Gwen Stefani loves makeup. No, scratch that. Gwen Stefani NEEDS makeup, at least according to Gwen Stefani. She’s one of those “I don’t leave the house without makeup” women. She often said that she never wanted Gavin Rossdale to see her bare face and that he preferred her with makeup. Personally, I think she just loves makeup and feels uncomfortable without out and it’s not about what her husband or boyfriend likes. Anyway, makeup addict Gwen has been named the newest brand-ambassador for Revlon, which is actually a great fit. To celebrate her new position, Gwen gave a long-ass interview to InStyle. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights (and keep in mind, this is supposed to be all about makeup).
She loves this new ambassadorship: “I’m like how smart is Revlon to pick me? They’re so smart. I’m probably the most excited person about makeup that you could ever choose and it genuinely is my passion. It’s something that I’ve been obsessed with for as long as I can remember. It’s art. It’s self expression. It’s transformation. It’s confidence. All day long—whether it’s on stage, photo shoots, or just my everyday routine—I get up and put tons of makeup on because I like it, and I like doing it, and I think I’m good at it.”
Choosing love: “I feel like really excited. It’s like one of those things where I would never have dreamed this big. To be a brand ambassador for a huge world brand that’s been around forever and on top of that, weirdly also has a message. They can choose any message, right? I mean, they’re speaking to the world and they choose love. Which I think is just weirdly paralleled to my life, because I feel like I had to make a choice a few years ago when things were just so hard and to choose love. I wrote a whole record about ‘this is what the truth feels like.’ And love to me is truth. Love to me is God. Love to me is just all of those things. So I think to be a part of a world message right now, it’s just an amazing platform to just say it. I feel like it’s a really amazing thing. I’ll look back and be like, ‘I’m proud.’”
Her sons remind her to put on makeup: “[Makeup] says a lot, I think. Even my kids are so used to me wearing makeup that if I don’t, they’ll be like, ‘Wait are you gonna put on makeup?’ I’m like, ‘Of course I’m going to.’ It’s just who I am. Always have been. So it’s kind of perfect to be doing it in this way. And it’s inspiring, too.”
Date-night makeup for Blake Shelton: “I don’t have an ideal of any makeup, it’s all about what you’re trying to say and mood. I think that’s the same with clothes for me too. And I’m not proud of this but I think that it really affects me. If I’m not comfortable, I’ll be like, ‘I don’t even want to be here right now,’ if I don’t have the right feeling, because it’s who I am. I’m saying, ‘This is who I am.’ I think that’s true even if you’re a jeans and T-shirt person.”
Whether she can go to sleep with her makeup on: “No. I cannot go to sleep with makeup on. That is so gross! I don’t have a huge routine, but I wash my face with some cleanser that takes makeup off. I just recently started using these pads from a dermatologist that takes more makeup off. I cannot believe how much makeup was on there for all those years. I think about [when I was on tour] on a bus, trying to wash my face in that little sink. That’s what I did forever! And then I put on moisturizer. It’s not that deep. It is what it is. Some days you look good, some days you don’t.”
I’m absolutely appalled when women claim that they don’t take their makeup off before going to sleep, so I’m glad that Gwen is like “of course I wash my face!” As for the rest of it… ugh, I do believe in “you do you.” I think Gwen reeks of insecurity, but then again… she was deeply in love with a man who cheated on her constantly, so she’s dealing with her life the way she can. That’s how I think of it – makeup is her crutch and it makes her feel better, and really, what’s the harm? Besides the harm of her sons thinking it’s weird when she isn’t wearing makeup.
Incidentally, these photos of Gwen in red Moschino, with a full face of makeup? They’re from church. This is what she wears to take her kids to church!
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I enjoy make-up and enjoy talking about it with friends who also put it on male or female but I hate the concept of a natural face. To me make-up always looks like make-up so I don’t get it when people say they like it discreet. it never is!
I think Gwen is beautiful make up or not. She has a friendly personality and seems to enjoy life. I think she will be a great embassedor for makeup and any kind of beauty products
It can look natural! In my teens and 20s men always commented about how they like that I don’t wear makeup. I never left the house without it! I tried to correct them as I didn’t want to be dishonest, but I eventually gave up and just let it ride.
