Inspired by Pamela Anderson and other celebrities going makeup-free on the red carpets, writer Bonnie McLaren experimented with going bare-faced.
Hollywood stars walking a red carpet without a scrap of makeup? Unthinkable — until now. Over the past couple of years, actress Pamela Anderson has made fresh-faced beauty her signature look, ditching foundation, mascara and even a slick of lip gloss at events like the Oscars and BAFTAs. The Last Showgirl star called it “rebellious” and “freeing” — and honestly? I see her point.
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It’s still rare to see A-listers embrace the no-makeup look. Off the top of my head, the only other example I can think of is Alicia Keys. Even among my own friends, going makeup free isn’t really a thing.
I grew up in the pre-Instagram era of cakey blue eyeshadow and Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse, and once I started wearing makeup as a teenager, I never looked back. It quickly became my armour, something I physically couldn’t leave the house without. My late teens and early twenties were defined by thick layers of foundation and false eyelashes so dramatic they looked like I’d superglued spider legs to my eyelids.
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These days, I like to think I’ve refined my makeup skills. My go-to look is (slightly) more subtle and — much to my mother’s relief — I ditched the daily lash extensions years ago. But makeup is still a huge part of my life (and my pay cheque). If I’m seeing friends, heading into the office or going out-out, I won’t feel like myself without at least four layers of Huda Beauty complexion products, too much mascara and an aggressively shimmery bronzer. Without makeup, I hate to admit it, I don’t feel confident.
Which is why I decided to follow Pamela’s lead and set myself a challenge: no makeup for a week. If one of the most famous women in the world can do it, why can’t I?
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The makeup detox begins
Day one was easy: a work-from-home day. The pandemic pretty much obliterated any need to look presentable while typing away at my laptop, so this didn’t feel like a huge deal. Same with day two.
But day three? This is where it got terrifying. Not only did I have a big night out without makeup for the first time in my life, but I was heading to the O2 to see Pitbull — a night I’d been looking forward to for months. To soften the blow, I booked myself in for a facial at Lush, because without the safety net of concealer, I at least wanted my skin to look hydrated.
For me, getting ready is part of the night-out ritual — an hour spent in front of a ring light, sipping on prosecco, layering on highlighter until I resemble a disco ball. But with my newly glowy skin, all I needed to do was brush my fringe and pick a crop top. And here’s where the first miracle happened: I actually arrived at the gig early enough to see the support act. Unheard of.
By the time everyone’s favourite bald performer launched into Don’t Stop the Party, I’d completely forgotten I wasn’t wearing makeup. And honestly? It was liberating. No sweating off my brows, no worrying about panda eyes — just dancing, screaming lyrics and enjoying myself.
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A new kind of confidence
The next challenge was a birthday night out for my friend, whose party had a Sabrina Carpenter theme. I wanted to go full glam — glittery eyeshadow, false lashes, the works — but obviously, that was off the table. So, I relied on my outfit to do the heavy lifting: sparkly cowboy boots, a fringed crop top and a prayer.
At first, I felt ridiculous — like I was half-dressed, somehow. But, as tends to happen, a few drinks in, I stopped caring. The real turning point? When the bouncer at my favourite pub-club let me skip the queue. If I could go makeup free and still be granted this treatment, maybe I wasn’t looking quite as terrifying as I thought.
The final test
My last hurdle was heading into a new office. As a freelance journalist, I work across different publications, and I was doing an in-person shift at a newspaper. I’d slept badly and I desperately wanted to slap on some concealer, but at this point, I wasn’t about to quit. And surprise, surprise: not wearing foundation didn’t make me less productive. It also didn’t stop me from introducing myself to new colleagues.
By the end of the week, I understood what Pamela meant. Seeing my bare face in the mirror didn’t make me cringe — it felt freeing. A lightbulb moment hit: no one cares about my beauty routine as much as I do. I’d spent the first half of the week convinced that people would judge me or assume I was lazy for not adhering to patriarchal beauty standards. But the only comments I received — online and in real life — were lovely. And, shockingly, men still slid into my DMs after I posted a makeup-free selfie. Who knew?
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So, will I stay makeup free?
Short answer: probably not.
This week taught me that I can go without makeup — and even thrive — but I don’t want to. I love applying makeup. I love the ritual, the transformation, the glamour. It’s not just about confidence; it’s about the joy of creating something.
And while I might be more relaxed about a multi-step beauty routine for the office, if I ever — in the extremely unlikely event — get an invite to the Oscars, you bet I’ll be hiring a makeup artist.
Words: Bonnie McLaren
