French president Emmanuel Macron. REUTERS/Christophe Archambault/Pool

Emmanuel Macron may have been president of France for just three months, but he's already managed to spend €26,000 (£24,000 or $30,000) on makeup.

The sums were claimed by a personal makeup artist who was hired to beautify Macron as "a matter of urgency," according to a report in France's Le Point magazine cited by other French media.

The bill came in two parts, one for €10,000 and another for €16,000, the reports said.

A spokesman for Macron said the makeup expenditure was so high because of "press conferences and foreign travel" where the makeup artist had to travel with the president, according to France Info news.

It also cost a lot because the contractor was called in "as a matter of urgency." In future the bill will be "reduced significantly," the spokesman said, according to French news network BFMTV.

French presidents have a history of spending big to look their best. Macron's immediate predecessor, François Hollande, spent an average of €6,000 (£5,500 or $7,100) on makeup and €10,000 (£9,200 or $12,000) on his hairdresser each month, BFMTV said.

Nicolas Sarkozy spent €8,000 a month on makeup, French Vanity Fair reported last year. It is not clear how much Macron spends on his hair.

Macron — who has compared his governing style to Jupiter, the king of the Roman gods — saw his approval rate plummet to 37% earlier this week, some twenty points lower than his post-election popularity in May.

Business Insider has contacted the Elysée Palace for comment.