"Sometimes readers are misled about how much makeup I wear, as they only know me from the blog posts that I do. As a reader of beauty blogs myself, I definitely get the impression that some beauty bloggers have a very glamorous and made-up lifestyle. I try to prevent that by using minimal Photoshop for any photos of me that I put on the blog.
Readers don't really remark on my makeup-free pictures. I like to embrace the idea that I am the same person, with or without makeup."
"Honestly, it's scary [to go without makeup]. At 23, I got cystic acne on one side of my face and my world was rocked. I had to start wearing actual foundation to cover my pimples, and I was completely miserable until I found a foundation that I actually liked [bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation]. About two years later my acne started to clear up, but shortly after that I started to notice my cheeks were always flushed. Hello rosacea, nice to meet you. At this point I still rely on lightweight foundation [Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF 15] to cover my redness, and I'm admittedly super self-conscious to go out bare-faced. I usually only go makeup free when I'm at home. With that said, life is too short to worry about small imperfections and I try to tell myself that when I start to get embarrassed."
"As a beauty editor/writer, people always expect to see me in "Real Housewives"-style drag makeup. But really, the only time I indulge in a smoky eye or a crazy bright lip is if I have a shoot or an event. I usually just wear concealer, blush and lipgloss. But actually going makeup-free? Not so much. It's not that I think I look bad, I just look tired. I'm of the school of thought that very few women can carry off a totally makeup-free look. What girl doesn't benefit from a complexion-brightening pop of blush or a sexy slick of gloss?"
"What I love about vlogging vs. blogging: there isn't much you can hide. In videos, especially when doing a makeup tutorial, you can see how the person looks before and after. I start my videos with no makeup on and at times I have acne or spots that I need to conceal.
"Of course I receive some negative comments, but I don't even keep them in my memory. And I receive great comments. I'll never forget the follower who sent me a gift -- she belonged to a group that educates about domestic violence. She wrote a beautiful letter saying how my videos have helped the women cover bruises and imperfections to feel empowered and beautiful again. No human looks like a porcelain doll, so we need to remember that when looking at photos and magazines."
"I've actually never gone makeup-free for my readers without wearing sunglasses, because I often use makeup to cover up my dark circles or I use mascara to make my eyes pop. But I'm all about showing your natural beauty, so it does feel great to go makeup-free for my readers."
Beauty bloggers make a living showing us new and gorgeous ways to apply makeup and style hair. They produce a goldmine of makeup tutorials and beauty how-tos that teach and inspire. (Because, let's be honest, can you ever recreate that perfect smoky eye or flawless face after a stint in the makeup chair at Sephora?) So what happens when a beauty blogger takes it all off? Every last bit of makeup ... gone. And not the Saturday morning, just rolled out of bed "no makeup" makeup look. We're talking washed clean, photographed and posted -- for the whole world to see.
These brave souls stripped down to zero makeup products to show us their untouched, no-makeup face. See what they look like sans fards and how it felt to reveal their au natural look to the world.