Ever wonder why we like celebrities so much?
One reason is their talent, of course. Captivating performances as actors and musicians help create entertainment that keeps us going each day.
Another reason is far simpler: they’re downright beautiful! Celebrities influence our idea of what’s hot and what’s not, and many people spend their lives trying to look as good as their favorite celeb.
Here’s some good news: you probably already look as good as many celebrities. You might even look better! That’s because some stars are downright unrecognizable without the help of a professional makeup team.
Don’t believe it? Just check out the following familiar faces that aren’t so familiar without makeup.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is considered the epitome of hot and she knows it. After all, she sees herself as the “teenage dream” to her many fans all over the world.
This pic, though (taken by former husband Russell Brand) is more of a teenage nightmare, though. It shows that without makeup, Perry doesn’t look like a pop star: she looks like your old sorority buddy asking if she can bum a pack of smokes before her Uber arrives.
Marilyn Manson
It almost feels like cheating to include Marilyn Manson on this list. After all, his public persona is all about rocking a pale face and jet black hair so that he looks like something from Tim Burton’s nightmares.
When you scratch that away, though, Manson doesn’t look like a scary goth king anymore. In fact, he looks more like an extra from a Wes Anderson movie. And if you stare at him too long, you just know he’ll start telling you to listen to his podcast.
Lady Gaga
Unlike many celebs on this list, Lady Gaga doesn’t have a single iconic look. Instead, she is known for reinventing herself with every new album and major public appearance. And while she usually looks sexy in every outfit, we’re still trying to figure out what was up with that weird meat dress.
Strip away the glam makeup and bizarre outfits, though, and Gaga looks surprisingly plain. She is less a glamorous star and more somebody trying to figure out how the filters on Instagram are supposed to work. If this brunette can go from “glum” to Gaga, there is hope for all of us.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner is one of those celebs who likes to make her own rules. We’re actually following her lead by including this pic on the left. While she’s still rocking the eyeliner, she doesn’t have any of the other makeup that gives her that famous look.
Without that makeup, Jenner’s face is downright humbling. It shows that she struggles with the same blemishes and bad hair days that the rest of us struggle with. Then again, this may be proof that all of us are one professional styling team away from having a famous face.
Taylor Swift
Somewhere along the way, Taylor Swift achieved a perfectly-polished look. Everything from her songs to her hair to her makeup seems like it came out of an industrial-grade hotness machine.
What happens when she doesn’t walk through the machine, though? You get this picture on the left. Here, Taylor Swift looks less like a hot megastar and more like your friend on social media who thinks having a cat is a substitute for a personality.
Then again, given her appearance in the musical film flop Cats, Taylor Swift seems to have taken ownership of her “crazy cat lady” vibe.
Kesha
In some ways, Kesha may be the most honest person on this list. Whereas other celebs hide their pre-makeup faces, Kesha posts natural pics of her mug pretty regularly to social media.
What those posts show is that without her makeup and professional ‘do, Kesha looks like the kind of freckled fraulein who would crack jokes with you in the back of your college literature class. Makeup or no makeup, though, most of us will be lucky to ever have the courage Kesha has shown in her legal battles with her producer.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow became famous for her very prolific movie career. Now, she’s embracing a second career (and a string of criticisms and scandals) with her wellness and lifestyle brand Goop.
That distinction is both important and ironic because the picture of Paltrow on the right looks like the movie star you remember. And the picture on the left looks exactly like the kind of person you’d expect to peddle weird herbal cures and pseudoscience to you from a nearby street corner.
Shakira
Shakira recently made waves with a Super Bowl performance that wowed the world. Fans noted just how amazing she looked, especially for a musician whose career arguably peaked back in 2005.
Those good looks manage to shine through even without makeup. While she’s not really recognizable as megastar Shakira without her makeup, she still looks very much like the cute neighbor next door.
Cardi B
Cardi B had one of those stealthy rises to fame. She went from being relatively unknown to a worldwide sensation practically overnight!
With these pics, you can see that Cardi can still “B” stealthy whenever she wants. That’s because without the stylish hair and makeup, the woman on the left looks nothing like the woman on the right!
Careful what you say about her, though. This stealthy celeb could be right behind you and you’d never notice.
Katie Holmes
Sometimes, it seems like Katie Holmes can’t catch a break. She went from a prolific career in TV and movies to marriage with Tom Cruise. After their divorce, it seems like she disappeared almost entirely from public life.
We say “almost” because whenever a candid pic popped up, it was not flattering. And this picture shows that, without makeup, Holmes is as human as the rest of us. Maybe she’s taking a page out of Alicia Keys’ book and feeling empowered without makeup?