Celebs Who Were Unrecognizable After A Makeunder
Makeunders are the biggest trend these days, as the concept that less is more has encouraged us to put away our over-the-top wardrobe, metallic hair extensions, and contouring kits so that we can embrace our natural beauty. With celebrities having rocked some of the most outrageous fashion trends over the years, they've made the most dramatic transformations after stripping it all off. Some of these celebs have taken on such theatrical fashion styles that their natural look can often make them unrecognizable to the public. These are the most incredible celebrity makeunders of all time.
Gwen Stefani
As one of the biggest style icons of the '90s, Gwen Stefani's original look was all about plaid pants, studded belts, and exposed midriff. When she wasn't rocking her notorious bleach blonde locks, Stefani walked around with bright pink or blue-bubble-gum-colored hair that she always somehow managed to match her outfits. In an interview with Vogue, the singer credited her fashion sense to her mother, as well as her love of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.
Now, however, Stefani is hardly recognizable to those who were big fans of her in the '90s. Even though she's been out of the punk scene for a while now, the blonde bombshell shocked us with her all natural look. Photos were all over the media showing off her hot makeunder after she went public about her relationship with The Voice costar, Blake Shelton. While appearing as the judge on the show, Stefani kept her look classy and simple, with her most outrageous choice of makeup being red lipstick, sticking with her classic Monroe look. Her style has certainly changed over the years as she seems to be going more with designer clothes rather than whatever she can do with a pair of scissors and a hot glue gun. Also, it seems that she's given up the plaid and studded accents. For the most part at least.
Pam Anderson
Once known for her tiny red bathing suit and slow motion runs on the sands of Baywatch, Pamela Anderson was never one to shy away from the extreme trends. From her dramatic smoky eye makeup and pink lip gloss to her tribal band tattoo and outfits so small they hardly deserved to be called such a thing, Anderson's look hasn't changed in decades. Not only did her makeunder make it nearly impossible to recognize the icon on the red carpet, but it has completely transformed her image.
No longer the life-sized Barbie we've been following since the '90s, Anderson's new image is chic and quite classy. The last few times she stepped out for events, the makeup around her eyes was more subtle, making them look bigger and lighter. Her lips were left nude and instead of coming out with the bleach blonde hair we all associate with the former Playmate, she has been sporting a more natural blonde color. And that tattoo she rocked for so many years, well, it seems to have vanished from her arm, likely a result of laser removal. What's most amazing about her transformation is that she looks 10 years younger, and has never been more stunning.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus shocked the world when she threw her girl next door image out the window so she could twerk on stage with Robin Thicke. After that, her wardrobe was a never-ending cycle of sparkly nipple pasties and metallic leotards, all which seemed to inspire her tongue to regularly slip out of her mouth for photos. When her hair wasn't blue or pink, it was in dreadlocks or slicked back, Leonardo DiCaprio-style during his Titanic days. It was certainly a bold move for the pop star, who has since returned to her roots.
Once again the country bombshell she was several years ago, Cyrus' makeunder has her looking finer than ever. Showing off her new, more natural look in her music video for her latest single "Malibu" has got the media blasting her name in headlines once again, but this time they have nothing negative to say. With her hair grown out a bit and her natural brown roots growing in, not only does she look flawless but she appears more mature in a way. It looks like we have our country gal back and she's still on top of her game!
Perez Hilton
When Perez Hilton first came on the scene, he was just a chubby kid with bad hair who liked to write about celebrities. As the gossip king, or "Queen of All Media" as he calls himself, Hilton probably didn't expect to be thrown in the spotlight, as most of his work during the early days of his career took place behind a computer screen. Not only did the poor guy have absolutely no sense of style, but he would dye his hair whacky colors that simply just didn't go with his look. Thankfully, that all changed.
Hilton stopped doing the majority of his shopping in the old men's section at thrift stores and likely hired a stylist who told him to stop torturing his hair. This guy's makeunder didn't stop there, though; he actually lost a ton of weight. He didn't take the easy way out, either, by having weight-loss or plastic surgery done like most people do when they have money for the first time. Hilton claims to have lost it all the natural way by changing his diet and introducing intense workouts into his regular routine. If you haven't checked him out lately, he's got some serious abs going on and he's certainly not shy about showing them off. It's hard to believe how far he's come over the years.
