Palin's Makeup Artist Is McCain's Highest Paid Staffer For First Half Of October (SLIDESHOW)

If Palin's $150,000 shopping spree had Republicans disgusted, then the report that her makeup stylist cost $22,800 for the first two weeks of October should have them livid. The stylist, Amy Strozzi, was apparently paid more than any other McCain staffer during that period.

Check out a slideshow of Palin's looks during the first half of October:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • Palin shows some expensive blush lines on October 5th in Carson, California

The New York Times has more:

Ms. Strozzi, who was nominated for an Emmy award for her makeup work on the television show "So You Think You Can Dance?", was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October alone, according to the records. The campaign categorized Ms. Strozzi's payment as "PERSONNEL SVC/EQUIPMENT."

The payment on Oct. 10 made Ms. Strozzi the single highest-paid individual in the campaign for that two-week period. (There were more than two dozen companies that got larger payments than Ms. Strozzi). She easily beat out Mr. Scheunemann, who received $12,500 in the first half of October, and Ms. Wallace, who got $12,000.

Watch a video of Strozzi discussing her work on the show "So You Think You Can Dance?" (Strozzi is shown 13 seconds in).

Below is a list from IMDB of the other shows Amy Strozzi has worked on:

1. On the Doll (2007) (key makeup artist)
2. "So You Think You Can Dance" (makeup department head) (5 episodes, 2006-2007) (makeup supervisor) (1 episode, 2007)
- Season Finale: Part 2 (2007) TV episode (makeup department head)
- Episode #3.6 (2007) TV episode (makeup supervisor)
- Top 4: The Finale (2006) TV episode (makeup department head)
- Top 10 Perform (2006) TV episode (makeup department head)
- Top 14 Perform (2006) TV episode (makeup department head)
(1 more)
3. New Year's Eve Special (2006) (TV) (makeup artist)
4. "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (personal makeup artist) (1 episode, 2006)
- Episode #2.165 (2006) TV episode (personal makeup artist)
5. The Strand (2006) (V) (assistant hair stylist) (makeup artist)
6. Bondage (2006) (key makeup artist)
... aka The Bondage (USA: new title)
7. The Youth in Us (2005) (hair stylist) (makeup artist)
8. The Hard Easy (2005) (key hair stylist) (key makeup artist)
9. Different (2004) (key hair stylist) (key makeup artist)
10. The Last Full Measure (2004) (assistant hair stylist) (makeup artist)



Katharine Zaleski is the Senior News Editor of the Huffington Post. She can be reached here.

Comments

[thetimeisnowwwww]

03:33 PM on 11/01/2008

I want to know why obama isn't spending more money in WEST VIRGINA on local radio The republicans are at it again telling people they will lose their guns. if they vote for the democrats .it worked last time.

[NoLongerRepublican]

04:36 PM on 10/31/2008

My neighbor is a Mary Kay consultant, and she could do a better makeup job than this overpriced Hollywood wonder. The "contoured" cheeks and hard blush lines went out in the 80's. Sarah is pretty and has nice cheekbones--they don't need artificial contouring. This makeup artist is a joke.

[mjtaylor22]

09:01 AM on 10/28/2008

THIS REASON WHY THIS IS A VIABLE ISSUE TO DISCUSS IS, THAT THIS LADY IS CLAIMING TO BE A HOCKEY MOM, CLAIMING TO BE WORKING CLASS, CLAIMING SMALL TOWN VALUES, BUT SHE HAS LITERALLY NO CONNCETION TOT HE SMALL TOWN VALUES SHE IS ALWAYS PLAYING UP. 150K, ON CLOTHES, AT SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE STORES, WITH CAMPAIGN DONATIONS. AND NOT FOR ONE MOMENT DO I BELIEVE, THE PLAN WAS TO SEND THE DESIGNER CLOTHES TO CHARITY, PLEASE, WHO GIVES NEW LOUIS VITTON, TO GOOD WILL. GET OUTTA HERE, AND STOP LYING TO WORKING AMEIRCANS WHO DONATED TO YOUR CAMPAIGN ABOUT HOW YOU SPENT THEIR MONEY WITH NO REGARD TO THE SACRIFICES THEY HAD TO MAKE TO DONATE TO YOUR CAMPAIGN, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE YOUR LIES.
I AM QUITE SURE THAT THAT JOBLESS MOTHER OF 4 WHO ITENTIFIED WITH PALIN AT ONE POINT, FINDS IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND $150,000 SHOPPING SPREE FOR PALIN AND HER FAMILY, WHEN THERE IS A J CREW AND A GAP IN EVERY CITY AND THEIR PRICES ARE MUCH LOWER.
IT IS JUST SUCH A WASTE ONE COULD BUY TWO OR THREE HOMES FOR THE PRICE THEY PAID FOR HER INEXPERIENCE.

[gangzhouesq]

09:40 PM on 10/27/2008

To make his judgmental mistake of picking Sarah Palin as running mate even worse, Mr. McCain is now basking in media reports of Ms. Sarah Plain's shopping spree in the last week of the 2008 presidential campain. Does America need any more reminder of Mr. McCain's lack of qualification for the White House? Ms. Palin looked all right as a running mate and even sounded like a good one. What makes her look utterly disqualified is her willingness to adopt Mr. McCain's divisive campaign rhetoric (such as pro-America parts of America) and her irresponsible personal attack at Mr. Obama (for his alleged but utterly unfounded terrorist connections). History will see Mr. McCain as a deperate candidate that lost on issues and used personal attacks as a last straw that badly backfired.