She is starting to look pretty tweaked to me, at least in the header photo. Horror of horrors, that outfit.
Yes, her face is frozen. I hope Revlon tells her to go easy with the Botox and fillers. Gwen, courteney cox, Jenny McCarthy and Kim k.
Yes, I no longer recognize her. It’s as if she and Lady Gaga are trying to become the same person, and that person is from another planet.
Which church is that? If I ever showed up like that at the kingdom hall, I’m pretty sure I’d be kicked out before I even reached the door.
As for makeup, I can’t go out without at least filling out my eyebrows and some under eye concealer.
Really? That doesn’t reflect well on that particular church, then.
It is a Catholic Church. I am sure most people feel it is not what you wear but that you attend. She looks fine.
Agree Nica
I do think she looks great, I’m just saying at my Jehovah’s witnesses church which granted I don’t go to very often. That outfit would be frowned upon.
Hello fellow Witness!
We’d welcome her at a meeting regardless of her fashions. I recently had some bible students attend midweek meeting at my Kingdom Hall wearing jeans and hoodies. No one gave them attitude about their outfits, we were just happy to see them!
That said, I know from previous posts that Gwen goes to church every Sunday and always wears outfits very similar to her stage clothes. Ultra-trendy, expensive designer, wild and ostentasious. This is basically the opposite of modesty. Strange choice for a service.
At least she is covered and clean though. An improvent on Kim K and Kanye’s “church clothes” of ripped jeans and torn tees for him, skintight minis and miles of cleavage for her!
In my opinion one should dress for worship in a way that makes you look and feel good, but without drawing undue attention to trends, your wealth or your figure.
It’s my local church St Charles in North Hollywood.
Whenever I attend the 10am mass there are paparazzi outside waiting for Gwen.
Very annoying for church goers!!
It used to be called Our Lady of Cadillacs, for all the rich people who attend.
I her outfit, and think it’s just fine for church. it reminds me of the big bold bright patterns and style of ladies’ Sunday Best in the south ☺
I also love makeup so much, nor because I hate my face, but because it’s so fun to dress up your face and change your look!
Gwen has always been very, very insecure. I was a fan during the Tragic Kingdom era. Back during the Gwenabee days (when fans would come to No Doubt concerts emulating her style), she was openly hostile to other pretty girls and we all noticed. I became very disenchanted with her behavior. Over the years, she seems to have mastered the p.r. game and knows how to throw other people under the bus. I find her to be very fake and very shallow.
Any advice for people who suck at putting on makeup? I have extremely pale and dry skin so I can never find good foundation that doesn’t crack on my skin or look a shade darker. I wish I was better at it but I think Gwen takes it too far.
Maybe try a tinted moisturizer, like Laura Mercier’s? It is very light, so it won’t give that cracked look.
I also have really dry skin. I worked at Clinique for a short time in college, and I learned that even dry skin needs exfoliation. There are something like 13 layers of skin, and if you have a bunch of dead skin on top, if you put on lotion in never actually gets down to the living dry skin that needs it because the dead skin soaks it all up. I recommend finding a gentle exfoliant and a rich moisturizer to use before you go to bed. That will help the make-up you put on look smoother and it won’t crack. You probably don’t need to exfoliate every day, just as your skin needs it.
I second the recommending of Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer for a foundation—it’s very dewy, hydrating and smoothing. I have extremely pale skin too and use it in “alabaster”, but there’s another very light shade that is a bit darker than that called “porcelain” which might also work, depending on how much yellow undertone is in your skin. For exfoliation to maintain clarity and softness I like Clinique’s 7th day Scrub.
I can recommend you to buy BodyShop shade adjusting drops (lightening) and mix it with your foundation to neutralise yellowness while lightening. And some good hydrating primer (Smashbox Photo Finish or Too Faced Hangover).
How about just being yourself and going without it? I have psoriasis all over my face and I dont cover it up. Makeup is a tool of the patriarchy and as a radical feminist I reject it.
That’s hysterical.
