Worst Mar-a-Lago makeovers as Barbera Thornhill and Susan Dell come under fire

Barbera Thornhill is the latest figure in Donald Trump’s circle to face criticism over what online commentators perceive as a significant change in her appearance. This week, the 79-year-old was appointed as new Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. But after Riley Barnes, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor,

shared a picture of Thornhill on social media to congratulate her for her new role, critics began questioning if she has had cosmetic work done. In the picture, Thornhill had a wrinkle-free forehead and a noticeably fuller pout. Her eyes were also opened wide, with no wrinkles visible at the side of her face. Her skin seemed taut and she opted for a light blush on her cheeks and thick mascara. Critics flocked to the comments to question Thornhill’s appearance, with one writing on X, “Had to check and see if this was a satire account.” Another tweeted, “The MAGA men enjoy watching their own women get humiliated and will even participate. These people eat their own kind.”Susan Dell, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, sparked a massive social media frenzy following her White House appearance on October 7. The philanthropist appeared alongside her husband, Michael Dell, and President Trump to announce updates to the Trump Accounts program, an initiative designed to automatically enroll eligible children into federally backed savings and investment accounts. The Dells previously pledged $6.25 billion to help fund the initiative, which provides a $1,000 government seed deposit for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028. However, despite the historic scale of the donation, the internet quickly fixated on videos and photos from the events, comparing them to older pictures of the 62-year-old. In older photos, she had a softer, more natural look, featuring a feathered, honey-blonde hairstyle and soft fringe. However, in her latest outings, online cosmetic surgeons have noted significantly heightened brow positions, a rounder eye shape, altered facial volume distributions from fillers, and heavily defined makeup. There has been speculation that the cost of these combined surgical and nonsurgical interventions could be around $50,000.Kristi Noem, who served as Homeland Security secretary until March 2026, is also considered a prime example of the “Mag-a-Lago face.” According to cosmetic surgeons and public reports, Noem’s look involves a combination of invasive and non-invasive cosmetic procedures estimated to cost anywhere from $90,000 to over $200,000 for high-end execution and upkeep. In 2024, Noem released a promotional video praising a cosmetic dental clinic in Texas where she had extensive veneer work done to alter and brighten her smile. Experts also believe she might have had significant mid-face volumizing via dermal fillers in her cheekbones and lips, alongside Botox to achieve a smooth, “frozen” forehead and lifted brown. Plastic surgeons speculate the 54-year-old has undergone a combination of upper blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), a brow lift, and jawline contouring – such as Kybella or a minor lower face/neck lift – to maintain a highly taut appearance. The final layer of her transformation relies on heavy contouring, deep spray tans, lash extensions and signature blowout hairstyles.Kimberly Guilfoyle has also faced backlash online after internet users began comparing throwback photos from her early career – including her 2001-2006 marriage to Gavin Newsom – to her modern appearance. Observers and cosmetic experts note that her features have dramatically transformed from an understated, natural look to highly-defined features. The 57-year-old, who has just stepped down as US ambassador to Greece, was previously engaged to the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr. – and during their relationship, her face dramatically changed to a “Mar-a-Lago” look. Her mid-face and lips appeared increasingly plump, tight, and filled compared to her naturally thinner features from her early Fox News days. Plastic surgeons estimated this was the result of heavy dermal fillers. It has also been speculated that she has had a nose job and botulinum toxin in her forehead. However, she has not confirmed this. During this relationship, Guilfoyle also started wearing heavier makeup, opting for dark eye makeup, tanned skin, and filled-in brows.White House press secretary Katie Zacharia also seems to have undergone a MAGA transformation. Older photos that emerged after President Trump announced last week that the 41-year-old would replace Karoline Leavitt in the role of press secretary show Zacharia’s completely different appearance a decade ago. In previous images, she often appeared with her blonde hair pulled back and wore a natural makeup look. However, recent photos show that Zacharia now wears her long blonde hair in sleek cascading waves, her eyebrows appear bolder, her lips appear plumper, and she seems to opt for bolder eye makeup looks.Former US Representative Matt Gaetz’s altered physical appearance has also become a topic of discussion online. The 44-year-old politician first drew intense public and social media scrutiny during his appearance at the July 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC), where observers noted a noticeably smoother forehead, reduced facial movement, and sharply arched eyebrows. Aesthetic specialists and plastic surgeons weighed in, attributing his look to heavy or misallocated neuromodulators (Botox) in the frontalis muscle, resulting in a peaked “Spock brow” or a tight, frozen expression. Other analysts speculated about potential thread lifts, fillers, or heavy makeup. Gaetz’s office largely dismissed the claims at the time, attributing the differences to lighting and makeup. The discussion then resurfaced when Gaetz launched his television program on One America News Network (OAN), prompting critics and commentators to point to changes in his complexion, contouring, and facial tightness.Lara Trump, who is married to the president’s son, Eric Trump, 42, has also faced rumors that she might have undergone a transformation after joining the first family. Observers and plastic surgeons have noted a distinct evolution in her appearance over the years – moving toward tighter skin, cheek and lip fillers, and potential procedures like blepharoplasty (eyelid shaping) to open up the eyes. The 44-year-old Fox News host has also transitioned to a bright creamy-blonde style, often paired with extensions. Last year, we reached out to Dr Gizem Seymenoglu, a renowned cosmetic surgery expert from Longevtia, who spotted some telltale signs that Lara may have had a few tweaks here and there in recent years. “A closer examination of Lara’s recent photos is suggestive of blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery, in my opinion,” the facial aesthetics practitioner began after comparing a photo from 2008 with the present day. “Looking at her now, her eyes look much more open and alert, and this may have been made possible by an upper eyelid surgery, which involves the removal of excess skin and muscle in addition to a small amount of fat,” she explained, noting, “The surgery can actually be quite effective in restoring the eyes’ youthful appearance.”Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is also rumored to have undergone a so-called “MAGA Makeover.” During her early days and 2022 New Hampshire congressional run, Leavitt maintained a more casual, toned-down appearance with standard blonde hair and minimal makeup. However, once she joined the Trump administration, her look shifted to a strictly curated, camera-ready aesthetic. According to makeup artists and cultural analysts, this style embraces heavily applied cosmetics -such as prominent eyeliner, babydoll false eyelashes, dramatic facial contouring, and heavily lined lips – designed specifically to withstand harsh studio lighting and camera glares. There have also been claims that the 29-year-old might have had subtle lip fillers or injections, but this hasn’t been confirmed.Political activist Laura Loomer has also faced rumors of extensive cosmetic procedures. While she confirmed a rhinoplasty (nose job) and lip fillers performed in July 2017, she has largely disputed or denied other extensive surgical claims, at times accusing media outlets of using altered or photoshopper images. Biard-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jimmy Sung from Tribeca Aestheticstold The Mirror US that in addition to a rhinoplasty, the 33-year-old has likely had “a large amount of injectables” which could include “implants, fillers, and Botox.” Dr Sung also noted that Laura has dyed her hair and had her teeth whitened, too. When asked about the costs of these treatments, Dr. Sung explained that they can vary. “Rhinoplasty can cost between $20,000 and $70,000,” he said, while claiming that Laura’s supposed injectables could need to be topped up often enough that it would cost her “$10,000 annually.” He also noted that “Loomer exhibits the quintessential Mar-a-Lago look.”