It takes a lot of work to look this natural! Revealed: The costly tricks that help stars shine with no make-up

Back in her glamorous Baywatch heyday, Pamela Anderson was the classic bombshell: all beachy tresses, cleavage-baring swimsuits and sweeping eyeliner.

At 56, she’s still turning heads — by appearing at Paris Fashion Week without a scrap of make-up. Her freshly-scrubbed complexion seemed to glow amid a sea of heavily made-up front-row faces.

Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis praised Anderson for her ‘courage and rebellion’ against traditional beauty norms, but Pammy’s not the only A-lister to embrace the natural look of late. From Victoria Beckham sharing a slew of bare-faced snaps to celebrate her 49th birthday earlier this year, to Gwyneth Paltrow flaunting her flawless complexion for a family dinner this summer, the ‘clean-girl aesthetic’ is everywhere.

Sharing their imperfections with the world might seem brave — but in fact it’s the ultimate power move.

Pammy, at least, is honest enough to admit that: ‘Natural beauty still takes two hours in front of a mirror.’ Others are less upfront about the expensive beauty regimes and ‘tweakments’ it takes to look so good.

So how do they do it? SARAH RAINEY uncovers the secrets behind celebrities’ make-up free looks…

PAMELA ANDERSON: HUMIDIFIER AND CRYSTAL EYE MASKS

The actress frequently shares bare-faced pictures with her 2.9 million followers on Instagram, where she wrote earlier this year: ‘I’d rather show my freckles. It’s fun getting old. It’s a relief. And at a certain age we just look younger and fresher without make-up.’

NATURAL BEAUTY? Pammy had both lip fillers and Botox in her Baywatch days, but swore off them when she didn’t like the effect on her appearance. ‘I felt like my eyes sunk into my head so far that I didn’t look like me any more,’ she said in 2015. She’s been au naturel for at least a decade.

WHAT SHE HAS ADMITTED USING: The actress sits in front of a humidifier to keep her skin moist in dry climates and keeps a bottle of rose water spray in the fridge to spritz on as a toner: ‘I use it every time I open the door,’ she says.

Pamela Anderson frequently shares bare-faced pictures with her 2.9 million followers on Instagram, where she wrote earlier this year: ‘I’d rather show my freckles. It’s fun getting old’

She also gets weekly facials from New York-based Klara Chruszcz, who specialises in £230 ‘oxy-illumination’, a process which involves an oxygen-infusing wand zapping bacteria from the skin.

In her handbag, you’ll find vegan-friendly Poppy Austin ‘restoration serum’ (£17), which contains vitamin C and green tea to brighten the eyes and plump out wrinkles.

GLOW-UP GADGETS: Make-up artist Eileen Madrid uses face masks infused with crystals — rose quartz and amethyst — to boost collagen production in Pamela’s face. Her favourite brand is eco-friendly Knesko, whose face masks, said to be enriched with ‘Reiki energy’, cost between £36 and £132. The actress also uses Dr Hauschka organic lip balm (£11) and Summer Fridays mineral sunscreen (£36) to prevent sunspots.

VICTORIA BECKHAM: LED THERAPY AND FISH OIL

Posh, 49, raised eyebrows earlier this year after undergoing a £2,000 laser resurfacing procedure with top Beverly Hills surgeon Dr Ashkan Ghavami, after which he claimed she ‘wasn’t going to age any more’.

Pictures posted post-treatment suggest she may already have found the elixir of youth: son Romeo, 21, shared a photograph of his mother online to mark her birthday, showing a bare-faced Victoria looking touchingly young.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Despite reports of Botox, a facelift and a nose job, Posh has denied having anything done. Dr Ghavami put her ageless appearance down to ‘great genes’.

WHAT SHE HAS ADMITTED USING: Victoria enjoys regular face massages from celebrity favourite Sarah Chapman at her Skinesis spa in London’s Chelsea. She uses Chapman’s £48 facial mist daily.

After showering, she slathers £50 Osea algae oil all over — it’s said to reduce saggy skin — and every morning takes a capsule filled with fish oil, rich in skin-plumping omega-3.

