Here's What Hillary Clinton Looks Like Without Makeup

Contrary to popular belief, the polished Hillary Clinton has gone makeup-free several times. Of course, this is perfectly normal, but Clinton's political career has introduced way more criticism about her looks than the average public figure has to deal with. Between the fierce debate surrounding her signature pantsuits to the era when she made headbands cool, Clinton's beauty and style choices have always garnered intense conversations, which are rarely positive and usually overly critical. A not-so-fun fact? Clinton's love of pantsuits stemmed from a regrettable encounter with photographers.

When Clinton used to wear skirts, photographers sold photos of her to seedy lingerie businesses, who used the images in unauthorized ways. "I was sitting on a couch and the press was let in," Hillary revealed to CBS News. "There were a bunch of them shooting up." She continued, "All of a sudden, the White House gets alerted to these billboards that show me sitting down with, I thought my legs together, but the way it's shot, it's sort of suggestive." Unable to risk photographers seeking out ways to manipulate her photos, Clinton turned to a different garment. "I just couldn't deal with it. So, I started wearing pants," she said. Fortunately, Clinton's been able to let her hair down in recent years and not worry constantly about cameras — like the few times she's gone makeup-free.

Although Hillary Clinton is usually all spruced up in her makeup of choice, she stripped all of that off in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an Instagram photo (above) meant to encourage people to wear their face masks, Clinton posed without a speck of makeup and a mask that read "VOTE" in all caps. Clinton even boasted about her lack of makeup in the caption. No makeup? No pantsuit? No problem," Clinton captioned the post. "I've got the must-have accessory for spring.⁣ I'm wearing a mask (and voting!) for my country, my community, and my grandchildren. #MaskingForAFriend," she added.

Two years later, Clinton posted her full makeup-free face for her followers. In a screenshot promoting an upcoming episode of her "You And Me Both" podcast — featuring Judge Lina Hidalgo — Clinton looked totally relaxed as she sat in a chair and flaunted her natural beauty for all the world to see. The best thing about this photo — aside from her natural glow — is the powerful confidence she exuded in the clip. Makeup or no makeup, Clinton is obviously comfortable in her skin. Perhaps that's why she followed up with another makeup-free post in October to promote an upcoming interview with beloved children's author Judy Bloom. This time, Clinton accessorized her look with glasses.

Hillary Clinton is usually in full makeup and head-to-toe glam, but she has gone makeup-free on national platforms as well. A few days after Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election, she gave a speech, captured by BBC, addressing the election results. Instead of sporting her usual matte finish and neutral eye makeup, Clinton rocked a much more subtle look that people took notice of. Fortunately, as Glamour reported, most supported Clinton's decision to go without makeup on such a large platform. "My aesthetic is @HillaryClinton giving a post-election speech with no makeup on because queen truly has no more f***s to give," tweeted one user.

Of course, no one could blame Clinton for taking a well-deserved makeup break now and again. In 2017, the former FLOTUS revealed in her best-selling memoir, "What Happened," that she'd spent a mind-boggling amount of time getting her hair and makeup done over the years. "I've never gotten used to how much effort it takes just to be a woman in the public eye," said Clinton in the book. "I once calculated how many hours I spent having my hair and makeup done during the campaign. It came to about 600 hours, or 25 days. I was so shocked, I checked the math twice." Wow.