When Pamela Anderson began going completely bare-faced at red-carpet events last year, it struck a chord. It was rare to see any woman in the public eye – not least a 56-year-old woman – without a scrap of make-up to enhance their features. But, whether she was at a fashion show (The Row, spring/summer 2024 springs to mind), or an awards ceremony (see the Fashion Awards in December 2023), Anderson swerved spending hours with a glam team in a bid to “keep it simple”, and practise “self-acceptance”.
Karwai Tang
If the naysayers believed it would be a fleeting “trend”, perhaps now they are eating their words, for Anderson just attended the Vanity Fair Oscars party – one of the biggest events in the Hollywood calendar – without a scrap of make-up on. Her hair was also wholly un-styled. Smiling widely on the red carpet, Anderson’s freckled skin shone with health, natural forehead and smile lines wonderfully visible. The only visible external help? A slick of lip balm – but that was all.
Her blonde hair, fluffy and seemingly air-dried, had also not been coerced into shape by a hairstylist, but rather left to do its own thing. And guess what? She looked great, her embellished floral gown and joyful expression doing all the talking. What started as a high-profile star questioning whether she actually needed (or wanted) to sit in a glam chair for three hours, has resulted in a movement that feels liberating for all women, on the red carpet and off.
Because, whether we choose to go bare-faced or not, when someone who is so historically associated with cosmetic enhancement strips it all off – and looks enviably good as a result – it makes us feel like we have the choice too. If there were an Oscar handed out for that, the winner would certainly be Pamela.
