cuts and divisive labor reform, according to the Associated Press.

Macron, however, is not the French leader who spent the most on makeup. In fact, his expenses are already lower than his predecessors.

The country's former President François Hollande paid his personal hairdresser about 10,000 euros a month to cut and dry his thinning hair, according to the satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchainé.

Even though the then French government explained that Holland's budget on his outlooks was 15 to 20 percent lower compared with President Sarkozy, it's obviously far from enough to stop the memes from pouring out onto the Internet.

A meme of former French President François Hollande. /Photo via Twitter

Vanity Fair once reported that Hollande's predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy spent 8,000 euros a month on makeup.

However, it is not only the French leaders that spent quite a fortune on their makeup. According to the Guardian, in 2005, the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair had spent over 1,800 pounds (2,317 US dollars) on cosmetics and makeup artists in the six years since he came to power. David Cameron had reportedly paid his hairdresser 90 pounds (115 US dollars) for each haircut and dry.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy /Reuters Photo

The US leaders have also valued their looks in public. Makeup artist Kriss Belvens, who made a reputation for transforming Hillary Clinton during the 2008 elections, have done makeup to presidential candidates since 1992. Her clients also include incumbent President Donald Trump, his predecessor Barack Obama, as well as Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz.

Sarah Palin, while running for vice president in the US in 2008, used to pay her makeup artist Amy Strozzi 22,800 dollars for the first two weeks of October, and caused quite a stir among the public.

US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton /AFP Photo

US President Donald Trump /Photo via Twitter‍

During the 2016 US presidential election, Vanity Fair reported that Hillary Clinton was seen going to the John Barrett Salon for haircut, which costs about 600 dollars every time, but adding that it is unclear whether she paid or not.

President Donald Trump's haircut expenses was also once a topic that was widely discussed and guessed by the media as well as the public. But so far, it still remains a mystery.

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