Victoria Beckham, 49, raised eyebrows earlier this year after undergoing a £2,000 laser resurfacing procedure with top Beverly Hills surgeon Dr Ashkan Ghavami, after which he claimed she ‘wasn’t going to age any more’.

Those crease-free eyes are down to Celestial Black Diamond eye masks (£85 for eight) from Harley Street-based 111 Skin. And she swears by her own Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturiser (£140 for 50ml), made in collaboration with A-list skincare guru Augustinus Bader.

GLOW-UP GADGETS: A Boost LED face mask (£395), recommended by Sarah Chapman, is Victoria’s favourite beauty gadget.

The wearable device directs pulses of high-frequency light — red to improve fine lines and collagen production; blue to calm breakouts — at the face to stimulate the cells.

JENNIFER ANISTON: GOLD-PLATED VIBRATING WAND

Friends star Jennifer, 54, credits ‘good sleep and drinking water’ for her youthful appearance. She often shares make-up free selfies with her 42 million Instagram followers, some promoting LolaVie, her plant-based haircare range.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Refreshingly open about cosmetic surgery, Jen has admitted to having two nose jobs; most recently in 2018 to correct a deviated septum — the cartilage in the nose – after the first was done badly.

WHAT SHE’S ALSO ADMITTED USING: Facials and laser treatments from pricey skincare guru Joanna Czech (who’s based in the U.S. but offers £540 hour-long virtual consultations). Jennifer also takes Vital Proteins collagen supplements for glowing skin and hair. She’s a fan of the Rose Gold Illuminating Eye Mask by 111 Skin (£160 for ten), said to firm and refresh the under-eye area, as well as Aveeno daily moisturiser and Neutrogena’s facial cleansing bar.

GLOW-UP GADGETS: Jen pummels her face daily with Jillian Dempsey’s £165 Gold Beauty Bar. Plated with 24-carat gold, the hand-held wand vibrates to contour the face. She’s also a devotee of the £350 Ziip Beauty Nano Current Device, which delivers tiny electrical currents to the face to ‘kick-start cells and optimise their efficiency’.

GWYNETH PALTROW: INFRARED SAUNA BLANKET

Wellness ‘guru’ Gwyneth, 51, is no stranger to the natural look, claiming she doesn’t wear make-up to the office, or at weekends. Skincare makes up one branch of her Goop empire, with products including £100 depuffing eye masks, £80 dark spot-reducing ‘sleep milk’ and £100 restorative balm.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Gwyneth has admitted to using lasers, chemical peels, microdermabrasion (which uses an instrument to gently ‘sand’ the face before vacuuming off dead skin) and the odd injectable filler in her quest to look youthful. But she’s never undergone surgery to change her appearance.

Wellness ‘guru’ Gwyneth Paltrow, 51, is no stranger to the natural look, claiming she doesn’t wear make-up to the office, or at weekends

WHAT SHE’S ALSO ADMITTED USING: Gwyneth starts every day with two sachets of her own ‘Morning Skin Superpowder’ (£50 for a month’s supply), made up of vitamins said to reduce damage caused by the sun, pollution and stress.

Products — all from her own line — include a jelly-based cleanser (£29, made with cloudberry beads), toner (£37), eye cream (£48) and zinc-based suncream (£43).

GLOW-UP GADGETS: Gwyneth sweats out impurities in her skin by wrapping herself in a sauna blanket (£699 by Higher Dose), which uses infrared heat to warm the body from the inside and cleanse the skin. The makers claim a session burns 600 calories and clears the mind too.

LADY GAGA: ELECTRIC SHOCK FACIALS

Singer Lady Gaga, 37, made headlines at this year’s Oscars for removing every scrap of her red-carpet make-up before appearing on stage.

She spent much of her time in 2018 blockbuster A Star Is Born bare-faced, and experts who have worked with her say she has the ‘best skin in the business’.

She also has her own cosmetics line, Haus Labs, featuring products made with ‘green’ ingredients, including marine algae and prickly pear oil.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Lady Gaga has spoken about being bullied for the size of her nose as a child but denies having had surgery. However, she has admitted to facial fillers, saying she was once ‘obsessed’ with getting them.

