Lady Gaga’s No-Makeup Look Was Our Favorite Oscars Beauty Moment

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 13 March 2023

We love wearing makeup (lashes, bold lips, colorful eyeliners—we adore all the looks), but there’s something so powerful and uplifting when women are bare-faced. It’s special, unapologetic, and unguarded in the most important way.

Tonight, at the Oscars, Lady Gaga displayed our favorite beauty look of the evening when she went makeup-free while performing "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick. While singing, she paired her bare face with a tee shirt, ripped jeans, a long french braid and converse sneakers.

“I wrote this song with my friend BloodPop for the film Top Gun: Maverick in my studio basement,” she said before beginning her last-minute performance. “It’s deeply personal for me, and I think that we all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life, and we all need a hero sometimes. There’s heroes all around us, in unassuming places, but you might find that you can be your own hero even if you feel broken inside.”

Although Lady Gaga launched a makeup company, Haus Labs, she isn’t a stranger to makeup-free looks. Last month, Gaga posted a gorgeous, makeup-free selfie thanking The Academy for her Best Original Song nomination. In 2020 Gaga dropped a bare-faced selfie paired with pink hair, and in 2019 when she was nominated for three Grammys, she shared a makeup-free photo with friends on Instagram stories.

The casual look was a completely different look from hours before when she donned a black Versace gown, Lashify lashes, and smokey eyeliner on the “champagne" carpet. We honestly love both looks, but if we had to choose (please don't make us!) we'll always opt for whatever makes Gaga feel her most authentic, beautiful self.

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Deena Campbell is the Beauty Director of Marie Claire where she oversees all beauty and health content on all platforms. Deena is a leader who is passionate about driving conversations on beauty topics, and is particularly dedicated to ensuring BIPOC feel seen and that their stories are told. Deena joined Marie Claire after a decade-long career as an editor in print and digital media. Before joining the brand, she managed editorial content for L’Oréal owned Makeup.com and Skincare.com where she led and developed a team of beauty editors and edited their contributions. She also crafted and successfully executed comprehensive brand strategies that resulted in brand growth and differentiation, a skill she currently brings to Marie Claire.

In 2015, she launched Essence.com’s hair channel where she received Time Inc.'s Henry R. Luce Award, shortly before joining Allure.com’s staff as Senior Beauty Editor. Along with her editorial positions, she also consulted on content and marketing strategies for beauty companies including DevaCurl and Dove, and has appeared at various speaking events and live television segments. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Byrdie, SELF, Refinery29, Teen Vogue, and a host of others. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Pittsburgh and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. You can find her on Instagram at @deenacampbell.