French President Emmanuel Macron under fire for extravagant makeup budget

Not one for sartorial extravagance, when it comes to his wardrobe French President Emmanuel Macron has a go-to uniform of affordable, off-the-rack navy suits by Jonas et Cie. But when it comes to the budget for perfecting his complexion for official engagements, the young leader in his first three months on the job has taken a less modest approach, according to reports in French media.

Local makeup artist Natacha M. submitted invoices totaling 26,000 euros to the general secretariat of the presidency covering her services to Macron for the period, according to a report in Le Point, a weekly magazine covering politics and news.

A spokeswoman for Macron told WWD that the information relayed by Le Point corresponded to “an urgent situation” following the president’s arrival at the Élysée Palace.

“We are putting into place a long-term set-up that will be significantly less expensive than these bills, and less expensive than the system in place during previous presidential terms,” she said.

According to reports, Macron’s predecessor, the thin-haired François Hollande, is said to have paid his makeup artist and hairdresser a monthly net salary of 6,000 euros and 10,000 euros, respectively.

The negative buzz comes as Macron faces a dramatic slump in ratings countrywide since being elected in May. According to the latest YouGov poll, published in early August, just 36 percent of the French now approve of their president versus 66 percent in May.

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