Singer Lady Gaga, 37, made headlines at this year’s Oscars for removing every scrap of her red-carpet make-up before appearing on stage

WHAT SHE’S ALSO ADMITTED USING: Lady Gaga has been seeing LA-based Joomee Song since 2014 and credits the facialist’s Korean/Japanese techniques for giving her that starry glow.

Song’s ‘buccal massage’, £440 for 80 minutes, focuses on the sinuses, jaw and mouth, which improves circulation, reduces puffiness and sculpts her face.

The singer also uses collagen-boosting Truth Serum by Ole Henriksen (£46), Vintner’s Daughter botanical face oil (£185) and By Terry Baume de Rose face cream (£55).

GLOW-UP GADGETS: Song’s ‘microcurrent’ treatments, which use a handheld metal-ended device to apply an electrical current to the face, are the secret to Gaga’s taut complexion. Microcurrent facials work by using a low voltage to ‘shock’ muscles and skin cells, which makes them work harder and contract – leaving the singer with a tightened face, cheeks and jawline.

CINDY CRAWFORD: MELON SERUM AND ICE BALLS

Supermodel Cindy, 57, has built a career on looking good, so as she gets older the pressure is on. ‘I always say even I don’t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford,’ she joked recently.

She paved the way for A-list skincare ranges, launching her own, Meaningful Beauty, back in 2005, and still uses its products daily.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Cindy’s not as natural as you might think. In 2006, she admitted to having used a plastic surgeon for over a decade, telling a magazine: ‘I have a very simple, healthy life, which works miracles. I drink a lot of water, watch what I eat and exercise. But I owe the quality of my skin to my cosmetic surgeon.’ ‘In order to restore elasticity, all I can really count on is vitamin injections, Botox and collagen.’

Supermodel Cindy Crawford, 57, has built a career on looking good, so as she gets older the pressure is on. ‘I always say even I don’t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford,’ she joked recently

Cindy’s not as natural as you might think. In 2006, she admitted to having used a plastic surgeon for over a decade

WHAT SHE’S ALSO ADMITTED USING: Cindy’s morning go-to, and the centrepiece of her beauty line, is the £81 Youth Activating Melon Serum made from Cantaloupe melon extract, said to ‘visibly plump and firm skin’.

At night she applies retinol to her face, which unclogs pores and increases collagen production.

GLOW-UP GADGETS: Cindy’s a fan of Glycelene Golden Ice Globes, hand-held glass balls made from 23 and 24-carat gold that are designed to massage and stimulate the skin.

The minerals in the £100 gadget mean the balls are permanently cold, helping eliminate redness and pigmentation and calm puffy eyes. Cindy puts hers in a glass of ice water before use.

JENNIFER LOPEZ: OLIVE OIL AND CANDLELIGHT

There’s no denying J-Lo, 54, looks remarkable for her age. In one Instagram video, the bare-faced beauty shares her routine for getting her ‘Bronx Goddess Glow’, to promote her eponymous skincare range, JLo Beauty, which includes £65 ‘That JLo Glow’ serum.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Replying to an Instagram comment in 2021, J-Lo put the record straight: ‘That’s just my face. For the 500 millionth time, I have never done Botox or any injectables or surgery.’

There’s no denying J-Lo, 54, looks remarkable for her age. In one Instagram video, the bare-faced beauty shares her routine for getting her ‘Bronx Goddess Glow’, to promote her eponymous skincare range, JLo Beauty, which includes £65 ‘That JLo Glow’ serum

WHAT SHE HAS ADMITTED USING: J-Lo exclusively uses her own products – right down to an SPF 30 suncream – in her daily beauty routine. But she puts her trademark glow down to something you won’t find in the cosmetics aisles: olive oil. Describing it as ‘nature’s secret ingredient’, she recommends slathering it on your skin and hair.

GLOW-UP GADGETS: The singer’s low-tech beauty regime doesn’t involve tools or gadgets, but she is a fan of sheet masks, infused with moisturising serum. Bizarrely, she also likes to look after her skin by candlelight: specifically Le Labo’s £72 Santal 26 candle, which she lights before beginning her beauty regime.

