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Too Much to Spend on Appearance?
Gov. Sarah Palin spends a lot to look good on the campaign trail.
The news that the McCain/Palin campaign spent tens of thousands of dollars on hair styling and makeup for Sarah Palin may be raising some eyebrows.
At least one prominent hair stylist said she thought that at the price Palin was paying, she should be receiving do-it-yourself lessons.
“You can do these updos yourself,” said Lorraine Massey of the reknowned curly salon Devachan. “They are so simple to do. You put a chignon in the back and a few clips. It can be that simple. To look good and polished you don’t have to spend that much. And if you’re spending that much, your hairdresser should be teaching you how to do it yourself.”
Some experts in the beauty industry say that the $55,000 for about a month of hair-styling and makeup is not unusual if one is an A-list Hollywood celebrity attending a series of red carpet premieres (and the rigors of the campaign trail can be even more demanding.)
The campaign finance filings show payments in September and October totaling $36,000 to a traveling makeup artist, Amy Strozzi, and about $19,000 to a traveling hair stylist, Angela Lew.
“This is what Gwyneth Paltrow would pay if she was doing a junket or going to the Cannes film festival,” said Linda Wells, editor-in-chief of “Allure” magazine.
Bobbi Brown, a prominent makeup artist and cosmetics mogul, said she charges celebrities a $5,000 day-rate but has never done a long traveling stint.
The politics business is new territory for them.
“There haven’t been a lot of women running for high office, and it’s important how they look,” Brown said. “It is really unfair to talk about how women pay too much attention to their clothes or their makeup. Men just put on a suit and shave and they are ready to go. Women really do need to spend time getting their makeup on, and getting the right clothes. The media is very judgmental. It’s important to have your best look.”
Brown said she did the makeup for the Biden women during the Democratic convention in Denver in August, but, since she was a delegate from New Jersey, she charged only “a few hundred dollars,” her lowest rate. Brown also did makeup for Michelle Obama for a black-tie event in Denver, but not for the convention itself.
“She has a regular person from Chicago who comes with her,” Brown said.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 at 9:42 am and is filed under Celebrities, It's a Curly World, News. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment.
October 28th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
So, Ms.Lorraine Massey doesn’t agree with Sarah Palin spending a lot of money on hair and makeup people, but does agree with charging curly-haired women unbelievable amounts of money for products from her salon that might not even work? And by the way, has she not ever done a woman’s hair for an important event? How is this different? Every day is an important event for Sarah Palin right now and she wants to look her best. And you know what, if Sarah Palin DIDN’T look her best even once on television or infront of a group of people, she would be nitpicked about that too. You can’t have it both ways, people.
October 29th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I totally agree with Samantha.
But, I definitely think the spending is a little outrageous, and I think the same can be acheived for less.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
It’s funny how they are quick to pick on the republican women but they haven’t talked about how much Michelle Obama spends on her stuff. We all know it’s not cheap! Darn Media!
October 30th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Leave her alone! I wonder how much H. Clinton paid for her hair and makeup per month?? I’m sick of Palin constantly being the target of media attacks.
November 1st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Samantha, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Um, Sara Palin is touting herself as a fiscal conservative, who’s if (God forbid)is elected is going to save the middle class by not raising their taxes. Yet she and her family are spending 3 times as much money on clothing and make up in like 2 months than I make in an entire year. Can you say, DUPLICITOUS? How about this one: HYPOCRISY.
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
And by the way, Lorraine Massey’s products are expensive, but they don’t have toxins in them, and my hair likes them.
November 2nd, 2008 at 6:19 pm
iF SHE BECOMES PRESIDENT, DO YOU WANT TO BE PAYNING FOR HER AND HER DAUGHTERS’ DESIGNER CLOTHES AND MAKE-UP?? AND I’M SURE IF MICHELLE O WAS SPENDING THAT KIND OF MONEY, WE WOULD HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Palin is being unfairly targeted. The money was spent on her entire family — not just her. She doesn’t have a lot of money and needed help with looking the part of a VP candidate. The amount is ridiculous because unlike the men in the race, Palin and her family haven’t had the money or the need to build up such elaborate wardrobes and grooming routines. Furthermore, these attacks would be balanced if the men’s expenses were also included.