What The Ladies Of The View Look Like Without Makeup

ABC daytime talk show staple "The View" is well known for pushing boundaries, resulting in some controversial moments, but behind the scenes, the program's various hosts are turning heads for different reasons. Away from the cameras, the many hosts of "The View" differentiate their everyday looks, with many choosing to forgo the caked-on makeup in favor of a more natural appearance. 

Age is no factor for these leading ladies because all walks of the show's hosts have been seen without layers of cosmetics, and some have even advocated for it to be more of a norm for those in the spotlight or in general. "This world doesn't honor the beauty that comes from age and living a full life," former host Sherri Shepherd once lamented in an Instagram caption alongside a video of her makeup-free. Others have affirmed the au naturel look makes them feel more like themselves. "I like the fact that I don't wear makeup," host Whoopi Goldberg once shared with RogerEbert.com. "That I can go anywhere and just be me."

When she's not serving as the longest-running co-host in the history of "The View," Joy Behar looks pretty unrecognizable without makeup. Off camera, the Daytime Emmy winner keeps things fresh-faced and filter-free, especially when on vacation or out with friends and family. But that doesn't mean she's eager to bring her natural beauty into the glare of the bright studio lights. "If we came out here without makeup, people would be scared," she once joked on the show.

She's been praised for her youthful look despite being in her 80s, something she attributes to both genetics and casual cosmetic procedures. "I happen to have good skin," she shared with People. "I inherited that from my mother. I don't really have a lot of wrinkles." But some have speculated that she looks so young for her age because she has gone under the knife, which the star says couldn't be further from the truth. She affirms that while she has not had a facelift, she does indulge in Botox and facial fillers to keep that youthful glow. She also admitted that seeing her friends and colleagues getting work done in the past had also steered her away from surgery. "The [surgery] work in the '80s, you looked so strange," she recalled to the publication. "But I knew a lot of women who were addicted to plastic surgery."

Over the years we've learned a lot about Whoopi Goldberg, like the real reason she doesn't live with anybody. We've also learned that her natural browless look has less to do with appearance and more to do with keeping her skin in check. As a child, her mother noticed she would get skin bumps around her eyebrows and eventually had them shaved off. Eventually, it became a normal routine for the Oscar-winning actress. "I just keep doing it because I don't know my face with eyebrows unless I'm working — they put them on and take them off," she once told her "View" co-hosts (via People).

She's also remarked on the fact that many people simply don't notice that she doesn't have eyebrows, including those close to her. "I was married to a man who did not notice until one day he said, 'Oh my God, you don't have any eyebrows,' and I said, 'Yeah, I know,'" she continued. But she affirms that even without the actual eyebrow there, people can still recognize the shape and therefore assume that they are present. "What you can see on my face, you know where they went," she explained. "You know where they are. You see. So when you're looking at me, your eye sees eyebrows when there are none."

We've learned how Sara Haines really felt about her first day at "The View," but the journalist and show's co-host has also provided insight on how she keeps her skin clear amidst a demanding on-camera schedule. In a detailed video tutorial on her Instagram page, Haines showed her full de-glam routine — something she says she does every day, whether she's on or off set. "I am semi-obsessed with skincare and taking care of my own skin," she prefaced in the video. To make sure her skin stays smooth and fresh, she starts with her cleanser to remove all of her stage makeup. She went on to rinse her face and apply a couple of moisturizers, including a hyaluronic and collagen cream to retain her skin's elasticity. Her final step is applying sunscreen, an essential layer of protection. "Ready for whatever the day has to offer!" she quipped upon finishing.

Her focus on skincare has even led to endorsement deals and partnerships with brands like No7 USA. She maintains that by using the right products, and by sticking to your skincare routine, your skin will fight against wrinkles and visible damage better than ever. "I know a day, and life in general, can get away from you," she said in an Instagram post promoting the brand. "So, maybe skincare and maintenance hasn't always been front of mind. This could be your answer."

From youngest Pentagon spokesperson to co-host of "The View," Alyssa Farah Griffin is no stranger to revealing truths on camera. The same applies to her off-camera looks, and the host has been upfront about her routine and the way she takes care of her skin. Her number one priority? "I always start the day with my eye patches," she revealed in a "Get Ready with Me" clip for the show.

But not all behind-the-scenes stories for the star have been glamorous. She once credited fellow co-host Sunny Hostin for saving the day when she experienced a makeup mishap just minutes before stepping onto the red carpet for an event. After spilling champagne, Griffin felt her makeup shifting and Hostin confirmed that her look was tarnished. "I had destroyed it, like the darkest makeup right there, as we're pulling up to the red carpet," Griffin recalled to the audience on the show afterward (via Decider). Luckily, she was able to patch Griffin up seconds before stepping out into the limelight — despite having a less-than-complimentary comparison to the unfortunate moment. "It was almost like a Rudy Giuliani moment," Hostin joked, referencing a 2020 press conference where the former New York City mayor was seen sweating with dark brown hair dye dripping down his face.

We know that "The View" co-host Ana Navarro likes to keep things real in her professional and personal life, including being upfront about being much younger than her husband. She maintains that same realism when it comes to her beauty routine, which she has shared on her social media channels. Never one to shy away from her truth, she has revealed that she began focusing more on her beauty routine once she turned 50 and has detailed the minimal procedures she regularly invests in to keep up with her anti-aging regimen. From using products to tighten her skin and high-frequency heat to help produce collagen, she's shared her go-tos with followers. "I'll try anything but surgery," she revealed in one Instagram post. "So that's where I am. I will give myself a cement mask and inject [lemon] juice into my eyeballs if they tell me it will make me young and supple."