Kelly Osbourne
Likely all of us regret some of the style choices we made as teenagers, but unlike Kelly Osbourne, they weren't documented in hundreds of photos and on a reality television series. It couldn't have been easy growing up with the Prince of Darkness as a father, and like most teens do, Osbourne expressed her anguish through her wardrobe. Boy, what a wardrobe it was! As a combination between a goth and punk rock style, Osbourne often had her hair dyed black or some other fun colors with dark makeup around her eyes that contrasted nicely against her light skin.
The now-daytime television regular has been completely open and honest about her drug use and fluctuating weight, something that she says was in part because of all the criticism she got about her appearance after her family's show aired on television. In an interview she did with Mirror she recalls being called "fat and ugly," something no one can say about her now. She has since transformed herself into a gorgeous woman, losing weight after getting sober and calming down her style quite a bit, improving so much that she was able to snag a job co-hosting E!'s Fashion Police. Her makeunder truly shows off her flawless skin, which is only accented by the amazing greyish purple hair color she's had for a while now.
Nicki Minaj
When Nicki Minaj first him the music scene, she was famous for her outrageous style choices. Her variety of wigs and bright clothes and makeup often had her looking like a Barbie doll, something Minaj says was inspired by MySpace, leading to her to nicknaming her fans Barbies. Nowadays, the singer has completely transformed her look, finally letting her natural beauty show. In an interview with Glamour she credits her makeunder to celebrity hairstylist Oscar James who seems to be the only person who understands her hair and can make it work.
Natural hair, of course, only goes with natural makeup, and it seems the miracle James worked on her hair inspired her to tone down her look all together. She's now wearing nude lipsticks, lighter eye makeup, and she has even toned down the wardrobe. Instead of all of the bright neon colors she was known for, Minaj has been rocking more classy outfits in neutral tones, and she's never looked sexier!
Adam Lambert
Even when he appeared on American Idol, Adam Lambert's style was unique. He rocked the typical emo guy hairstyle with the black eyeliner, and as his fame grew, so did his wardrobe. Soon, he was performing in black leather jackets with spiked shoulders, dog collars, red fur jackets, and his iconic black leather gloves. Lambert's style was a walking S&M show, and the fans just loved it.
Today, the singer has toned down his look quite a bit. So much, in fact, that his makeunder has made him practically unrecognizable. His hair is more natural; he has some sexy scruff going on in the chin and upper lip area; and his lack of eyeliner opens up his entire face. Lambert's attire has changed as well, as he's more often seen in a simple button up and a blazer. While his rep said the makeunder was only temporary, as Lambert's style is subdued along with the music he's been releasing, it's been several years since that statement was made and the eyeliner hasn't yet made a comeback!
Kesha
Kesha defined what style was when she first made it big as an artist, walking around with feathers in her hair and glitter paint on her face. She didn't seem afraid to try anything, and it all somehow worked with her image; the blue lipstick, bedazzled eyebrows, and overwhelmingly dark eye makeup hid her face while her unique outfits took the cute rock chick look to a whole new level. After staying out the spotlight for a while due to a legal battle with her former producer, the once popular singer has been facing a lot of criticism over her new look.
Her makeunder at first was stunning, as she toned down the makeup so that it appeared natural and dying her hair a nice shade of blonde. Even her clothing became more classy, wearing gowns and dresses to events rather than her usual fishnets and leotards. However, Kesha appeared so different when she was back in the public eye that not only was she unrecognizable, but she was accused of getting plastic surgery. Either way, she looks beautiful and fans are eager for her to get back into the studio.
Blac Chyna
Blac Chyna made her claim to fame as a video vixen and shot to stardom when she started dating Rob Kardashian, ultimately having his child. Seemingly taking style tips right out of Nicki Minaj's playbook, Chyna would often wear bright colored wigs with the makeup to go with it. She rocked those adorable cheek piercings that made Amanda Bynes run out and get them herself, and a hip-hop style that could either be sexy or comfortable. Her makeunder seemed to happen right around the time she was spending more time with the Kardashian klan, perhaps something that inspired her transformation.
Chyna took out her cheek piercings, and started going with her natural hair. Maybe she hired the same stylist Nicki Minaj can't seem to stop praising. Along with wearing more natural makeup, she also started wearing more neutral colors and clothes that covered her up a bit more. Most of her outfits actually look like they were pulled right out of Kim Kardashian's closet. Whether her new look was inspired by her ex's family or not, the girl looks amazing.
Lady Gaga
Most of Lady Gaga's wardrobe over the years has looked more like some kind of art piece that belongs in a museum rather than something designed to be worn by a person. For the moment she stepped on the scene, her look has become the inspiration for some of the world's biggest entertainers. None, however, have ever taken it as far as Gaga has. From her infamous meat dress that she worse to the MTV Video Music Awards to a coat she wore for a television appearance made of dozens of Kermit the Frog stuffed animals, she certainly has the ability to keep her fans guessing.
