In case you missed the big news this week … Taylor Swift shared a photo of herself without makeup.
It made headlines. Really.
InStyle: “Taylor Swift Goes Makeup-Free to Celebrate This Major Career Milestone.”
Page Six: “Taylor Swift goes makeup-free in the studio for ‘Opalite’ behind-the-scenes video.”
Bored Panda: “’Is That Really Her?’: Taylor Swift’s Makeup‑Free Behind-the-Scenes Video Sparks Wild Reactions.”
In an Instagram post Wednesday, the “Eras Tour” superstar shared behind-the-scenes footage of the music video shoot and snippets from the recording sessions for “Opalite,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week.
“Just a few Opalite memories to celebrate the Hot 100 #1 you guys just got this song!! I can’t even sum up my excitement and I’m so blown away by the love you’ve shown this song and video,” the “Eras Tour” superstar wrote.
“To put this into perspective… This is actually the first time I’ve had two Hot 100 #1s off of one album since my album 1989 came out in 2014, nearly twelve years ago! I know that’s a lot of numbers but it all adds up to me being so thankful to the fans who helped make this happen by welcoming this song into your lives with open arms. Seriously bouncing off the walls about this!!”
But it wasn’t her words so much that people focused on. It was a clip that showed her without her trademark red lips, expertly-lined cat eyes and flawless foundation.
She showed fans her work face, the face she sees first thing in the morning, the face Travis Kelce loves.
And some folks commenting online kinda lost their minds, as though the superstar had revealed nuclear codes or had shared something surprising. But she’s shown us her fresh face before.
Swift wearing a Chiefs sweatshirt from West Side Storey in her new docuseries. YouTube screengrab/Disney+
Yet, since the post went up, some people have unkindly critiqued her cheeks, nose, chin and complexion, while others wonder what the fuss is all about.
Negative comments — deemed “mean girl behavior” by one TikTok user — caused other women to defend Swift.
“Taylor Swift looks like a different person without makeup and that’s normal,” beauty content creator Audrey Victoria wrote on Facebook. “We internalized red carpet faces as the default and forgot what real skin looks like. Makeup was always the illusion, not the reality.”
Swift’s “real skin” stirred up so much interest that BuzzFeed pointed out 19 other women celebrities who have shown their makeup-free faces, acne and all, including Millie Bobby Brown, Alicia Keys, Chrissy Teigen, Pamela Anderson and Amanda Seyfried. “Super refreshing,” the entertainment website declared.
Pamela Anderson attends the Rosebush Pruning red carpet during the 76th Berlinale Berlin International Film Festival in April. LAURENT HOU Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
Glamour, too, reacted to this new image of Swift by listing “the 78 Best Bare-Faced Celeb Selfies to Admire.”
“It’s always refreshing to see celebrities without makeup. Nothing against full glam (we love a smoky eye and the perfect red lip), but going makeup-free can and should be equally celebrated,” the magazine wrote. “Fortunately, a handful of A-listers are leading the pack when it comes to embracing their authentic selves with no foundation or filter.”
On a list that included Swift’s bestie Selena Gomez, Martha Stewart and Jennifer Lopez, Swift was mentioned first.
“To celebrate her single ’Opalite’ hitting number one on the Hot 100, Swift posted some behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the song and its video, including one snippet from her songwriting sessions in Sweden, where she left her face bare,” Glamour wrote. “Hey, when you’ve got a day off from the Eras Tour, you take advantage!”
The beauty experts at Cosmopolitan weighed in as well.
“Obviously we love Taylor’s signature lip (according to her makeup artist Lorrie Turk, she often wears NARS Morocco) but genuinely jaw-dropped by her natural look,” they wrote.
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Lisa Gutierrez
The Kansas City Star
Lisa Gutierrez has been a reporter for The Kansas City Star since 2000. She learned journalism at the University of Kansas, her alma mater. She writes about pop culture, local celebrities, trends and life in the metro through its people. Oh, and dogs. You can reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter – @LisaGinKC.
