Rare Moments Reese Witherspoon Was Seen Without Makeup Are Head Turning
Reese Witherspoon has spent decades in the spotlight. So, of course, we've seen the movie star undergo a transformation since her first role. Through it all, Witherspoon's natural beauty has always shown through. And sometimes, she has let the world see what's underneath the movie makeup.
While makeup makes a lot of us feel confident and put-together, it's not a necessity. Yet, Hollywood sometimes makes us feel like it is. There are some stars out there who wouldn't be caught dead going makeup-free for the world to see. Witherspoon, on the other hand, has shown us time and time again that she isn't one of them. Witherspoon is more open with her fans on social media than the average star is. And that means we've seen her with no makeup more than we've come to expect from our favorite celebs.
While it's often a surprise to see a glamorous movie star at home with their comfy clothes on and a freshly-washed face, Witherspoon has proven time and time again that for her, it's no big deal. While other stars choose not to go au naturale for the camera, we have a feeling Witherspoon's response would be to quote her famous "Legally Blonde" character, Elle Woods: "What? Like it's hard?"
When she put her real face and real nerves out there for the world to see
In a 2025 Instagram video, Reese Witherspoon looked and sounded totally relatable. The star was sporting a baseball cap, an oversized t-shirt, and what looked like no makeup while sitting in the car. We don't usually see stars looking quite so vulnerable, but Witherspoon took things a step further and shared some equally vulnerable words of wisdom. She talked about her experience with anxiety attacks and nerves and reminded fans, as she wrote in the caption, "Just remember, you're braver than you think!"
Her bare skin glowed while making her go-to smoothie
In July 2025, Reese Witherspoon shared something we all need: a smoothie recipe for when our bodies need nourishing. The Instagram video included the text, "my must-have when I've been traveling/eating pizza, pasta & gelato for 7 days," and she added the caption, "It's all about balance, right?" It is, indeed. And, just as she clearly opts for balance in her diet, it's clear that she also stays balanced with her beauty routine. She ended the video posing sans makeup with her smoothie, and she looked fresh and glowing.
She showed off her pre-red carpet look
Reese Witherspoon has won more major awards than most, earning her first Golden Globe nomination in 2000 and her sixth 20 years later. As such, she has walked many Golden Globes red carpets and sported many glam red carpet looks. While Witherspoon was getting ready for the 2024 award show, her son put her to the test on Instagram: quizzing her on her Golden Globes looks from years past. Between the fun mother-son moment and her makeup-free, bathrobe-clad look, the world got to see authentic Reese.
When she looked totally refreshed on a hot summer day
Applying makeup can be fun and make us feel like our best selves. But, sometimes, it feels so refreshing to bare it all — on your face, that is. Going makeup-free almost feels like a cold plunge on a hot summer day. So, it's only fitting that Reese Witherspoon looked happy and refreshed sans her usual beauty routine while taking a dip during the summer of 2023. While her face looked otherwise bare, we're hoping she was still sporting some SPF for the occasion.
When her morning coffee vibe was relatable
On "The Morning Show," Reese Witherspoon is typically rocking a full glam, TV-ready look. Behind the scenes, though, it's a different story. Back in 2022, Witherspoon shared a "get ready with me" Instagram video, showing off a day of filming the Apple TV+ series. Of course, a true GRWM starts off with a makeup-free face, and the star did just that. She looked beautifully bare-faced while enjoying her morning coffee and showed the world what her skincare and beauty routine looks like from start to finish.
When she went au naturale for some puppy love
We love a good puppy pic, so we're grateful to Reese Witherspoon for sharing this adorable photo even though she wasn't all glammed up. In 2020, Witherspoon took to Instagram to show off her super cute pup snuggled up in the hood of her big hoodie. Witherspoon was clearly in her loungewear with her hair and makeup undone when the photo was snapped. But she probably assumed fans would be too distracted by the puppy to notice. And she was definitely right.
When she gave us a peek into her kitchen
Reese Witherspoon clearly loves giving us glimpses into her home life. And, showing authentic moments in the comfort of her own home often means ditching Hollywood hair and makeup. In 2021, Witherspoon gave us the ultimate peek into her cozy home life; she shared a video on Instagram of her going makeup-free in a big hoodie, cooking her favorite slow cooker lentil soup recipe. And she simultaneously proved that she doesn't need a full face of makeup or a private chef.
When she and her son looked like total twins
For those who hadn't met Deacon Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon's son, the movie star shared an adorable selfie with him on Instagram in 2021. The mother-son duo looked happy, fresh-faced, and unmistakably like twins in the cold-weather pic, which she captioned, "Love him to the moon." And Witherspoon looked totally down-to-earth, sporting little to no makeup, a beanie, a fluffy winter coat, and bare nails for an adorable evening out with her son.
When she proved that stars also feel the pressure of the holiday season
With less than a month to go until Christmas back in 2021, Reese Witherspoon took to Instagram, asking a question most of us have asked before: "How many more work days until Christmas? *asking for a friend.*" Alongside the caption, Witherspoon shared a photo of herself looking like she was ready for a break. She styled her cozy-looking blue hoodie with a seemingly makeup-free face. Her whole look was one that most people have probably sported in the days leading up to a vacation.
When she did some fresh-faced social distancing with pal Laura Dern
The COVID-19 lockdown had many of us spending more time in our loungewear and out of our makeup. And, apparently, the stars of "Big Little Lies" were no different. In March 2020, Reese Witherspoon shared an Instagram photo of her out on a walk with costar Laura Dern. "Friendship with social distancing," Witherspoon wrote in the caption. Both stars were looking comfy and au naturale with Witherspoon sporting a baseball cap and what appears to be a makeup-free face.