[Purple2008]

10:55 AM on 10/26/2008

The irony is, it doesnt look that great! I mean - how much blush does a VP need? With that much blush on in the middle of the day, she looks like a contestant in Dancing with the Stars, rather than a serious contender for VP of the United States. Looks kinda cakey too...

[gnormb]

07:17 PM on 10/25/2008

This Fashion-gate fiasco (and Mascara-gate?) is an amazing example of just how out of touch the Republicans have become with the "real world." And, not unlike a fractal, closer examination shows that factions of the party are equally out of touch with each other. And the same goes for factions of the McCain Campaign itself.

p.s. if you are amused/annoyed with Palin's antics, you will indubitably get a chuckle from:

Sarah Palin Sings Popular!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvXDrOQBsrA

[H2Opolomom]

06:31 PM on 10/25/2008

Why aren't women senators, representatives, and the like who are so outraged about Palin and her obvious intentions of running for President in 2012 getting on the bandwagon and crying out against her? She is determined to make a go of it, and will do her cut-throat mavericky thing for the next 4 years, building her case for why she will be that next Republican president.

Ladies who have a loud voice. Get out there - rally against Sarah. She is Definitely NOT what this country needs - not now, not 2012, not ever.

Figure out away to have her investigated - there's lots that she is hiding under those permanent, but melting icecaps way up there in the heartland of Alaska. Investigate, impeach, run her out of office - whatever it takes to make certain that she is not in a legal position to run for office.

[benne]

04:45 PM on 10/25/2008

All this attack on Palin's clothing and "shopping spree" is sexist. None of the men get treated this way. Attack her stands on the issues, not her appearance, etc.

[stayinsouth1981]

05:14 PM on 10/25/2008

FEC rules are pretty clear about purchasing personal clothing from campaign funds. Claiming they will go to charity is not a fix. Buying clothes for the family makes it worse. Supplying your 7 year-old with a counterfeit purse is WORSE.

[Tinkeraw]

07:40 PM on 10/28/2008

The money the RNC used for clothes and makeup could go towards the Congressmen and women who are fighting for their seats. These people could use some financial help, but the RNC evidently has their priorities or more bad judgment.

[raisedbrows]

04:42 PM on 10/25/2008

Well- I think this is what is wrong with this country. People are so busy reading and commenting on how much someone spent on Sarah's makeup and not the reall issues facing this presidency. Wake up people. We give unemployed people- not working by choice- money through medicaid everyday from our hard earned tax dollars- I don;t see a blog about that. And Obama just wants to create more money for those who choose not to work.....

[mjtaylor22]

09:18 AM on 10/28/2008

you obviously have no clue as to how these things work, but ok, you compare a medical necessity to a shopping spree with donations and you think this is a viable argument.

have you notices that our economy lost like a million jobs this year alone, and the Bush administration had only created 5.5 million in a total of 8 years, compare that to Bill Clinton's 22 million jobs, under a fiscally responsible tax code.

McCain wants to cut taxes for the wealthy, saying they will create jobs with this money, when at this very moment, the banks getting tax payer dollars to stabilize their balance sheets, are holding back money for year end bonuses....for year end bonuses, of 50k to an easy 200k across the board, these same companies have still bee laying off American workers as they ask for tax payer hand outs, should these laid off workers not have unemployment! is that what you believe is the right thing

to have happen right here in America

[3goodmarshall]

03:42 PM on 10/25/2008

Alaska-shaped earrings. Nice touch.

[stayinsouth1981]

03:51 PM on 10/25/2008

Still reminds me of "There's something about Mary." What is that hanging on your ear?

[MissBella]

03:27 PM on 10/25/2008

PALIN SHOULD NOT BE A VP... DITZY ISNT EVEN THE WORD TO DISCRIBE HER... IM GLAD YALL WANT A VP THAT GOES OUT AND SPENDS THOUSANDS ON CLOTHES AND MAKEUP! SWEET VP!

[jashu51]

03:20 PM on 10/25/2008

I could see if they got a makeup consultant to help her ONCE to make her look her best. I mean she obviously was no Amish woman who never used a compact before. But to spend this money every week? Obscene! Someone should ask Mike Huckabee for a comment. He of the "they're spending more money than John Edwards at a beauty parlor" remark.

[margardner]

03:19 PM on 10/25/2008

More lipstick pleeeeze!

[politicalgal1]

03:12 PM on 10/25/2008

See the new Sarah Palin paperdoll:

http://www.vaboomer.com/the_portal_to_boomeranger/2008/10/get-your-sarah-palin-paperdolls--theyll-be-a-collectors-item.html

[suhud]

03:07 PM on 10/25/2008

Blend, Baby, Blend!

[margardner]

03:18 PM on 10/25/2008

Haaaaaaaaaa, haaaaaaaaaaa, now that was brilliant. (and quite a girl thing!) :) very funny!

"Blend, Baby, Blend!" love it**

[no doubt]

07:56 PM on 10/25/2008

plus, what about matching the damn lipliner to the lipstick? That different color stuff is so 2002 (and was ugly then too)...

[seaworthy]

03:28 PM on 10/25/2008

Bravo!!