Times Lauren Boebert Didn't Wear Glasses & Looked So Different

Lauren Boebert rose to prominence as a petite politician with nerdy-looking glasses and dark hair in an aggressive side part. But that wasn't always the look she embraced. Before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, the conservative Boebert was better known as the owner of the gun-themed restaurant Shooters Grill, where she often greeted customers in a flannel shirt, cowboy boots, and a gun strapped to her side. Boebert also sported blond hair and the glasses were nowhere to be seen.

Boebert's drastic transformation since her political career started has elicited plenty of hypotheses regarding her eye health. To many, the decision to add specs to her look was a deliberate move to make her fit in the political arena — and we're not just talking about regular social media users and internet forum dwellers. Jimmy Kimmel seems to believe Boebert can see perfectly fine without her specs. "This is a woman who wears glasses to make it seem like she can read," he said in a 2021 "Jimmy Kimmel Live" monologue.

Some have gone through the trouble of analyzing photos of Boebert to determine whether her glasses had any prescription. "This is close to or are ... zero strength glasses (demonstrated via no relative shifting of image of the side of her head)," one netizen wrote on X, previously known as Twitter. Whether that's true or not is anyone's guess. What is clear is that she has embraced the glasses, though she is sometimes seen without them.

Lauren Boebert's fellow Congress member Matt Gaetz won his Republican primary contest against a former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy-backed candidate in August 2024, and she couldn't let the moment go unmarked. "Congrats to my Congressional bestie Matt Gaetz on his MASSIVE victory!" she captioned a Facebook post featuring a selfie she took next to the Florida representative. Boebert and Gaetz appeared to have gotten different memos regarding the dress code for the occasion.

Boebert snapped a selfie of the two sitting in what looked to be the living room of a regular home. But while Gaetz donned a white short-sleeved button-up shirt paired with casual black shorts, Boebert was all dolled up. She had on a smart gray striped shirt, a face full of makeup complete with a smoky eye and pink blush, and her hair styled down in big waves. Once again, she opted to forego the red lipstick and glasses to which her fellow House reps have become accustomed.

While netizens for the most part focused their comments on their opinion of Boebert and Gaetz's work as congressmembers, some joked about her supposedly fake prescription eyewear. "I notice your eyeglasses and cowboy hat are suddenly missing. What a poser," one commenter wrote. Boebert's look did indeed deviate from the Southern, gun-toting gal vibe she gives off in posts featuring her on the turf or the tight dress with straight hair parted on the side look she parades on the House floor. 

In April 2024, Lauren Boebert had to undergo emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in her leg. As a result of the health scare, the congresswoman was diagnosed with May-Thurner syndrome, a condition that happens when a major vein in the lower back is compressed by an artery, disrupting the blood flow. During her hospital stay, Boebert snapped pics with her grandson for social media to update and thank her followers.

Even though she took time to put on makeup, Boebert opted to ditch her glasses as she lay back in the bed with IV lines still attached to her arm. "The BEST little visitor came by before surgery and he helped get me through it!" she captioned the Facebook post featuring two separate photos of herself holding and cuddling Josiah, the boy Boebert's teenaged son Tyler welcomed in April 2023. "THANK YOU to everyone who has reached out to me and our team to send their prayers and support, it has meant the world to me!"

While most of her supporters used the comments section to wish her a speedy recovery and praise her political stances, some used the opportunity to share their opinions on her looks. "Oh my gosh you're even beautiful in the hospital before surgery," one such supporter wrote. Others also hoped the surgery and condition wouldn't keep Boebert from showing off her killer legs. "Hope it didn't mess up your gorgeous legs," one commenter quipped.

When her second youngest son, Kaydon, graduated from 8th grade in May 2024, Lauren Boebert made sure to wear her glasses to avoid missing a single detail. However, when her boy needed help with his tie, she decided the specs weren't necessary. The sweet mother-son moment was captured on camera, which she shared with her Facebook fans. "So proud of Kaydon on his 8th Grade Graduation tonight, wouldn't miss this moment for anything!" she captioned the post.

In addition to the tie moment, Boebert also included two other pictures. One featured Kaydon next to balloons and the American flag and the other showed her with him and her youngest, Roman. In the latter, the Congress member donned the black-framed specs and red lipstick she has become known for. Some social media users were quick to notice the differences and note their preferences. "Looks so good without glasses," one user commented underneath the above photo.

Other commenters weren't so lighthearted, using the moment to take a jab at the scandalous details about Boebert's oldest son Tyler that have surfaced since she was elected. "Make sure he doesn't get anyone pregnant before he graduates from high school, or robs people of their credit cards and such. Family values!" one commented, referencing not only Tyler's pregnancy but also his February 2023 arrest in connection with a series of vehicle trespass and theft of property in Rifle, Colorado, for which he faced multiple charges.

In August 2024, Lauren Boebert once again showed off her pride in Kaydon and — also once again — proved she didn't need her glasses for yet another mother-son moment. Instead, she showed support for her son at the start of the Windsor High School football season by taking a selfie for her Facebook. She posed sans glasses with a Wizards shirt on while Kaydon stood on the field with his arms crossed in the background. Her decision to free herself of her specs caught the attention of some of her followers.

One thought she lost some of her assertive personality without her signature eyewear. "Did you get yourself contacts? You know, you're more vicious on the House floor with those glasses on," one commenter said. While she left her face unframed, she wasn't entirely barefaced. Boebert sure didn't skimp on the makeup, wearing dark eyeliner and shadow over a generous layer of foundation. She completed her glam with pink blush.

That isn't surprising. If you ask us, Boebert's cakey makeup often verges on distracting, though not everyone seems to agree. The comments section on her football-inspired post attracted a variety of commentary that had little to do with sports, with many focusing on her appearance. "One hot mom cheering her son. Bet the dads like the view off the field as well," one user wrote. It's unclear whether she minds these kinds of comments, but she certainly puts effort into her looks. 

Lauren Boebert looked pretty youthful during a May 2023 interview with Newsmax. In a clip shared to her Instagram, the congresswoman shared her concerns over the allegations brought forward by Republicans regarding Joe Biden's alleged involvement in a bribery scheme that led to an impeachment inquiry into the president later on. "The American people deserve to know if Joe Biden sold out the United States of America to line his own pockets," she captioned the post.

The sprightly look was intensified by the absence of glasses while Boebert's Millennial side part added to the overall appearance. Some of her critics noticed the departure from tradition and dug into the old theory that her glasses were just a political accessory to attack her. "Miss fake smile without her fake glasses," one user wrote. That wasn't the only netizen who used one of the trademarks of her appearance to criticize her stance. Boebert's signature red lips didn't escape unscathed. "Does that lipstick stay on in a wet t-shirt contest???" another user commented. 

With a polarizing issue like the impeachment inquiry, it's unsurprising that she received a slew of attacks. In addition to her looks, social media users also used the shady side of Boebert's past to demerit her, including the criminal history of her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert. "Boebert is one of the people screaming about pedophiles, while literally being married to a guy arrested for exposing himself to kids," one wrote.