None of them however, could have anticipated her complete style transformation as she chose to significantly tone down her look. Perhaps she wanted to be seen as more than just a musician now that she has taken on acting as well. While Gaga is still at the top of her style game, she no longer brings a team of people to put on a show for the media as she makes her entrance. Instead she has gone classy, often wearing simple yet designer gowns with her hair a natural blonde, and her makeup actually allowing us to see her face. Before her makeunder, it was rare to see a photo of Gaga where most of her facial features weren't covered by a veil, wig, or a ton of makeup. Now that we can actually see her face, fans all agree that this new natural look truly brings out her beauty.
Beyonce
Beyonce has always had a natural beauty that she would often rock at events earlier in her solo career. Even during the days of Destiny's Child when the group would wear those iconic matching outfits, Beyonce's makeup was usually minimal. Understandably, over the years her style has changed along with the trends, which included a full face of makeup complete with contouring and highlighting. Dark red lips and smokey eyes were often her go-to red carpet look, a complete glam style.
More recently, Queen B has been making appearances with what appears to be no makeup at all. Looking fresh faced and youthful, she couldn't have looked more beautiful at the 2015 Grammys where celebrities all went with the understated look, according to Refinery29. She has been keeping up with the look ever since, and has never looked better. Now the mom of three kids, it's likely she'll be rocking this style trend for a while as she'll certainly have her hands full.
Nicole Snooki Polizzi
It's hard to believe that it's been seven years since the world got their first look at the fist-pumping, overly tanned, binge-drinking cast of MTV's Jersey Shore, who not only acquired a huge fan base but who started some major fashion trends. Nicole Polizzi, aka "Snooki," was by the far the biggest trend setter of the cast, as her style was unique, to say the least. Not only did she bring back the '60s hair pouf, but despite being on practically every worst dressed list in existence, her animal print dresses, fur winter boots, and glittery accessories inspired women all over the world.
Fortunately, these fashion disasters didn't stick around long and Polizzi's style changed drastically toward the end of the show's run. The self-proclaimed "meatball" got rid of her black hair, instead opting for a more vibrant red that goes well with her skin tone. Speaking of which, the reality star also ditched the self-tanned orange look, allowing her natural olive tone to finally be revealed. She has ditched the fake eyelashes, significantly toned down her makeup, and even lost a bit of weight, looking more amazing than ever after her dramatic makeunder.
Courtney Love
As the grunge style icon of the early '90s, Courtney Love always had that one of a kind look where no one could tell if she just woke up or if she looked that way on purpose. If she wasn't in black from head to toe, then the the musician was wearing a babydoll dress, occasionally pairing them with a pair of fishnet stockings or a choker. Her makeup usually consisted of a bright red lipstick and smeared black eyeliner, while her hair was a styled messy look. It was certainly the look of the times, and no one expected her to completely transform her style, especially so soon after such a traumatic time in her life, but that's what she did.
Soon after the death of husband Kurt Cobain, Love went full on Hollywood glam, leaving her punk rock image for the stage. Looking healthier and more energetic than ever before, Love's new look went hand in hand with her blossoming acting career. She began to make appearances on the red carpet in long, classy gowns with little makeup on. Her hair is intentionally done in Marilyn Monroe style curls or straighten, but it's clear that it was actually done. Love's makeunder drew a ton of attention from the media, her Hollywood style making her nearly unrecognizable on the red carpet.
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes always had that sexy girl next door look about her, likely something that helped her get so many great acting roles in Hollywood. Unfortunately, Bynes felt she needed a change and her look went from cute to concerning practically overnight. It started with an Instagram post where the former child star showed off her new cheek piercings, a face of Barbie-like makeup, and a curly blonde wig, which she wore under a red beanie. Her transformation got progressively worse from there, something we all now know was due to a drug addiction.
One of her most notorious looks of hers from this time was a court appearance she made where she wore an ill-fitting and seemingly destroyed blonde wig. The wig looked like she grabbed something out of a box of old Halloween costumes and left the house without taking a look in a mirror. Bynes revealed her epic transformation in her first interview in four years. During her interview with Hollyscoop her hair looks natural and healthy, and her makeup is natural and fresh. Bynes' demeanor is calm and professional, and most importantly she announced her return to acting, so fans can look forward to seeing her on television again soon.