Actresses (and actors) have different personal fashion and makeup tastes. Some don’t wear makeup, while others wear way too much. Some refuse because they want to use their influence as celebrities to promote a message that helps young women cultivate a positive self-image.
Actresses who wear makeup do so for several reasons: some wear it because they believe it makes them look younger, more attractive, or because it covers up their physical flaws.
However, some who wear makeup end up becoming so obsessed with their flaws that they develop the habit of wearing too much makeup. Many actresses wear too much makeup as a way of creating their on-stage persona.
Regardless of an actresses’ reasons behind the decision to wear makeup, it often has a profound influence on the celebrity’s public image. Fans get so used to seeing actresses wear their signature look when it comes to makeup that the same actress becomes barely recognizable when she appears in public makeup-free. Movie stars decisions about whether or not to wear makeup also have a profound impact on fashion trends.
This leads us to consider 10 Actors Who Don’t Wear Makeup (And 10 Who Wear Way Too Much).
20. No Makeup: Alicia Keys
Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Alicia Keys, who made her film debut in Smokin’ Aces (2007) and later appeared in The Nanny Diaries (2007), is one of the stars who started the infamous celebrities’ anti-makeup movement. While she does not always go entirely makeup free, she often appears in public wearing little makeup.
Keys has appeared on the red carpet in the past with practically no makeup on. She also appeared makeup free on several magazines to promote her effort to help women cultivate a positive, unaltered body image.
She explained in an article published on Lenny that she wants to help women accept themselves as they really are, and to feel more comfortable about their natural looks.
19. Too Much Make up: Christina Aguilera
The Voice reality TV show star, singer, and actress Christina Aguilera, made her film debut in Burlesque (2010). During her childhood, her appearances on the TV series Star Search and The Mickey Mouse Club have brought her a lot of fame, allowing her to rank high on any list of celebrities who consistently wear excessive makeup. Not only does she overdo it, but she is also often criticized for poorly applying her makeup.
Her style and approach to overdoing it has been dubbed the “cake face.” Critics often point to the irony of her attachment to over-the-top makeup, stating that Christina Aguilera has an attractive and feminine face, which makes it unnecessary for her to wear so much makeup all the time.
Some of her fans were dismayed to notice her recently applying more makeup to her face to hide the effects of aging.
18. No Makeup: Lupita Nyong’o
The Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o regularly avoids wearing heavy makeup. Although she has appeared in public wearing bright and colorful makeup, she often wears very little.
There are several photos of the famous Kenyan-Mexican actress showing her practically makeup free. Her light makeup and simple haircut allows her to display and express a natural youthful look and beauty.
Lupita made her acting debut in East River (2008) and played her first feature film role as Patsey in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave (2013). She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie.
She most recently appeared as Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Stars Wars: The Last Jedi. She also appeared as Nakia in the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero movie, Black Panther.
17. Too Much Makeup: Katy Perry
For some reason, singer and actress Katy Perry, who appeared most recently in Zoolander 2 (2016), has made a point of appearing in public wearing too much makeup for years.
Fans and observers have debated whether Katy wears too much makeup because she feels the need to hide her flaws or whether she deliberately wears excessive makeup to establish a signature makeup look.
However, it seems probable that she wears excessive makeup for the purpose of creating a signature look. There is no evidence that she has major skin flaws that justify plastering her face heavily with makeup.
Her appearance in Mexico City at the launch of her perfume, Purr by Katy Perry, attracted media attention partly because of her excessive makeup.
16. No Makeup: Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried, the famous blonde actress and model who made her film debut in Mean Girls (2004), generally avoids heavy makeup.
Though she often takes movie roles that require her to wear heavy makeup, Seyfried always prefers to appear in public wearing very little makeup. Her light makeup allows her to show off her fresh youthful look. She once told People that despite always wearing very little makeup, she has never felt ugly or unattractive.
She also once told Glamour that her daily beauty routine lasts only two minutes in the morning, and five minutes for a night out. She described herself as low-maintenance and puts on only a little eye shadow, mascara, and a touch of lavender oil when going out.
15. Too Much Makeup: Courtney Stodden
Reality TV show star and actress Courtney Stodden, who appeared as Mrs Davenport in Love Addict (2016) and on several reality TV shows, usually appears in public wearing very heavy makeup.
Fans are used to seeing Stodden’s plastic surgery-altered face thickly caked with makeup. This made the photos that surfaced in recent years showing her as a teenager very disturbing. The photos showed Stodden as a young woman with stunning natural beauty and gorgeous skin.
The transformation in Stodden’s appearance due to plastic surgery and the habit of wearing heavy makeup became painfully obvious when the photos surfaced. She also appeared in public in Los Angeles with her husband Doug Hutchinson wearing very little makeup after she lost her child in 2016.
14. No Makeup: Jessica Biel
Actress Jessica Biel is widely known for wearing very little makeup. Fans noticed that she consistently wears as little makeup as possible when she starred as Mary Camden in the drama series 7th Heaven.
Responding to questions about her fashion and makeup habits in an interview with People, Biel said that although she has always been a tomboy, she sometimes feels exposed or vulnerable when she is photographed without makeup.
However, she has learned to be comfortable about appearing in public and being photographed wearing very little or no makeup. She added that she has very little reason to want to change her no-makeup policy because the men who have been in her life all approved of it and some even asked her to take her makeup off when she tried to apply more than usual.
13. Too Much Makeup: Marilyn Manson
The controversial singer and actor Marilyn Manson – known as Brian Hugh Warner – who made his film debut in Lost Highway (1997), is the only man to make this list. He is probably the most extreme example of an actor who wears way too much makeup.
Manson typically paints his face white, wears red lipstick, and darkens his eyes. He was unrecognizable when he recently appeared without his usual creepy Halloween-style makeup on a number of TV shows, including Eastbound and Down (2013) and ABC’s Once Upon a Time.
The name Marilyn Manson was derived from the actress Marilyn Monroe’s first name and the last name of the criminal Charles Manson.
After his debut in Lost Highway (1997), Manson played minor roles in Jawbreaker (1999), Party Monster (2003), and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004).
12. No Makeup: Demi Lovato
Singer and actress Demi Lovato, who starred in the sitcom Sonny with a Chance (2009-2011), often posts makeup-free selfies to her social media pages. For many months, Lovato posted makeup-free selfies to her Instagram every Monday.
Fans noticed that Lovato’s social media posts revealed her fresh, freckle-faced natural beauty. Some fans also noted that her selfies encourage to young and vulnerable women.
In several recent tweets, Lovato decried the harmful ideals of beauty that often cause body-image issues, eating disorders, and other mental health issues that damage young women’s health.
She revealed that she also suffered from eating disorders as a result of the harmful culture of body-shaming. It’s refreshing to see such a young role model take the issue so seriously.
11. Too Much Makeup: Lady Gaga
Singer and actress Lady Gaga’s heavy makeup and extreme fashion sense were clearly part of the performance act designed to draw attention to her brand.
The extent to which “Mother Monster” was willing to go to promote her showbiz persona was demonstrated when she appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in a dress made of raw beef.
Due to the fact that Lady Gaga has always appeared in public wearing heavy makeup, many fans were shocked to see how different she looked in selfies she posted to her social media pages. She is sometimes unrecognizable without makeup. She also has the ability to radically transform between two public appearances by changing her makeup.
Lady Gaga appeared in the TV series American Horror Story: Hotel (2015-2016) and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 2016.
10. No Makeup: Cara Delevingne
Actress and model Cara Delevingne, who starred in Suicide Squad (2016), often appears in public sans makeup. Paparazzi are familiar with the sight of the young celebrity walking the streets and appearing at major events with little or no makeup.
When questioned about it, she once said she enjoys being free of makeup and that she loves a carefree lifestyle. According to Delevingne, if she could always have her way, she would go completely makeup free even in movie roles and avoid dressing up elaborately when acting or modelling.
However, Delevingne obviously does not need makeup to look good. She enjoys the benefits of youthful good looks. She has good hair, a pretty face, bright eyes, voluminous eyebrows, and nicely shaped lips.
9. Too Much Makeup: Nicki Minaj
Rapper, singer, and actress Nicki Minaj, who made her film debut in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), loves to overdo her makeup. It is part of how she employs an extravagantly theatrical style in order to promote her unique brand. Unfortunately, her over-the-top makeup certainly doesn’t help improve her appearance.
Nicki has consistently appeared in public wearing heavy makeup so much – with deep eye shadow and false eyelashes – that many fans said that they saw the real Nicki Minaj for the first time when she recently posted an after-shower selfie showing her before applying makeup.
Minaj, who has received many Grammy Award nominations and won several music awards, is one of the best-selling female rappers ever, and one of the most recognizable as well.
8. No Makeup: Cameron Diaz
Actress Cameron Diaz is a health and wellness enthusiast who advocates for women’s health and campaigns against negative body image. Like Alicia Keys and Demi Lovato, she hopes to be able to teach women to appreciate themselves in their natural state.
She believes women should fight against the culture of measuring a woman’s value solely by her physical appearance, as it undermines women’s self-confidence and feelings of self-worth.
Diaz’s message is based on her personal experience. She suffered from acne as a teenager. She recalled the shame and embarrassment she endured, and her efforts to use heavy makeup to cover up her skin condition.
Diaz has been spreading the message about positive body image through her books. She is also often seen and photographed in public wearing practically no makeup. She is always fresh-faced, attractive, and healthy-looking, despite her makeup-free look.
7. Too Much Makeup: Jennifer Lopez
Compared to some of the actresses we have previously mentioned, Jennifer Lopez does not overdo her makeup. However, many fans still think that the famous dancer and actress’ signature J-Lo glow is over-the-top.
Jennifer Lopez has been remarkably consistent about never appearing in public without her elaborate signature makeup look. She once joked that she wears her makeup to bed.
However, fans got to see J-Lo’s true face when she appeared in public makeup free during the promotional tour for the movie The Boy Next Door in January 2015. J-Lo was barely recognizable without her signature “glow.”
She also later participated in the #NoMakeup movement by posting Instagram selfies showing her entirely without makeup. However, with or without makeup, her fans will always be by her side.
6. No Makeup: Ellen Page
Canadian actress Ellen Page, who first came to prominence when she played the leading role in Juno (2007), is one of the few decidedly tomboyish Hollywood actresses who doesn’t wear makeup.
She has a reputation of being unconcerned about her appearance in general. It isn’t unusual for Page to appear in public makeup-free. Her social media pages host scores of her makeup-free photos.
She has also been seen at major industry events either wearing very little or no makeup. Fans have noticed that she also often appears in her movies wearing very little makeup.
Very few actresses appear as comfortable with their natural looks. Her acceptance of her natural appearance at the age of 23 makes her a role model for young women struggling with body-image issues.
5. Too Much Makeup: Jackie Stallone
Sylvester Stallone’s mother Jackie, who is best known for her role in Beach Babes from Beyond (1993) and the TV series GLOW: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (1986-1989), still insists on applying heavy makeup whenever she appears in public.
She caused a media stir in February 2014, when paparazzi photos emerged showing her looking bad wearing heavy makeup while out shopping in Santa Monica. Strangely, the incident happened only two years after she appeared looking “gorgeous” in a miniskirt at the LA premiere of Sylvester’s movie, The Expendables 2.
Jackie has admitted she looks terrible in makeup, but that countless plastic surgeries have ruined her face. She is unable to show her natural face in public because she looks “like a chipmunk,” she said.
Although she expressed regret about her appearance, she revealed in 2014 that she still goes for cosmetic surgery.
4. No Makeup: Shailene Woodley
Actress Shailene Woodley, who is best known for her role as Amy in The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008-2013), often appears in public and at major industry events makeup free.
She admitted in a recent interview that her decision to not wear makeup is partly due to a conscious reaction to looking at magazines. As she was growing up, she often compared herself to models. She realized she was not setting realistic standards for herself by comparing herself in such a way.
However, Woodley is luckily endowed with natural beauty and thus does not really need makeup to look attractive. Woodley is also an environmental activist and was arrested in Saint Anthony, North Dakota in 2016 while protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.
3. Too Much Makeup: Madonna
Although well into her 50s, Madonna, often appears in public makeup free. The singer and actress was only very rarely seen without makeup back in the late 1980s and early 1990s when her career peaked. She was almost always seen in public wearing her signature war paint with elaborate airbrushing.
Fans got a natural view of the singer and actress in September 2017 when she posted a message to Instagram complaining that customs were withholding a package that belonged to her. The message was accompanied by an image of Madonna makeup-free.
However, she is still in remarkably good shape and has maintained a rocking body, as she consistently goes to the gym and has kept a healthy lifestyle.
2. No Make Up: Jessica Alba
Despite owning a cosmetics company, The Honest Company, Jessica Alba is not a fan of wearing makeup. She is often seen in public wearing very little makeup and often posts makeup-free selfies to her social media pages.
However, some have pointed out that Alba is yet another one of those movie stars who can afford to go sans makeup due to their natural beauty.
Unlike other women who might feel compelled to wear makeup to look good, Alba looks stunning when she is not wearing makeup. Even sweaty post-workout selfies posted to her Instagram don’t hide her natural good looks.
Alba, who made her debut in the acting profession at 13 in Camp Nowhere (1994) and in The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994), was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the series Dark Angel (2000-2002).
1. Too Much Makeup: Lil’ Kim
Rapper and actress Lil’ Kim, who appeared in the movie She’s All That (1999) and later played Tina Parker in Juwanna Man (2002), has undergone a drastic transformation since she first rose to prominence in 1994. Her habit of wearing too much makeup has remained constant over the years.
When she posted a photo of herself to Instagram in 2016, fans were shocked to see how much she had changes since the 1990s. Her skin tone, hair, and facial features have changed over the years, apparently due to repeated plastic surgery.
Lil Kim’s preference for wearing excessive makeup has led some fans to suggest that her dramatic transformation might have been due with a dissatisfaction with her natural physical appearance.
Do you know of any other actress or actor who wears no makeup or too much makeup? Let us know in the comments.