Wow I love your comment! I have never thought of myself as a radical feminist but I completely agree. How can men and women be equals in a world (or especially a work place) where women wear uncomfortable shoes and need an extra 30 minutes to get ready every day?
Eh, I haven’t worn makeup in years. The patriarchal machine did not break down, in fact, they barely noticed. Wear it or don’t wear it, do what makes you feel good.
I wash my face with CeraVe moisturizing bar or cleanser. I do it with a soft washcloth to get all the dry flaky skin off. That’s my exfoliation (a soft washcloth) and was recommended by a dermatologist instead of harsh exfoliation products. I lightly pat excess water off, but still moist, and apply Oil of Olay sensitive skin moisturizer all over my face and neck, under my eyes. I then apply tinted moisturizer. It gives me enough
makeup coverage, without being heavy. The tinted moisturizer and Oil of Olay have SPF, since I live in Florida.
I tend to go a liitle lighter shade than what they say is my shade.
Thanks everybody! I’ll definitely look into all of those products 🙂
Seconding the CeraVe recommendation. Really love their creamy cleanser.
Alleycat- try consistently using a moisturizer line cetaphil and gently exfoliating 1-2 times a week. Maybelline FitMe in matte and poreless is ultra pale and a great foundation for drugstore- if your skin is flaky, it may show up though.
Josie Maran vibrancy foundation comes in ultra pale colors and doesn’t oxidize on my skin- it also has argon oil in it and is really moisturizing. It’s expensive, but you can try samples from Sephora first. I adore this foundation.
You will have a tough time, body shop has some lighter bb creams, and if you are looking for something pale plus sunscreen you will be in the $20-30 plus range and be a more expensive line usually 🙁 I am pasty and have tried tons of bb or cc or tinted moisturizer and have very sensitive skin, so spf and pale are what I need, i haven’t found anything less than 20ish.
Currently cerave for cleanser, night cream and am with spf mousturizer, (honestly they are the best, decently priced and excellent for sensitive skin) plus a few boosters from The Ordinaries (cheap but super effective and I think QQ orig recommended and I am now addicted).
Reddit.com/r/skincareaddiction
Hey Alleycat, if you’re up for it, going into a Sephora might be your best bet. You could tell them what your looking for and your skin type and they can help you find a product. I know a lot of people with dry skin who love BB creams, and they’re generally popular with people who are into the no-makeup look.
mineral makeup. I like Alima pure.
Koh Gen Do aqua foundation is amazing for dry skin. It’s pricey but a little goes a long way especially if use their foundation brush (or any foundation brush instead of a sponge). It’s good for skin (no fragrance etc) and looks very natural (they’ll send you samples to find right shade). Nordstrom & Sephora carry it.
@alleycat, first things first-you have to find a moisturizing routine that works for you! otherwise, you’ll always be on a search for the perfect cover-up. exfoliation is key, as others have said, and i use a moisturizing toner with rose and aloe after i cleanse, followed by coconut oil as a moisturizer. in the morning, i do not wash my face as to hold on to my natural oils, and i’ve even beeen adding in a couple drops of avocado oil right when i wake up so my skin doesn’t feel too dry when putting on a little concealer. i also spritz with rosewater throughout the day! i love moisture!!!!
Growing up it was jarring to see my mother without makeup because she always had it on. And even more so because her eyebrows are totally drawn on (she doesn’t have any naturally) and because she always (still does) has red lipstick on. Don’t worry, it didn’t traumatize me or make me think I need makeup 24/7. I’m barefaced most days of the week, despite loving makeup; I just don’t desire to spend the time nor the energy on it. But I looove wearing it recreationally and I looove buying it 😉
I never wear any makeup now, it has been like this for about 5 years.
At this point I couldn’t even think of preparing to go out 30 minutes earlier in order to do a full make up session.
I don’t wear make up either, I don’t like it and never got the hang of it. I don’t miss it.
