A Surprise Twist in the Delivery Room: Candiace Dillard Insists on Makeup Before Meeting Her Firstborn Son!

Candiace Dillard Bassett, the former star of Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP), has always been known for her high standards when it comes to glam. But fans might be surprised to learn just how seriously she took her beauty routine—right up until she was about to give birth.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Candiace shared the unique story of how she briefly paused her labor to apply makeup before welcoming her first child, Jett Marshall Lee, on October 3rd. She recounted with a laugh, “My epidural had kicked in, I was fully dilated, and the doctor came in and said, ‘Okay, we’re ready for you to push.’ And I was like, ‘Well… if we’re starting, I need to get my makeup on because I need to give birth looking like something!’”

For Candiace, it was important to greet her new son looking polished. “I knew there’d be pictures right after, and I didn’t want him meeting me looking like I just went through labor! Between contractions, I was carefully doing my makeup—I even had my doula holding up a mirror and a ring light while I worked on my face. My doctor, thankfully, was supportive. She was like, ‘Yes, let’s do it!’”

Her commitment to glam had everyone in the room laughing, although her husband, Chris Bassett, was less entertained. “Chris was sitting there just shaking his head, like, ‘This chick is so bougie,’” Candiace joked. “But seriously, if I could have had a full glam squad in there, I would have! That’s just how it had to be.”

With her story, Candiace gave a whole new meaning to the idea of “picture-perfect moments”—proving that, for her, glamour and motherhood are a match made in heaven.