Emmanuel Macron 'spends €26,000 on makeup'

Remember when British MPs were found guilty of using their taxpayer-funded expenses for building moats and buying second homes?

Well now French President Emmanuel Macron can join the hall of shame, after reports this week that he has spent €26,000 (£24,000) on makeup during the first three months in office.

According to a report in France's Le Point magazine, the large sum was claimed by a personal makeup artist who was hired to beautify Macron as "a matter of urgency".

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The artist, who was only referred to only as Natacha M in the report, submitted two expense bills for the first three months of Macron's presidency, one for €10,000 and another for €16,000. The same makeup artist also applied foundation to Mr Macron during his presidential campaign, the Daily Telegraph says.

Previous French leaders had similiarly extravagant budgets for stylists and beauticians. Macron's predecessor, Francois Hollande, paid his makeup artist at €30,000 per quarter, and reportedly employed a barber on a yearly salary of £99,000.

Macron has compared his style of governing to Jupiter, the king of the Roman gods, his approval rate has plummeted to just 37 per cent, a 20 point drop from his post-election popularity in May, says Business Insider.

His makeup bill seems unlikely to boost his popularity.

And, of course, it was also about Trump: