Stars who look exactly the same without makeup in unbelievable before-and-after photos

Pop princess Taylor Swift is known for her many eras of outfits, makeup, and hit songs. Her Eras Tour featured plenty of red lips and winged eyeliner, leaving fans wondering how she managed to look so glamorous across 149 shows. However, when she is not performing on stage, Taylor is busy conjuring up her next album away from the spotlight. Sitting in a recording studio, Taylor gave fans a behind-the-scenes look on Instagram at the making of her album The Life of a Showgirl. The 36-year-old's flawless skin was bare in the video, with her honey-toned hair naturally curled. Taylor proved that she looks just as naturally pretty without her showgirl make-up.

Having been in the limelight since she was 12 years old, Millie Bobby Brown has walked many red carpets. Rising to prominence playing Eleven in Netflix's Stranger Things, the star has really leaned into her natural beauty in her twenties. While her Instagram screams 'young, successful actress', a few posts feature no make-up at all. Her brand, Florence by Mills, focuses on skincare, meaning she normally showcases her own glowing, clear skin when promoting it online. In 2025, Millie got candid about her skin on Instagram, sharing a video to explain a bad breakout while promoting her acne patches. Bare-faced in the clip, she said: "I don't know if you can see, but my breakout's pretty bad right now. I'm 21 years old, figuring out what my skin likes and what it doesn't, but what it does like is the Spot a Spot Acne Patches." Honestly showing her own skin while promoting a skincare line shows she is a great young role model.

Having a make-up line does not mean Selena Gomez is always glammed up and ready to go. The Rare Beauty founder occasionally posts bare-faced selfies on her Instagram. In January 2026, she shared a photo showcasing her natural skin while looking completely relaxed. The Only Murders in the Building star spoke to Cosmopolitan in 2024 about her approach to beauty and establishing her cosmetics brand: "I've always loved make-up, but my relationship with make-up and beauty has really evolved over the years." She went on to explain how she used to fall victim to comparison: "At a certain point, I was struggling with comparing myself to everyone else, but I've learned that there's so much beauty in what makes us unique."

Iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford remains a natural stunner off the catwalk. Having modelled for Versace, Chanel, and Dior throughout her career, Cindy is well versed in wearing make-up and looking dazzling. Now, the 60-year-old embraces her au naturel look more often. In 2024, she posted a selfie lying in bed in a camisole, featuring her shiny hair and glowy skin while surrounded by products from her skincare line, Meaningful Beauty. Founded in 2009, the brand offers skin and hair products described on Instagram as the model's "breakthrough secret" to a more youthful appearance. Embracing the ageing process, Cindy spoke to People in 2021 about prioritising her skincare routine: "With skincare, my approach has been 'age-maintenance'. Gravity's still out there and things are going to happen, but let me take as good care of my skin as I can." Many can only hope their skin looks as dewy as hers at 60.

Salma Hayek's dreamy Instagram feed is full of red carpet outfits and enviable bikini snaps, with the occasional make-up-free selfie thrown in. Keeping it real, Salma posted a selfie back in 2023 captioned: "Me waking up and counting how many white hairs and wrinkles have crashed the party this morning." The 60-year-old's morning glow is enviable, who looks that naturally radiant first thing? It is refreshing to see a woman embracing the ageing process and showcasing the reality of skin in the morning away from her more curated looks. 

Having gone make-up-free in 2023, Pamela Anderson is the ultimate poster child for embracing a bare face on the red carpet. It is a stark contrast to her iconic 1990s Baywatch era, which featured dramatic eye make-up and perfectly matched lipstick. Her reason for going bare-faced at Paris Fashion Week was remarkably simple. She told People in 2023: "I'm make-up-free at home, so why not for Paris Fashion Week? I really didn't know anyone would notice it, but I'm glad it became a positive message." Since that viral moment, Pamela has attended major star-studded events without make-up, including the Met Gala, the Oscars, and the San Sebastian Film Festival. The shift in her appearance marks a departure from her past persona: "[Going bare-faced] was the beginning of me letting go of the image I had always had of myself," she told Better Homes & Gardens in 2024. "What is this cartoon character that I’d created? Okay, that was fun. But I’m not that person anymore." Stepping out with such confidence shows how comfortable she is in her own skin, leaving her looking truly radiant.