For my own personal preference, I never wanted to feel uncomfortable without make up. I think it just says a lot about your relationship with yourself. You have to be ok with who you are, even as things change. That can be REALLY hard sometimes, but think you can work on forcing yourself to be positive in that area. (If all else fails, listen to Brandi Carlile’s “The Story”.) That being said, I love playing with make-up. But I wear different levels each day depending on my mood. There is always one day on the weekends, though, when I don’t wear make-up to let my skin breathe.
“All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I’ve been
And how I got to where I am”
“The Story” is One of my favorite songs.. Makes me emotional each time I listen to it
It all sounds exhausting.
What happens when she has a good ol bout of the flu and is bedridden for days? Please tell me she doesn’t care what she looks like then.
I’m not sure if it’s better or worse that she has all boys.
I wear makeup every day but it’s never anything dramatic. I cover up my dark circles, put on some powder foundation, eyeliner, mascara. Not much really but my youngest son is in heaven at the end of the day when I take it off. No idea why.
Reading the first few lines of her interview, it sounds just like Trump. So smart, I’m the MOST excited. NO ONE loves make up more than me…
I’m at home with four kids pretty much all day everyday and they never see me with make up. When I do put it on for the rare night out they look at me like they don’t recognize me lol. I’m fine with that and I would never want to feel like I couldn’t leave the house to go grab some milk without makeup. I think it’s sad her boys have that reaction and I really hope they don’t think that’s the norm and look down on women who don’t.
I wear some makeup most days, or if I’m going somewhere on the weekend, not heavy handed, though, like Gwen. I have friends fully made up all the time. Both are naturally gorgeous. They just always look really put together.
Gwen just seems to have gone so heavy in the last few years with the amount applied. Her face makeup just looks so thick and lashes.
But no one ever judges Dolly Parton for always having a full face of makeup on at all times. She feels the same way as Gwen, always has it on.
Dolly’s also addicted to high heels cause she is so tiny, she’s adorable.
I wear makeup a handful of times per year now. I feel gross with makeup on, like I am presenting a falsehood to friends, people in general, and potential boyfriends.
I had an old roommate who went to sleep with her makeup on and would wash it off in the morning in the shower all to put it all on again. She refused to let a man see her without makeup. It was unbelievably sad and her pillowcases were GROSS!
Gwen is painfully insecure. At her age (47), she probably will not grow out of this. I feel sorry for her. She will probably never find the true love she craves because she can’t love herself first. I firmly believe until you can truly love yourself and be content with who you are, you are incapable of giving that love to someone else. This is something I have learned in recent years (I’m 35).
THIS!!
Honestly, life is short. Why wake up every morning and use some of that limited time to put a mask on? I think a lot of women feel pressure to wear makeup because it is the norm, and then we’re taught to feel naked without it. If most men don’t wear makeup and are considered totally normal/fine/expected and people wouldn’t give it a passing thought, why can’t women be treated the same way?
Unfortunately, I think most women continue to paint their faces and it sustains that whole ‘we need to wear makeup to feel confident’ trend (but, on the flip side, this argument in itself is kind of a misogyny of its own). The whole ‘you be you’ thing rings false to me, as if it’s an excuse for continuing the whole thing.
Sigh. This makes me miss punk/ska Gwen Stefani of the early No Doubt days.
Why? She wore just as much makeup back then.
Makeup is a tool of the patriarchy and sadly so is Gwen Stefani. Nice lesson she’s teaching her boys.
I have a guy friend who went on a date with a girl he met at a bar and she wasn’t wearing enough makeup and was dressed down for the date and he didn’t date her again. This is the type of appalling attitude her boys may sadly adopt when they are grown. Ugh.
She is well rid of him if he judges her for her appearance like that. Believe me, you want a man who loves you, not your makeup or clothes, ugh.
I used to wear make-up but stopped when I realized I looked way younger without it. Now I only wear a bit of mascara and that’s it. No hassle and I’m happier with the result. 🙂
PS: I know that’s sounds harsh but she looks like a sad clown in that red outfit.
I get my eyelashes dyed about once a year, usually around Christmas. It makes your lashes look like you’re wearing mascara, and it takes 20 minutes at the esthetician’s. The effects last about 6 weeks and it costs me $18, plus tip of course. I have the choice of brown, black or blue-black colour and you also get an eyeliner look for about a week. (or longer if you ask nicely) Easy-breezy makeup look and a real time saver.
