Following Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, there was one lingering question: What exactly is going on with JD Vance’s lashes? Sootily outlined with a dense fringe, his eyes caught the attention of many debate watchers who wondered if Vance was into guyliner. One user wrote on X, “I can’t focus on Vance, I keep wondering how many Sephora points he has,” while another joked, “JD Vance has the eyeliner of an eighth grader in the chorus of Seussical.”
The discourse became so widespread that even George Santos weighed in: “Vance does NOT use eyeliner,” the former congressman wrote on X. “I’ve met him in person before he was a senator and I can confirm he has long eyelashes and they cast a shadow on his waterline.”
Alas, the truth seems murky. If Vance’s Spotify playlists are any indication, the senator certainly has a bit of an angsty side, and a resurfaced photo from Yale Law School shows him very clearly wearing eyeliner. While we might not be able to get up-close and personal enough with Vance to personally examine his lash line, we do have access to some of the best makeup artists, who can spot a smokey eye from a mile away. We reached out to them to get their authoritative opinion—you can decide for yourself, but here’s what the experts have to say.
“Okay, I’m not saying he’s wearing eyeliner, but there might have been a lash tint involved…”—Joseph Carrillo, celebrity makeup artist and facial sculptor
“To throw in my two cents, I honestly don’t think he is wearing eyeliner. Guys have good lashes…[JD Vance] has dark lashes and a lot of them, which may look like eyeliner. I also doubt that he knows how to wear makeup to enhance his looks.”—Daniel Martin, celebrity makeup artist
“I don’t agree with him on any level and [I still] don’t think that he is wearing eyeliner. But aren’t we lucky to live in country where people have the freedom to make their own choices? Makeup for all!”—Romy Soleimani, celebrity makeup artist
“Based on what we’ve come to know about JD Vance…I find it hard to believe that he would let a makeup artist anywhere near his lashes. With his old-fashioned views on gender roles, I imagine that it would take an act of God for him to even agree to be patted down with a powder puff to avoid shine on camera. It is my belief that he is au naturel. He is just blessed with a densely thick lash line.”—Troy Surratt, celebrity makeup artist
Maybe it’s a lash growth serum?
Katie Berohn is the Beauty Assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her Master’s Degree at NYU’s Graduate Program of Magazine Journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life Magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan, a digital editorial internship at New York Magazine’s The Cut, a social good fellowship at Mashable, and has freelanced for HelloGiggles. _When she’s not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her endless search for the perfect shade of red nail polish, Katie can be found in a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York’s newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.
Kathleen Hou is ELLE’s Beauty Director. Previously, she held the same title at New York Magazine’s The Cut. She’s appeared in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Vogue India, Forbes, and Allure. She was also a co-founder of Donate Beauty, a grassroots beauty donation project started during the COVID-19 crisis, which donated over 500,000 products to over 30,000 healthcare workers across 500-plus hospitals.