French President Emmanuel Macron's makeup cost has drawn widespread criticism after officials confirmed he paid $30,695 on makeup during his first three months in office.
These accumulated costs, confirmed by the president's office Friday, included paying a freelance makeup artist to accompany Macros to various television appearances and on trips abroad, The Associated Press reported.
Le Pont first broke with the news on Thursday with a detailed report looking at how much Macron invested in makeup and for a hairdresser.
According to the report, presidential aides claimed hiring the makeup artist was considered a "matter of urgency." They went on to say that there would be a significant reduction in cosmetic bills in the future.
An Elysée Palace official told The Guardian that the amount covered "various services including press conferences and foreign trips where the person concerned has to travel with him."
The official added that, although the bill was high, it was still less than what Macron’s predecessor’s spent on makeup.
Last year The Washington Post reported that former French president, François Hollande, reportedly paid his hairdresser $10,000 a month.
In an attempt to justify the expenditure, government spokesman Stéphane le Foll said, "everyone has their hair done, don’t they? This hairdresser had to abandon his salon and he’s on tap 24 hours a day."
News of Macrons cosmetic expenditure has caused a stir on social media as users across the world took to Twitter to air their views.
One user likened the French President to Kim Kardashian while another joked that, if Macron had spent so much just on his complexion, the expenses of makeup for eyes and lips would be even worse.