Adam Lambert Looks So Different Without Makeup

Singer Adam Lambert has been rocking a full beat since his "American Idol" days. If you've been keeping up with the rocker's career over the past decade or so, then you know his signature look usually involves dark-winged eyeliner, a smudge of eye shadow, and immaculately arched eyebrows. However, Lambert's obsession with makeup started long before he was serenading TV fans with his three-octave range. According to an interview from 2010, he was already a pro by the time of his Season 8 "American Idol" debut in 2009, as he'd started wearing it as a teenager. Unfortunately, as Lambert revealed, he thought his aesthetic would make it more difficult to succeed.

Of course, he couldn't have been more off base if he'd tried. Over the years, Lambert has released a string of successful albums and singles, which have helped him secure music fans of all ages. Example? He currently sings lead for the legendary group Queen, which was previously fronted by the late Freddie Mercury. Light work, really! Plus, In addition to becoming an influential voice and advocate within the LGBTQ community, he's, as mentioned above, basically a fashion and beauty icon. By the way, if you didn't know, Lambert is one star who actually does their own makeup, and this has been the case for years. However, he's not a one-trick pony who can only rock heavy makeup. Over the years, he's given his fans plenty of opportunities to see him in his all-natural glory.

Adam Lambert celebrated Independence Day 2020 by posting a stunning selfie on Facebook, which was a stark departure from his usual makeup-heavy looks that had defined his career thus far. Instead of his usual overly glamorous aesthetic, Lambert posted a fresh-faced selfie captioned, "Rawr." It's safe to say he's joined the ranks of celebs who look totally different without makeup. Of course, this works in his favor. Without all the extra distractions, it was much easier to appreciate Lambert's natural features, such as his striking eyes, which didn't pop nearly as much next to his colorful eye makeup and adornments. And while Lambert's fans, of course, fell in love with his willingness to experiment, the comments proved that they also appreciated his bare-faced look.

Lambert showed off his natural face again a couple of years later while announcing a tour. In a video posted to Instagram, Lambert showed up wearing no makeup and a fabulous pair of sunglasses as he chatted with fans about his upcoming set of shows. He styled his hair with his signature low, cropped cut and spiky bangs. His sandy brown locks had also been accented with blond highlights. "I have some tour dates coming up at the end of April," said Lambert in the March 2022 video. "We don't have a name for the tour, but I decided unofficially that it's going to be called the 'Say Gay' tour," added the singer.

Although Adam Lambert wears stage makeup 99% of the time, he has also experimented with lighter looks. In 2012, the star spoke with Stuff and revealed he was interested in toning down his heavy makeup. "Right now I want to look more natural, a little bit less extreme," said Lambert. "I still love the way makeup looks and the way it makes me feel, but looking a little more organic is quite interesting to me right now." The star also revealed that he wore even less makeup at home. Almost none, actually! "I wear makeup for work but when I'm at home I try not to wear it too much to give my face a break," added Lambert, who also revealed that he regularly indulged in facials to nurture his skin. 

A great example of this is one of Lambert's Instagram posts from June 2022. In the post, the star posed from his couch in one of his most casual, no-makeup looks yet as he stared into the camera. With a fresh face and direct gaze, Lambert wore a black and white getup, comprising a dizzying striped shirt and a black hat emblazoned with raised black stars in the front. Unsurprisingly, this look was also a big hit with fans who showered the rock star with a bevy of compliments. "Your eyes are you amazing beautiful I could just steal your stunning green eyes and put them in my pocket and never let go," wrote one fan.