“I feel so empowered and so free.”
For celebrities, getting glam is a part of the job. Whether they’re prepping on a film set or about to step out on a red carpet, stars spend a lot of time in the makeup chair. And while getting pampered by a glam squad may seem luxurious, there are some celebrities that really don’t enjoy it. When it comes to their everyday life, they avoid makeup as much as possible — and wish it wasn’t such a big part of their job. While it may be surprising, these stars say they don’t like wearing makeup.
Find out why these celebs prefer not to wear makeup…
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1. Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson may be known for her dolled up Playboy appearances but in the past few years, she’s been on a personal journey surrounding how she presents herself in public. Pamela explained that after her longtime makeup artist passed away in 2019, she stopped wearing makeup and eventually realized how “freeing” it was. People really began to take notice when she stepped out at Paris Fashion Week in 2023 in no glam at all.
“I decided I was just going to a fashion show, I didn’t need to compete with anybody. Like, why am I wasting three hours in a makeup chair when I have these beautiful Vivienne Westwood clothes on?” she said on The Drew Barrymore Show, adding that she thought nobody “would even notice.”
She continued, “So I thought, so then when people started coming up to me and talking about it, I thought, ‘Well, this is a great message to really peel it back and find out who I was again…’ I’ve been playing these characters along the way…I just started taking it all back and then started peeking out without makeup. I realized, I feel great as me. I don’t want people to think of me as the other, all those cartoon characters I kind of created for protection, that’s what I think I did it for. I feel so empowered and so free.”
2. Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow says she’s always been a “little bit of a tomboy” so makeup isn’t something that she finds entirely necessary. Growing up, she never wore makeup to school and admits it just never became a part of her routine.
“I’ve never been a makeup person really. I always love not wearing makeup. For me, makeup has always meant that I’m going to work,” she explained to People. “I went to an all-girls school and we didn’t wear makeup. We weren’t dressing up for anyone. All through junior high and high school, makeup never became part of my routine. And I think part of that is because I was always a little bit of a tomboy. I like the feeling of having clean skin.”
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3. Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys may have her own makeup line, but she went through a phase where she didn’t want to wear any makeup at all. Back in 2016, Alicia decided to stop wearing makeup because she realized that her whole life she’d been “using makeup as a shield” to hide her true self, thinking it would make her glamorous.
“I thought I had to be made up to be successful in show business, but that’s complete nonsense,” she said. “But I feel more comfortable without makeup. And I’m happy to say I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from young women for making my decision. I believe that you have to feel good about yourself if you want to be successful in life.”
Looking back now, Alicia says her relationship with beauty was “strained” at the time but it helped her get to know herself better and figure out what beauty truly meant to her.
4. Salma Hayek Pinault
Salma Hayek Pinault started wearing makeup at a very young age but nowadays, it’s not something she finds important. While she says getting glam is a “fun activity,” she’d rather do anything else that makes better use of her time “even if it’s just watching TV.” She added that she loves the freedom of not having to impress anyone.
“Normally, when you don’t [wear makeup], it’s because you’re in a situation where you don’t feel the pressure to look your best,” she shared. “There’s a sense of just being present without needing to impress anyone.”
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5. Kathryn Hahn
Kathryn Hahn admits she’s “just not that bird” that loves wearing a lot of makeup. She explained that as she’s gotten older, she’s worn less and less product, which partially has to do with simply not having the time for it in her day.
“I rarely wear makeup in my real life. A lot of the roles that I have done recently, I wear little-to-no makeup. Oddly, I wore more makeup when I was in my 20s. I feel like I’m wearing less and less the older I get,” Kathryn told People.
6. Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally may wear a full face of makeup on television but when it comes to her everyday life, she doesn’t like getting dolled up. She explained that her husband Nick Offerman also loves her striped down look and tells her that she’s the “most beautiful, sexy, incredible woman in the world” even with a bare face.
“I’m just lazy, I just don’t have time to wear makeup,” Megan shared with People in 2018. “I feel like I have the only social media account of 5,000 selfies with no makeup cause I just don’t care.”
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7. Cindy Crawford
Over the past decade, Cindy Crawford says her relationship with makeup and beauty has evolved. As she’s gotten older, she says she’s wearing less makeup and feels more comfortable that way.
“As I’ve gotten older and my life has changed, I wear less makeup. I’m just more comfortable with myself now,” she told People. “My husband gives me confidence, too, because I don’t feel like I have to put makeup on to look beautiful to him. And my kids don’t like makeup at all because when I put it on, they think I’m going to work! To me, a bad face day means a bad night’s sleep. Even makeup doesn’t make you feel better.”
8. Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee Ellis Ross says going makeup-free is one of her favorite looks on herself and other women. In an essay about beauty, Tracee shared that she likes the way “skin looks without makeup” and believes that the imperfections people try to hide are what makes them beautiful. That’s why she chose such a natural makeup look for her character on black-ish and even did her makeup herself most days on set.
“I feel most like myself when I don’t wear makeup,” she shared with People in 2017. “I actually love the natural glow of my skin, my freckles, the different colors. For 42 I think I’m doing okay!”
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9. Shailene Woodley
On a daily basis, Shailene Woodley doesn’t like wearing any makeup. When she does, she tries to keep it very natural with organic and health-conscious products. At work, Shailene says she still feels the need to get dolled up out of respect to everyone else — although in the future she hopes that makeup won’t be such a necessity.
“I will get my makeup done for appearances and events. For me, to show up to something like Live with Kelly and Michael with Converse on and no makeup would be disrespectful. They’re dressed up; it’s their territory,” she shared with Into The Gloss.
She continued, “I think there is something to be said about switching up old paradigms, but you have to turn the wheels slowly. You have to pick and choose where you are going to represent you and the things you keep sacred…I respect the establishment, but I don’t sacrifice my own integrity. I wouldn’t wear fake eyelashes or crazy extensions. It’s always me — just maybe the public, pretty-in-a-Cinderella-dress me.”
10. Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes isn’t a big fan of getting all dolled up and says that when she leaves the house she’s usually just wearing “sunscreen and a lip gloss.” While she doesn’t worry about makeup, she does put a lot of effort into her skincare regime, explaining that she drinks a lot of water, eats healthy, and cleans her face thoroughly. She also always moisturizes, uses hyaluronic acid serum and gets facials.
“I embrace my age with gratitude and I don’t worry about not having makeup on. My joy comes from within,” she shared with People.
