Erika Kirk's Pageant-Worthy Bridal Glam Is So Outdated These Days

By Kelsey Goldbach
An image of Erika Kirk being interviewed. Kirk is a young white woman with long blonde hair. She is wearing a full face of heavy makeup, as well as a rose gold metallic blazer. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Erika Kirk has made more than a few makeup mistakes, especially since her marriage to late right-wing media personality Charlie Kirk solidified her status as MAGA royalty. Like many Republican women today, Erika Kirk falls victim to obvious eyebrow blindness, cakey foundation, and streaky, under-blended blush. But, for her wedding day in 2021, Kirk sought out the services of professional makeup artists at Makiaj Beauty for her bridal glam.

The difference between Makiaj's camera-ready glam and Kirk's usual MAGA makeup look is pretty vast. Instead of the matte, almost orange foundation that characterizes the Turning Point USA CEO's makeup even today, Makiaj went for a bronzed and glowy look that made Kirk's skin look flawless. However, while the bridal makeup was comparatively soft and flattering on Kirk, its heavy use of bronzer, sharp contour, and bold eyebrows were already a little outdated. 

In late 2025, makeup artist and hair stylist Holly Harnwell told the Los Angeles Times that modern brides are embracing natural, skin-first looks for their big day. "Gone are the days when you needed heavy coverage on your wedding day. Instead, brides want to focus on looking like the best version of themselves with beautiful natural, looking skin that is done so well that you can't even tell if she has the best skin ever or she is wearing makeup," Harnwell said. "Pairing natural glowing skin with a strong blush will give you a beautiful, youthful glow that will look incredible both on and off the camera."

Erika Kirk needs to update her makeup techniques

Close-up of Erika Kirk. She is wearing a full face of makeup with heavy blush, drawn-on brown eyebrows, and several thick layers of mascara. Michael M. Santiago/Getty

While Erika Kirk has had a dramatic face transformation since her pageant days, the former Miss Arizona USA hasn't changed her makeup techniques for the better. Kirk has doubled down on the dark brown eyebrows and dramatic eye looks — complete with several heavy layers of mascara — that aren't very photogenic. For everyday women, makeup that reads natural is all the rage right now, proving that "clean girl" makeup, which consists of clean, dewy skin, feathered eyebrows, and sheer lip gloss, still has plenty of cultural cachet. 

According to makeup and hair artist Jackie Romero, "clean girl" makeup is even making its way into bridal trends. "Bridal beauty is taking a soft, radiant turn — and we love every bit of it. The 'clean girl' aesthetic blended with soft glam is the look of the moment, featuring glowing skin, subtle eye definition, cream pink blush, glossy lips, and airy lashes that enhance natural beauty," Romero explained to the Los Angeles Times. 

While she can't go back in time and change her bridal glam, channeling a more updated aesthetic in her day-to-day life may be a good idea for Kirk. While picking the right foundation shade can be tricky, Kirk should ditch the orange skin and raccoon eyes. By embracing a skin-first look, Kirk could avoid some of the biggest makeup mistakes of other MAGA women like Kristi Noem.