From Pamela Anderson to Meghan Markle and Cameron Diaz, more and more celebrities are showing their bare faces and forgoing makeup. Every time one of them appears without it, the public rushes to applaud this "courageous" gesture, as if being oneself were a heroic act. Congratulating stars who drop the cosmetic mask isn't so flattering.
Stars without makeup: a false revolution
Pamela Anderson launched what many are calling a "militant movement," even a rebellion against beauty standards. The Baywatch star, known for her pearly gloss and smoky eyeshadow, ditched the artifice and streamlined her makeup routine. She pioneered a minimalist look, more straightforward and accessible. She popularized a natural aesthetic, shattering the myth of the perfect woman, flawless from morning till night.
Other female celebrities have followed suit, posing one after another without a trace of makeup or even a drop of foundation. There was Lady Gaga, who is known for her meticulous attention to detail with her makeup bag. There were also Jennifer Lopez and Julia Roberts, who, in a philosophical flourish, declared , "Perfection is the disease of a nation." Tired of reinforcing the insecurities of ordinary women and perpetuating, unwittingly, outdated standards, celebrities are embracing a more modest approach in their selfies.
The latest minimalist image? Meghan Markle, gracing the cover of Harper's Bazaar with her freckles showing and her complexion looking flawless. Whenever a prominent woman embraces this exercise in simplicity, she attracts a plethora of superlatives. Stars, who seem to be undergoing a prolonged cosmetic detox , receive compliments and accolades, while the average woman, stripped of concealer and makeup, is accused of neglecting her appearance. At a time when the artificial is indistinguishable from the real, these images are a welcome sight. However, even if celebrities are gently detoxifying our gaze, they still conform to societal standards.
When "no makeup" becomes a media performance
This staging of "naturalness" rests on a paradox: only those whose faces already conform to dominant standards can afford to be applauded for their lack of makeup. Smooth skin, symmetrical features, untarnished beauty: the media gaze remains indulgent because conformity persists. Makeup disappears, but the standards remain firmly in place.
While Pamela Anderson, the leading figure of the "no makeup" movement, garners acclaim and positions herself as a rebel, women who fall outside the mainstream are met with harsh criticism . Stars who defy the rules of beauty receive eloquent comments , while we are left to justify our supposed lack of effortless makeup. Instead of embodying change and pushing boundaries—and not just those related to their appearance—they perpetuate old habits: the conflation of appearance with personality.
By posing without makeup, they're engaging in what's more bluntly called image marketing. They're promoting a more accessible and less idealized version of themselves before the celebrity media portrays them in an unflattering light. Certainly, they're more relatable, but they're still far removed from the average person. In most of these unfiltered photos, the stars sport smooth skin, a fresh complexion, and perfectly groomed eyebrows. In short, a sanitized vision of this supposedly "rustic" beauty. The result: instead of reassuring us, these images create unrealistic expectations.
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Making it an event reinforces the exception, not the norm
Celebrities who pose without makeup and kiss their reflections end up in the headlines, accompanied by complimentary but clumsy adjectives. As if applying makeup were a risk, an act of bravery, or a bold statement. It's almost become a matter of national importance.
However, it's wrong to immediately start praising a celebrity's bare face whenever they deliberately leave their makeup undone. It makes us believe that going makeup-free is spectacular, not ordinary. That a bare face is more surprising and less common than one with makeup on.
Pamela Anderson, who gave up her skin-lightening antics two years ago, is still portrayed as a valiant and courageous woman. The phrase "without makeup" is almost a marketing ploy, a clickbait. It follows her in every press article like a weight. It fuels an unhealthy curiosity about women's appearances and suggests that she is nothing more than a face. In contrast, George Clooney, proud of his salt-and-pepper hair, doesn't find himself at the center of hair-related news every time he appears in public.
Celebrate in silence rather than congratulate loudly
To congratulate, comment on, and widely share these images is to confirm that a face without makeup remains something worthy of being noticed and therefore judged. To celebrate in silence, on the other hand, is to not react, not to emphasize, not to distinguish. It is to treat an unmade-up face with the same indifference as any other appearance. This neutrality, which seems to be a purely male privilege, is necessary to free women from the pressure to conform to beauty standards.
Even celebrities, captured just after waking up, control their appearance and aren't always transparent. They can cheat with BB cream and create the illusion of no makeup. For the cover of Harper's Bazaar, Meghan Markle had a makeup artist do her work, but she chose to keep it quiet, for the sake of credibility. Hence the importance of tempering the applause.
By ceasing to praise them, we take nothing away from those who choose not to wear makeup. On the contrary, we give them back something essential: the right to exist without being transformed into a symbol.
