French president Emmanuel Macron spent €26,000 on makeup in the first three months of his presidency, according to French media.

News magazine Le Point said that Macron received two invoices of €10,000 and €16,000 from a freelance makeup artist.

The president worked with the freelancer before he was elected and the individual accompanied him during all foreign visits and press conferences, the magazine said.

A spokesperson from the Élysée Palace told BMFTV that the freelancer’s employment was “an emergency” and that spending in this area was “destined to be reduced significantly”.

The president’s entourage also defended the spending, with one saying: “Yes, it’s high, but it’s lower than his predecessors.”

In 2016, then-president Francois Hollande received media scrutiny for claims that his personal hairdresser was on a salary of €10,000.