I like this emerging trend of men playing with makeup while women dare to wear less. Austin Butler caused a stir this week when he attended the New York Dune 2 premiere with white eyeliner. Supposedly. It was very subtle and I struggled to see it in photos. By contrast, there was absolutely no mistaking Pamela Anderson’s lack of makeup when she showed up at Paris Fashion Week last fall. Pam has been going makeup-free as a matter of routine lately, to overwhelmingly positive feedback. Behind the scenes, though, there were those who were less enthused… her sons! In a new interview with Highsnobiety, Pam recounts that they (and her agents!) were “horrified.”
Pamela Anderson covers Highsnobiety’s spring 2024 issue in a striking menswear look and her now-signature no-makeup look, opening up to the mag about her less-is-more aesthetic and why her DIY approach to fashion “horrified” her sons.
The “Baywatch” alum, 56, poses in a gray three-piece suit and tie on the cover, with the gardening enthusiast wrapping a blue hose around her neck as she gives the camera a steely gaze.
Anderson goes makeup-free on the cover, telling the publication that her “face gets more interesting with age.”
“My boys were like, ‘Mom, you must have a glam team.’ And my agents were like, ‘You have to have a glam team! Where’s the stylist?’” she admitted in the interview.
However, the cover model — who shares sons Brandon Thomas Lee, 27, and Dylan Lee, 26, with her ex-husband Tommy Lee, 61 — shared she’d rather handle things herself.
“I go, ‘I know how to put a dress on myself. I don’t need someone buttoning up my blouse. I got this.’ And they were just horrified.”
The Canadian beauty told Highsnobiety that she’s “harvested” her beauty routine from her garden, making her own oils.
“I make rose oil, which I do with rose hips,” she said. “I’m interested in my Epsom salts, olive oils, and shea butter.”
As for fashion, Anderson — who posed in a variety of designer menswear looks for the shoot — said she likes to borrow from the boys in real life, too.
“I like wearing my ex-boyfriend’s Carhartt,” she revealed, adding, “He was a construction worker.”
The “Love, Pamela” author — who went viral for attending Paris Fashion Week sans makeup — also shared her thoughts on success, admitting that her sons can be “materialistic.”
“I feel successful because I’ve overcome and gotten through certain things and feelings. And this drives my kids nuts because my kids are ambitious. They’re calculated. They’re men,” she shared.
Anderson continued that Brandon and Dylan are “young, and they have all this passion. But they’re materialistic, and I keep going, ‘Eh, it’ll pass.’”
It’s not merely that Pam is going makeup-free these days. It’s that she’s sans-makeup and somehow looks more glowing than ever. I recommend the full Highsnobiety article, where you can tell the glow comes from lots of healing and growth and self-work. (Well, that and the garden of oils and potions she’s got brewing.) A particularly moving quote was, “You fall in love with people there to expose a part of yourself that you need to get through. Relationships are mirrors.” I like this era of Pamela. And as for her boys, well first of all I love the image of young men going “Mom, where is your glam team?!” But I actually found it really refreshing to hear how relaxed she was about them. She sees them clearly, warts and all. Yet she recognizes it’s where they’re at right now, not forever.
photos credit: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon, Olivier Huitel/Julie Edwards/Avalon, Backgrid and via Instagram
I don’t have anything against people wearing make up, but it makes me very angry that to exist in a woman body, we have to paint our face as a requirement for work. I remember people sharing stats about how women who wear makeup to work are perceived as more competent. It isn’t just entertainment industry. Unfortunately, a lot of women only feel good without make up after a certain age because of messages we are exposed since a young age.
I am in my early 50ies and I haven’t ‘routinely’ worn make up for the last 15 years, I always hated and that’s also why I changed my career at that time.
It’s such a huge freedom to have and I like Pamela doing this!
I could count on both my hands the times I have worn make up during this time and I had minimal make up on even at my wedding, 12 years ago.
I like makeup, but decided to go without makeup on non office days, even if I have meetings they get fresh faced Singhsong. I want the youth to see that we actually don’t owe people makeup to come to work groomed. And it forces the old dudes to shut up and deal with it.
Is it weird to say she looks younger without the makeup?
Not at all! I was just thinking the same!
I look my age without make up (early 50ies), I had several people asking me if I were over 60 the few times I have worn make up in the last 2 years.
