When the world first witnessed actress Pamela Anderson makeup-free at Paris Fashion Week in 2023, the star was genuinely shocked at the amount of press coverage it garnered.
In an interview with Vogue, Andersonโs explained that her reason for going makeup-free was a simple one โ she wanted her outfit speak for itself, and avoid the time suck of a full makeup look โ which is incredibly relatable. Since then, however, Andersonโs initial thoughts seem to have developed a deeper sense of realisation.
Appearing on the Drew Barrymore Show, Anderson admitted that the decision wasnโt as easy as it first appeared. โIโve had my little, you know, journey with it, but we all are our own worst critics,โ she shared, before explaining how it eventually allowed her to โfeel free.โ
Speaking about the unexpected response sheโs received since, she said: โWhen people started coming up to me and talking about it, I through, โwell, this is a great messageโ, you know? To really peel it back and find out who I was again. I wanted to remember who I was.โ

After all, seeing Pamela Anderson makeup-free felt like a stark departure from the iconic beauty looks weโd come to associate with the actress over the years. And as it turns out, this was the exact reason for Andersonโs change of heart.
โI found I played characters my whole life. I was painfully shy as a kid, even doing Playboy, for instance, was a huge leap of faith for me,โ she shared with Barrymore.
โThis is what my fantasy of what a model is, or a playmate is, or a rock starโs wife is, or what anything is. Iโm going to do it the best, and Iโve been playing these characters along the way.โ
The realisation led to a period of reflection for the actress, who, in a quest to rediscover her sense of self, retreated to her grandmotherโs home where she spent time โgetting into nature and going back to the trees that knew me since birth.โ
It was during this time that Anderson realised how empowered she had started to feel. โI started realising, โOh, I feel great as me, I donโt want people to think of me as all those cartoon characters I created for protection,'โ before continuing, โThis is the best time in my life. I feel soโฆ excited about life again.โ
Pamela Andersonโs Best Minimal Makeup Looks