She has also been candid about keeping things filter-free and stepping outside of her comfort zone to bring her back to her natural self. Whether she's going makeup-less on vacation or trying out new methods of anti-aging, Navarro sees it as a process to keep up with her life as it is in the moment. "[I have] a few more lines and wrinkles, which I have earned through years of laughter and tears," she once admitted in a birthday post showing off her lack of hair extensions and a makeup-free face.

One of the most controversial co-hosts of "The View," it's stunning to see what Meghan McCain really looks like without makeup. No matter the naysayers, the former co-host maintains she is proud of her looks both with and without being TV-ready. She's even been upfront about not resorting to any procedures, both major and minor, as she reached her 40s. "No filter and a needle has never touched my face," she shared in an Instagram story featuring her barefaced look (via Page Six). "Intentional skin care over toxins, my friends."

But that's not to say that she doesn't like experimenting with hair and makeup looks and indulging in fun products every now and then. The politician's daughter has dealt with her fair share of internet trolls commenting on everything from her style evolution to her choice to abstain from GLP-1 medications after giving birth, but she continues to make one thing clear: She's here to maintain her own style and her right to change it as she sees fit. "Let a b**** live and experiment with hair and makeup," she once posted to X. It's a message she shares often as a way of reminding her haters that she embraces who she is and how she presents her beauty to the world. "People have a lot to say about me in general, but in regards to my hair and makeup ... I'm just having fun switching up, playing around, and experimenting," she said in another X post.

Another of the most infamous co-hosts on "The View," Rosie O'Donnell has made headlines for more than just her outspoken nature. A daytime TV staple since the 1990s, O'Donnell's looks have been tabloid fodder for decades, something that the comedienne has fought back against for just as long. A trailblazer from the beginning, she even graced the cover of her then-"Rosie" magazine with a fresh face, despite what publishers were wanting. "They didn't want me to be on the cover with no makeup like that because they thought it would scare people," she said of the magazine cover on an episode of her talk show (via TikTok). "And I thought that it's about time that somebody's on the cover of a magazine with no makeup!"

From there, O'Donnell kept her stance strong on embracing one's own beauty, especially as she aged. As she entered her 60s, the actor and activist knew that by staying true to who she was (including how she looked) would eventually pay off for her. "I wasn't going to have plastic surgery," she recalled to The Hollywood Reporter. "I was going to look the way a woman my age should look, and I always thought that would be a blessing in my older age... That has turned out to be true. I'm getting all this acting work now that I'm closing in on 60."

Former co-host Meredith Vieira was known for being a steady presence on "The View" alongside fellow co-host Barbara Walters, and when it comes to her beauty routine, she keeps things equally as calm. In fact, the former "Today Show" host has said that she rarely wears makeup when she's not on camera and maintains a fresh look in her everyday life. "Natural is a code word ... [for] 'aged,'" she once quipped to Hoda Kotb on an episode of "Today." "I'm fine with it. I'm absolutely fine with it." (It's important to note that she said this while jokingly taking a sip from a wine glass.)

The topic is something she's also discussed frequently on her own talk show, engaging with guests and her studio audience to create engaging discussions about beauty, aging, and patterns. From inquiring about whether or not people insist on wearing makeup around their partners to uncovering some of the most dangerous or life-threatening beauty procedures, the journalist makes a point to be candid with viewers about these topics — even when she struggles with her own self-image from time to time. "We live in a lookist society where even when you think you're looking good, there are plenty of people out there — especially if you're in front of a camera — who make it their point to tell you, 'Nah, not so much,'" she once shared with fellow "Today" host Jenna Bush Hager.

Lisa Ling has long held a bevvy of beauty secrets from around the world, both on her time on "The View" and after it. She holds that no matter what corner of the globe you're in, women generally want to look and feel both beautiful and healthy but practice achieving those things in different ways. For Ling, she uses her time traveling to both recharge and to research new, natural ways to maintain her beauty. "I try to live my life in the most natural way possible," she shared with SheKnows. "I've found that in the world, you can find less processed stuff, as opposed to here in America." As for some of her global beauty go-tos? She sticks to Greek yogurt face masks to hydrate and moisturize her skin and also uses coconut oil to soften rough spots and ease fine lines and wrinkles.

But even a beauty guru like Ling seeks advice from others sometimes. She's known to go to her Korean relatives, including her mother, to ask for tips on how to keep up with her skin routine. "The most important thing anyone ever tells me, though, is to stay out of the sun and to wear sunscreen," she advised to the publication. "I always tan my body during the summer, but when I'm laying out, I make sure to cover my face with aloe."

Comedienne-turned-talk-show-host Jenny McCarthy looks on the lighter side of things when it comes to makeup and has frequently posted funny Instagram videos playfully mocking her before and after transformations from fresh-faced to glammed-up. But it wasn't always easy for the star to keep up with her beauty regimen, especially where her skin was concerned. "I faced countless struggles with allergies and sensitivities to beauty products, which left me questioning what was truly in the ingredients I was putting on my skin," she revealed to Preferred Health Magazine.

Her journey with her "sensitive, reactive" skin even inspired her to create her own line of skincare products, where she focused on every detail of the journey to ensure the best possible products were made. From collaborating with the chemists to designing the packaging, McCarthy made sure that users would know that this line was different from other, more chemically imbalanced ones. Moreover, all of this work (along with her own journey of beauty experimentation) would create something that was for anyone of any age. "Whether you're a teen experimenting with makeup or someone with more mature skin looking for high-quality, safer products, our formulas are designed to work across ages and skin types," she detailed to the magazine. "I've seen moms and daughters sharing our products, which is so heartwarming to me."