I feel the same. I always wear foundation, but eye makeup is very rare for me now and when I do put it on I feel it’s just instantly aging. I suppose I need to watch some TikTok tutorials on how to use eye makeup as an older person but I just don’t care enough to bother.
She’s always had an adorable girl next door quality but it was hidden. I love this new Pam and that documentary was really good. Alas, I do wish her eyebrows would come back…
She definitely had more when she was younger, she must have plucked them like so many of us did in the mid to late 90s.
She must not mind, as she has access to the top microblading experts and could “solve” it if she wanted. Ido think a thicker brow would look incredible on her, but I’m glad she is doing whatever the hell SHE wants.
I have half eyebrows…. I used to pluck the “tail” and redraw my arch because I didn’t the way they were naturally. Now , without makeup, I have just the spock-like half and it makes not wearing makeup a whole thing. Sometimes I do go with JUST makeup for eyebrows and not anything else. I wish I realized that they weren’t going to grow back.
Nope, not weird at all. She looks amazing, and her sons are doing what all kids do to their parents.
She absolutely looks younger! I’ve thought the same thing about my self when I do without makeup. After I hit my mid thirties I started to feel like makeup was aging me.
I think she is more gorgeous than ever, I just really really wish she had fuller eyebrows. I think that’s the only thing distracting me when I see her.
I went back to read some old posts about Pamela and am so glad how the tone both of the writing and the comments has changed here! It was quite shocking how hated she used to be
To be fair, I think she kind of hated herself. This is Pam reinvented. She sounds calm and peaceful. There was a time when she was dating/marrying awful people, likely for the money (she was always being sued for nonpayment of something). And Kid Rock. Enough said.
I mean, in some ways she’s always been like this. She’s just an interesting dichotomy of bombshell and hippy. She’s always been very vocal about animal rights, using alternative forms of healing, homeopathy and she recently teamed with Sonsie, a vegan skincare line. But I agree that she does seem to have changed in that she’s clearly quite comfortable in her own skin and just at a place of self-acceptance which I find really inspiring. She’s also very lucky in that she’s a naturally gorgeous woman.
I have always had such a soft spot for her.
Agreed, Kitten.
See: Her dedication to PETA. She’s always been deeper than the Baywatch bombshell, in a red bathing suit.
I love this for her and society, in general.
She is stunning. What an amazingly inspiring journey she has been on. I love the evolving Pamela
Good for Pam–she looks great! And rosehip oil is really good for skin.
Never really worn make up, never will. You can see my dark circles and some of my hyperpigmentation on my face but you also see someone we doesn’t spend their time conforming to gender norms. Sure a lot of men in Korean culture are wearing make-up these days but it’s the women who have to spend their time, money and energy who look a certain way to be acceptable in society. Older men (especially in Hollywood) are celebrated for looking their age and a lot of times, they’re not wearing make up to mask their age in public.
It’s not just makeup. It seems like the most societally rewarded women’s hairstyles involve a ridiculous amount of money, time, effort, and exposure to probably cancer / neurologic disease promoting chemicals.
The most societally rewarded men’s hairstyles are the least money, time, effort and exposures.
I’m disgusted with the disparity.
I also use organic rose hip oil and natural aloe on my face every day. It feels wonderful and my skin never felt better . The purse also appreciates the savings. You don’t need a lot.
She sounds like she’s at peace and she looked she was having fun in her photo shoot. I am very happy for her!
My fave look is happy. Whatever it takes to make people happy and she looks so happy and peaceful.
I have always liked Pamela Anderson.
I have not worn makeup in 30 years. The narrative of women subjected to beauty standards is limited to very few careers. I have a great career not predicated on my looks. I don’t care to be beautiful. I care to be cherished by my loved ones. And that is not based on looks.
So the “pressure on women” to be pretty is lost on this poster. People can be vapid but I personally don’t tolerate that stuff. I have many women friends and I don’t partake in beautifying regimens.
I hope to raise my daughter the same. “The pressure on girls today” is rhetoric. It was so much worse in the past when all women were judged on were their looks.
So because it doesn’t affect you personally, it’s not a problem. Got it. Congratulations I guess
Makeup or no makeup. That’s totally up to her. But she does need to wear more sunscreen. Under one eye she’s starting to get that leathery look. From being in the sun to much.