Journalists are guilty of spreading this particular rumor even more than celebrities themselves. Think of the number of magazine cover stories that start with the line, "She was completely makeup-free and looked gorgeous." The likely truth, however, is that the star was wearing very strategic makeup. "It takes a lot of time and attention to get the 'no makeup' look," says Suki Kramer, founder of natural skin care line Suki. "It actually takes more time to look like you're not wearing any than to get the glam look." After all, how many women -- beautiful celebrity or not -- would show up to an important interview completely barefaced?
When Lady Gaga appeared on the October 2011 cover of "Harper's Bazaar" without makeup, she explained in the interview that it's not as simple as washing your face and posing for a picture. "There's this idea that it's all natural, but everything's been staged to look natural," said Gaga. "Don't you think that what's on the cover of a magazine is quite artificial?" At least she's willing to admit it.
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Myth: "I was born with this thick, glossy, fast-growing hair."
Most celebrities don't flat-out deny wearing extensions, so this one is more like a lie by omission. But it's important to acknowledge that the looks we see on the red carpet are the result of hours of professional styling and countless products, hairpieces, and enhancements.
When it comes to hair growth -- which scientists estimate at half an inch per month -- celebrities appear to be setting records. Remember when Katie Holmes got tired of her bob haircut? It transitioned from short to super-long in a matter of weeks, not years. Since that's pretty much impossible, she was almost certainly wearing extensions to add the extra inches.
Celebrities appear to have flawless skin and perfect bodies. And although most of them work unbelievably hard to look that way, they often credit the latest miracle serum or supplement instead of 'fessing up to pricey spa treatments and hours logged at the gym.
While we know these A-listers have armies of dermatologists, trainers, and stylists working behind the scenes, we want to believe that it's easy to look as good as they do. (If there were a pill that could give you Scarlett Johansson's skin or Gisele's hair -- no matter how big of a skeptic you are -- wouldn't you take it?)
Which is why we end up dishing out money on celeb-endorsed products or starving ourselves on crazy fad diets -- only to find out that we've been duped by another celebrity beauty lie.
We turned to experts to help dispel some of the myths celebrities have us believing -- from the ones that we know are far-fetched (like detoxing with leeches) to the ones that seem like they could work (juice fasts, anyone?). Read on to see which myths are totally busted.
