18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
RTE splurge €140k on make-up over two years – as chiefs pick high-end cosmetics & foots €16k bill for Fair City glam
RTE 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.
4
The cosmetics tab for Fair City was €16,705
4
RTE Today Show host Maura Derrane
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
Other items listed included €32.79 for fake eyelashes and glue, €26 for hairspray and wipes, and a €28 bill from Partyworld.
Read more in TV
Almost half of the €144,000 bill was attributed to RTE's central make-up department, but other well-known programmes ran up their own bills.
The cosmetics tab for
TG4 incurred makeup costs of nearly €4,600 while just over €15,000 was paid out for the
Other costs included €3,400 for the
Most read in News TV
A €44.96 bill was attributed to the Sunday Game and €53.56 for
An information note from RTE said: 'Make-up is used to ensure that presenters and guests look natural on television screens while in a professional setting.
RTE Fair City first look
'[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.
RTE 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.'
4
RTE Today Show host Sinead Kennedy
Credit: Social media - Refer to source
4
Today Show is presented by Maura and Derrane and Daithi O Se
Credit: Miki Barlok
