The no-makeup trend: Why celebrities are going without make-up

Here’s a hot new make-up trend that’s taking Hollywood by storm: no make-up! No, we’re not talking about the “no make-up” look that takes 30 different kinds of products and a full hour to accomplish—this time, it’s the real deal.

Alicia Keys can be credited for starting the latest resurgence of the no make-up movement. She means business. The singer has been sporting a bare face even as she acts as a judge on The Voice.

“I don’t want to cover up anymore.”

Photo: The Voice on YouTube

In an essay for Lenny, Keys wrote about not ever leaving the house without a full-face of make-up, fearing what other people would think. After photographer Paola Kudacki shot her without make-up, however, Keys felt empowered by not having to “hide” behind make-up.

“’Cause I don’t want to cover up anymore,” she wrote. “Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.”

See how Kylie Jenner and Mila Kunis have taken on the no-makeup challenge.

The rest of Hollywood have followed suit. Adele, who is known for her signature thick winged eyeliner and red lipstick, recently posted a couple of bare-faced selfies on her Instagram. Gwyneth Paltrow has also been seen in functions totally natural.

And it’s not just celebrities in low-key situations that are going without make-up. For the back cover of Glamour’s August 2016 issue, Mila Kunis posed with just eye cream and serum. And the famously fully made-up Kylie Jenner appeared on Allure’s August 2016 cover with minimal make-up.

Photo: Glamour; Allure

Perhaps this is just the natural backlash to the maximalist make-up trends of late. Maybe this is just women being practical—after all, who has the time to do a full face of make-up seven days a week? Whatever the reason, isn’t it nice to not be pressured to get that contour on fleek every day?