Angelina Jolie's red carpet fiasco

In a rare faux pas that has shocked the fashion world, the otherwise perfect Angelina Jolie showed up at the red carpet premiere of The Normal Heart with terrible white patches on her skin. While photographers clicked away, even the actress’ beau, Brad Pitt, seemed completely unaware. The photographs have now gone viral, with many asking, ‘what’s with the white powder’.

What seems to be the popular answer on the Web is the incorrect use of translucent powder that celebrities often use. Celebrity make-up artist Sandy says, “Translucent powder is usually used right after make-up is done to lock the look. In Angelina’s case, it looks like the make-up artist dabbed the powder instead of applying it evenly. Having worked with celebrities, I can also say that it might be a case of wrong judgment of time and lighting error. She could have been in a hurry.”

And then come in rumours of a skin problem that the star might be facing. Doing away with the “make-up malfunction” theory, many say it can also be the result of face peeling. “Celebrities often go ahead with complete body peeling to get an even skin tone. After applying the solution, the skin usually peels off in a week, giving a flaky look. This could also have been the result of a make-up allergy or a post inflammatory de-pigmentation,” says Dr Padmaja, senior dermatologist, Yashoda Hospitals.

Sachin Dakoji, creative head of Manea Salon, also refuses to believe it was a simple make-up blunder. “Translucent powder clearly means transparent. The rest of the make-up on her face is beautifully done. If you see closely, she also seems to have a sun tan and the patch on her upper chest certainly seems very blotchy. To me it looks more like a case of melanoma,” he says. All the rumours about the make-up malfunction and skin problems aside, what still continues to astonish all is how the A-list Hollywood star with her horde of stylists could have missed this before stepping on the red carpet.