Pamela Anderson is nothing short of a beauty icon. Known for her signature voluminous blonde locks, pouty lips and razor-thin eyebrows, the star pared all that down for a bare-faced photoshoot and proved she’s just as stunning – if not more so – when she goes makeup-free.
Born on July 1, 1967, Anderson grew up in the small town of Ladysmith in British Columbia, Canada. First discovered while at a football game in Vancouver, she posed for the cover of the October 1989 issue of Playboy magazine. Her appearances in Playboy helped launch her career and led to her becoming one of the most recognizable faces in the entertainment industry.
In 1992, Anderson landed her breakout role as C.J. Parker on “Baywatch.” The show was a huge success, and her portrayal of the lifeguard became an iconic character of the 1990s. Anderson’s success on “Baywatch” led to a number of film and television roles, including the lead role in the television series “V.I.P.” and appearances in movies such as “Barb Wire” and “Scary Movie 3.”
Anderson has also been active in animal rights and environmental activism. She has been a supporter of organizations such as PETA and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and has been vocal about issues such as animal testing and the use of fur in fashion.
Since then, Anderson has proven time and time again that her beauty is timeless. At 56, Anderson seemed to develop a new liking for going bare-faced and makeup-free on her photoshoots and various appearances. Keep on reading to learn more about Anderson’s “journey” toward embracing her natural beauty and proving to everyone that she’s more beautiful without makeup on.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to explain Anderson’s appeal. With her delicate features, big beautiful smile and flowing blonde hair, she was the epitome of every man’s dream girl. For women, she launched various beauty trends such as tousled hair, overlined lips, smoky eyes and pencil-thin eyebrows. She revealed while she understood why the media made so much about her looks, she never felt particularly special.
“I never thought I was a great-looking person or a great-looking woman,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. She added, “I was really comfortable in my skin and I didn’t care so much. I thought, nobody’s perfect and imperfections are sexy.”
For someone who used to court so much attention for her looks, Anderson isn’t at all afraid of seeing it change.
“Aging isn’t a scary thing for me,” she told the publication. “You’re just as old as you feel… I think good relationships and having positive people around you, people that really embrace who you are as a person, is really uplifting and anti-aging, you know? Aging happens when you’re stressed and worried and jealous, or angry or bitter about your life.”
During an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast, Anderson – who, in 1999, famously reversed her breast augmentation that had garnered so much fame – delved deeper into her views on aging.
“I never felt like I was any kind of great beauty, ever, no. Just a little funny-looking,” she revealed, and added, “I can’t wait to see myself old.”
She also went on to say that she would recognize herself looking old in the mirror. From letting her hair go natural gray, donning a little straw hat, and going bare-faced – Anderson confessed that it’s her “comfortable kind of state.”
In February 2023, Anderson did the unthinkable for a celebrity of her age – she appeared on a cover shoot without any makeup on. The stunning bare-faced photos published by Women’s Wear Daily showed off the star’s natural beauty, including her adorable freckles and glowing skin. The 56-year-old looked gorgeous and happy as she posed in outfits by Jill Sander, Victoria Beckham and Rick Owens.
With the photos, Anderson proved to the world she didn’t need makeup to feel comfortable in her skin, something she said as much to the outlet.
“I really feel powerful right now when everything’s very pared down. I like to see my freckles. I like when my hair isn’t done. I like just a really fresh face. I don’t like those injections, and that doesn’t work on me. I want to see what’s going to happen. … I’m accepting myself a lot more these days, and it feels great,” she told the publication.
It’s an unfortunate truth that many women feel the need to always wear makeup to meet beauty and societal standards, which can lead to self-esteem and confidence issues. However, for Anderson, the best beauty trick she could share is being happy and brave.
“Happiness is the best beauty trick. Being brave is sexy. Feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Fighting for freedom starts with one’s own freedom. It is a condition when fighting for others freedom. It is a political statement to be happy, to be alive,” she told Entertainment Online.
She also spoke about aging with Howard Stern on his show. When asked about her thoughts on aging, she had this to say:
“I’m not going to worry about it. We all want to look the best we can look, but I’ve never really been a big worrier about that,” she admitted.
The reason why Anderson embraced her makeup-free lifestyle was personal as to what others might think.
Back then, when she was still starting in the industry, she revealed to Elle Magazine that she “just went along with what people were telling” her to do; but since her makeup artist, Alexis Vogel, passed away from breast cancer, the bombshell has since strayed away from the dolled up look.
“She was the best. And since then, I just felt, without Alexis, it’s just better for me not to wear makeup,” she added.
Anderson, who had her story retold in a Netflix documentary called “Pamela, a love story,” on January 2023, shared that her new look has been “freeing, and fun, and a little rebellious too.”
She added that: “Because I did notice that there were all these people doing big makeup looks, and it’s just like me to go against the grain and do the opposite what everyone’s doing. I think we all start looking a little funny when we get older. And I’m kind of laughing at myself when I look at the mirror. I go, ‘Wow, this is really…what’s happening to me?’ It’s a journey. I feel rooted for. I feel good. I’m in a good place.”
Anderson’s interview with the magazine coincided with the release of Aritzia’s release of their Fall 2023 Babaton Campaign, which featured the actress in a similar bare-faced look and a rather stripped-down fashion.
On Instagram, she shared a video of the campaign where she was seen joyfully enjoying nature and the woods, being one with Mother Earth as she sported a makeup-free look.
“I opened Arcady’s doors to @aritzia …We spent the entire day – recreating dreams, playing dress up, and…mowing the lawn. Love, P,” she captioned the video.
Anderson proved she could really walk the makeup-free talk when she appeared at various events during Paris Fashion Week in 2023 completely bare-faced. Starting with The Row runway show on Sept. 27, 2023, she dazzled onlookers and fans with her glamorous looks – sans makeup. She shared photos on her Instagram of herself in various outfits with the caption:
“An adventure in Paris with fresh eyes… 🤍 There is beauty in self acceptance, imperfection and love.”
Fans were truly inspired by Anderson’s bold choice to go makeup-free. “QUEEN!!! Thank you being such an amazing woman who encourages ourselves to be real and love us as we are!!!” one comment read, while another user said, “Always been a fan but now I’m a super fan. It’s crazy that what you’re doing would be considered revolutionary, but that’s where we are. 🔥❤️”
Among those hailing Anderson was none other than fellow actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who reposted photos of the star alongside the caption:
“THE NATURAL BEAUTY REVOLUTION HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN! @pamelaanderson in the middle of fashion week with so many pressures and postures, and and and, this woman showed up and claimed her seat at the table with nothing on her face. I am so impressed and floored by this act of courage and rebellion.”
Fans also praised the blonde beauty, with one user commenting, “pamela anderson attending paris fashion week shows and events makeup free is my motto.” Another remarked, “I think Pamela Anderson looks great. We just aren’t used to thin eyebrows anymore! A fuller eyebrow makes a huge difference, but she’s still beautiful regardless.”
“Pamela anderson going makeup free lately i’m obsessed,” a third user exclaimed in a post that included photos of Anderson looking gloriously happy as she smiled at the cameras.
What do you think of Pamela Anderson’s makeup-free looks? Does she inspire you to go out without it? If so, let us know, and don’t forget to pass this along to friends and family who would love to see Anderson’s natural look.