I love Revlon pjotoready line but had to stop they are not cruelty free. I have a house rabbit. what they do to rabbits in the name of beauty is not “Love”!
Excellent point!
I enjoy makeup but i completely agree with others on here: if you literally can’t leave your house without a full face of it on, you have some issues! That being said my husband is the opposite for some reason! When I have a full face of makeup on he makes a face and says it looks like I’m wearing a mask. Since getting married I have eased up on it a lot
Women like makeup way more than men do. I don’t wear makeup, never have, and my husband is perfectly happy with that. I’m sure there are plenty of men who like women to wear makeup up but I think mainly men go along with whatever the women want to do themselves.
I briefly met her once a couple of years ago. She had pretty bad acne underneath all the makeup, so that may explain the insecurity. I’ve been there, so I felt for her–and it’s so much worse when someone could always be secretly photographing you.
In the first photo, she may have some acne. But wearing a lot of makeup constantly, especially not oil free foundation can cause more acne. *shakes head*
I loathe the whole”makeup is for ugly girls” BS debate that occurs on every thread whenever the subject of who chooses to wear makeup daily comes up. I’ve written this here and other places before… I’ve never met a woman who wore a full face on a daily basis who bashed women that don’t wear any makeup, but there are a ton of preachy women who bash those that like to wear makeup. I mean really? Calling Gwen a sad clown? Get a grip. To each her own. Live and let live.
Agreed. Wearing makeup doesn’t make you less of a person, less of a feminist, less independent, less anything. If it makes YOU feel better about YOURSELF, than what right do other women have to judge about what you put on your own face?
I love wearing makeup. It’s something I choose to do for me, and it gives me confidence. I do concealer, fill in my eyebrows, put on foundation and swipe on lipstick or a gloss and a little bit of blusher.
I also have friends who do way more; all of the above plus mascara, false lashes, eyeliner, complex shadows, contouring, etc. They always look incredible and it gives them confidence. It’s more makeup than I’d choose for myself, but they look amazing and it makes them happy.
I also love not wearing makeup. I love having simple, bare skin, and glasses, and not having to worry about skin prep before I go to bed since I’m makeup free.
I also recognize the world’s reaction to me with or without makeup/contacts is very different. But that’s just the way of the world. With contacts and makeup, I get a lot of attention from men. When I have bare face and glasses, I get basically zero. But at the end of the day whatever I choose to put on my face or not put on my face is something I do for ME, no one else.
This might be terrible to say, but I’m glad she never had a little girl. Gwen would not have been a great role model IMO. She’s so vain and insecure.
Many years ago I worked on the “Underneath it All” music video with No Doubt and Gwen appeared without makeup at the end. She cried in the bathroom before coming out on set without makeup because she was so nervous. She was really insecure about it, which was kind of sweet, because she’s a very genuine and normal person in real life.
That’s sweet but also a sign of massive insecurity….She looked gorgeous without makeup in that video!
To me, Gwen’s make up always looks the same, so I’m kind of puzzled by her “date night make up” comments — how it’s all about your mood and what you’re trying to say. Sometimes, yes, she wears redder lipstick and a little more eyeshadow, but most of the time, she’s just wearing pancaked foundation that makes her look pale, and a whole bunch of mascara and eyeliner. Nothing all that interesting, if you ask me.
i always thought it telling that her ex-husband had a same-sex relationship with Marilyn and then went on to Gwen Stefani who basically looks like him (Marilyn) – platinum blonde, full face make-up and boyish figure. It’s like he picked a female version of his relationship with Marilyn… eerie. And I agree – she needs to tone it down – both her make up 24/7 and her thirstiness. Make up should be for fun, not an obsession. Just my opinion.
Blimey. That outfit does look like she skinned Deadpool and is wearing him!
this is just the opposite of how i used to see her in the No Doubt days- she seemed really authentic and confident and kind of a badass. she seems woefully overdone now, i kinda feel like she’s lost the originality of her face somehow. poor thing tho.