RTE spent more than €140k over two years on make-up for TV programmes

Irish Daily Mirror

18-05-2025

RTÉ has spent more than €140,000 on make-up over the past two years with nearly half of that paid to high-end retailer Brown Thomas.
The broadcaster said they used cosmetics across thousands of hours of TV programmes that were produced each year.
The total bill from January of 2023 to March of this year was €144,081 or the equivalent of around €5,300 each month.
A database of costs shows that Brown Thomas was the most favoured outlet for make-up purchases with €67,000 spent with the store.
Around €3,000 was spent on purchases through Amazon, €4,500 at Tesco, and nearly €4,100 at Boots Chemists.
Other items listed included €32.79 for fake eyelashes and glue, €26 for hairspray and wipes, and a €28 bill from Partyworld.
Almost half of the €144,000 bill was attributed to RTÉ's central make-up department, but other well-known programmes ran up their own bills.
The cosmetics tab for Fair City was €16,705 while just over €3,800 was spent on the Eurovision Song Contest. TG4 incurred makeup costs of nearly €4,600 while just over €15,000 was paid out for the Today Show.
Other costs included €3,400 for the Late Late Show including the Toy Show special and €5,300 for weather forecasts.
A €44.96 bill was attributed to the Sunday Game and €53.56 for Champions League coverage.
An information note from RTÉ said: "Make-up is used to ensure that presenters and guests look natural on television screens while in a professional setting.
"[It's also used for] creating special effects such as wounds, bruises, tattoos, prosthetics and to create the correct appearance for actors depending on the desired effect."
The note said the products bought needed to be suitable for use with high-definition cameras and last for the entirety of sometimes lengthy broadcasting events.
RTÉ said: "A broad range of brands are used while checking for allergies or sensitivities and will include vegan and cruelty free ranges.
"[Our] make-up team work closely with both the lighting department to consider how lights will impact on the appearance of the skin in both studio and external locations and colleagues in the costume department to ensure a cohesive look."