Pamela Anderson has been at the forefront of fashion and beauty trends since the early aughts. These days, the model and actor continues to do so in a new way.
One of those ways is by embracing a makeup-free look, just like she did at Paris Fashion Week in late 2023. The 57-year-old star first arrived at The Row runway show on Sept. 27, 2023, sans makeup, as well as at the Isabel Marant show the next day.
Wearing designer looks, Anderson looked happier than ever as she continued her makeup-free spree at the Vivienne Westwood show and Victoria Beckham runway show on Sept. 30.
“An adventure in Paris with fresh eyes…” Anderson wrote on her Instagram that same day, sharing photos from her time at Paris Fashion Week. “There is beauty in self acceptance, imperfection and love.”
The fresh-faced looked continued for Anderson, who over the years has been known for her signature sultry style.
Here’s what Anderson has said about why she went makeup-free, and her stance on the “ripple effect” that has occurred because of it.
Why Pamela Anderson decided to go makeup-free
Anderson opened up to TODAY.com in a November 2023 interview about the decision to not wear makeup at public events.
“I am much more comfortable in my own skin, but I also am in an industry that really focuses on beauty. And I thought, ‘I’m going to challenge beauty,’” she said of the choice.
She continued, “I think challenging ourselves is what keeps us young and beautiful. And I think, really genuinely, beauty does come from within and you don’t have to play the game.”
Many people were happy to see a new side of Anderson, including Jamie Lee Curtis who declared that a “natural beauty revolution” has commenced.
“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,” Curtis captioned photos of Anderson in an Oct. 1, 2023 Instagram post. “I am so impressed and floored by this act of courage and rebellion.”
The death of her former makeup artist changed her perspective
Anderson told Elle in August 2023 that early in her career she “just went along with what people were telling” her what to do when it came to how she looked.
But after her makeup artist, Alexis Vogel, died from breast cancer, Anderson was inspired to leave her signature look behind.
“She was the best. And since then, I just felt, without Alexis, it’s just better for me not to wear makeup,” she told the magazine, adding that the move has been “freeing, and fun, and a little rebellious too. 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 of what everyone’s doing.”
Less is more for Pam Anderson
Additionally, in an interview with i-D, which she shared on her Instagram on Oct. 2, 2023, the former “Baywatch” star revealed that her biggest beauty secret these days is: “Don’t do anything.”
“Wake up, whatever is happening is just happening. It’s all about self acceptance. This is the chapter of my life I’m trying to embrace now,” she said, before sharing her new mantra. “Well, sometimes it’s challenging, and you just have to understand that you’re good enough and that you are beautiful. I like to say the word life-ing instead of aging, chasing youth is just futile.”
Anderson added that she’s all about walking out the door as herself, “I feel like a relief, just a weight off my shoulders — and I actually like it better. I’m dressing for me now, not for everybody else.”
Pamela Anderson on the ‘ripple effect’ of her decision
Pamela Anderson is making a change in the beauty industry.
On the Oct. 15 episode of TODAY, Anderson stopped by the show to talk about her decision to go makeup free.
“I feel so free,” Anderson said.
She added that not doing her makeup during the day has given herself more time for leisure activities.
“Now I’m going to have a little more time for myself than trying to keep up with the Joneses, or chase youth or anything,” she said. “I do feel free and it was a choice. I feel great. I feel good in my own skin.”
Ever since her makeup-free moment in Paris, Anderson said that people have been coming up to her to thank her.
“I didn’t realize that it was going to resonate with so many people. I had people coming up to me and thanking me,” she told Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.
“It’s just really interesting to see the ripple effect it’s had,” she continued. “But I did it for myself. I did it for myself just to say I’m good enough as I am, and I don’t need to chase this impossible dream.”