HALLE BERRY: £200 FACIAL BRUSH

Actress Halle, 57, regularly shares candid, make-up free images with her 8.6 million Instagram followers, many of them taken in her bathroom.

She was widely praised in 2021 for teaming up with Flawless Touch, a depilatory device manufacturer, and talking about removing her facial hair.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Halle has admitted feeling ‘pressure’ to go under the knife, but says she’s never had an invasive treatment.

WHAT SHE HAS ADMITTED USING: Behind her all-day glow is an £80 hydrating serum which claims to remove dead skin cells, as well as a £36 rehydrating cleanser, both by A-list favourite Olga Lorencin, known in the industry as the ‘Acid Queen’ for her ability to resurface skin. The actress also favours Olga’s ‘Red Carpet Facial in a Box’, £100, made with lactic acid which penetrates the pores.

GLOW-UP GADGETS: In a 2021 video Halle professed to ‘really, really love’ a silicone-bristled brush (£60 by Phillips) which she uses to scrub make-up and impurities from her face.

Before big events, she spends ten minutes wearing the £300 CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask, which directs red LED light at the skin to minimise fine lines.

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY: MICRONEEDLES AND LIGHT THERAPY

Morning TV darling Holly, 42, always looks fresh-faced, but that doesn’t mean she woke up this way. Her boho brand, Wylde Moon, is built around natural beauty and lifestyle products and she has gone bare-faced as part of a paid-for Instagram advert for popular brand Beauty Pie.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Rumours have swirled for years about Botox and lip fillers, but Holly has consistently denied surgery. Even those pearly whites are real; in 2012 the Advertising Standards Agency cleared her of trickery in a toothpaste ad, finding that her smile really is that bright.

Morning TV darling Holly, 42, always looks fresh-faced, but that doesn’t mean she woke up this way

WHAT SHE HAS ADMITTED USING: Aside from Beauty Pie, Holly professes to use High Street beauty products, including Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye lotion (£18), Garnier micellar water (£10) and Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir facial mist (£34).

Visits to celebrity facialist Claire Marie Peters, who also works with Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne, at London’s chic Joshi Clinic are a regular occurrence (from £150 per treatment).

These involve intense microneedling – a roller which delivers tiny needle pricks to the skin, designed to generate new tissue – and photon light therapy, which directs red light at the face where it energises the cells.

GLOW-UP GADGETS: For the ultimate bare-faced selfie, Holly swears by an LED ring light, which projects a flattering golden light onto her skin, making it appear to glow. And she uses £6 fake eyelashes to widen her eyes – a handy tip for glamming up make-up free snaps.

DEMI MOORE: BUTTERFLY SCULPTING STONE

Hollywood stalwart Demi, 60, has shared several bare-faced pictures over the years. She looks so good she’s been accused of ‘down-ageing’, but insists it’s all down to genes.

NATURAL BEAUTY? Demi’s face has changed since her career took off in the Eighties, and questions were raised when she walked the catwalk for Fendi at Paris Fashion Week in 2021, looking quite different to before.

But the actress has repeatedly denied facial surgery. She admits to having work done elsewhere but won’t say where.

WHAT SHE HAS ADMITTED USING: Demi credits LA-based facialist and ‘energy healer’ Terri Lawton – whose coveted anti-ageing treatments start at £220 – for her glowing skin, and has also been known to frequent the Cryohealthcare Clinic in Los Angeles, which blasts clients with icy air to stimulate the metabolism.

She uses not one but three daily moisturisers (two by pricey Parisian brand Biologique Recherché and Retrouvé’s £315 Intensive Replenishing cream) on her face, neck and chest, and uses nothing but water to remove make-up.

GLOW-UP GADGETS: A £60 butterfly-shaped stone, made from hand-cut rose quartz, is Demi’s beauty go-to. The ‘lift and sculpt’ stone by beauty guru Georgia Louise is designed to encourage lymphatic drainage – the removal of fluid from the lymph nodes – around the jaw and jowls.

‘When you’re over 50 and feel like your skin is hitting the floor, this is an incredible uplift,’ she says.

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