7 Pics Of Kelly Clarkson Going Makeup Free Over The Years

Kelly Clarkson is a pop star, talk show host, and mother of two. She is restarting her Las Vegas residency in 2026 after canceling it upon the August 2025 death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, with whom she shared her kids. Essentially, she's a very busy woman who wears makeup for work and has no time for it when the cameras aren't rolling or flashing on a red carpet — unless it's a special occasion. "I don't even own makeup in my house," Clarkson admitted on her eponymous talk show, when discussing it with her guest Naomi Watts (via NBC). "Someone was like 'Do you have — ?' No, I don't. I don't wear it." 

The "American Idol" winner wears enough makeup for work and doesn't care what people think of her au naturel, arguing, "When you're looking at my face, what do you think the eyebrows should look like? Cool. Make it look like that for you, because I'm not doing any extra work." While there are understandably thousands of public photos of Clarkson all glammed up out and about in the world, she appears to stand behind her words because there are also plenty of photos of the "Behind These Hazel Eyes" singer makeup-free online, too. Here are just some of the greatest hits of Clarkson's many makeup-free moments. 

Kelly Clarkson told People that she moved to New York City from Los Angeles with her kids in 2023 because her family "needed a fresh start," and it helped improve her mental health. The holiday season is magical in Manhattan, and the "My Life Would Suck Without You" hitmaker kicked it off by visiting the iconic Rockefeller Center ice skating rink with her family, per an Instagram post from November 30, 2025. Everyone donned winter hats and coats in the photo, smiling brightly with the rink in the background. Kelly Clarkson's kids, River and Remy, rightfully stole the spotlight in bright outfits, but Clarkson was confidently makeup-free under her white pom-pom hat and behind her shades.

Kelly Clarkson was in a dark hair phase back in 2007 when she was photographed at Koi in West Hollywood, grabbing some upscale sushi and other Japanese food, while wearing a black and gold dress with chic geometric patterns. Given the awkward smile on her makeup-free face and the casual, messy way she tied her hair back, Clarkson was presumably surprised to be photographed, but she still looked cute! Besides, her confidence really sells how little the "American Idol" winner cares about going barefaced. 

Just weeks before she had to cancel her 2025 Las Vegas residency due to the death of ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson posted a tour of her "Studio Sessions" show stage in a partnership video with Wayfair, on Instagram (the company furnished the set for her). A partnership post is technically work, even though the talk show host was dressed casually in all black with sunglasses on her head and no makeup as she ran around the stage for the first time, fangirling over green couches. Naturally, she looked gorgeous. 

Kelly Clarkson is one of many "American Idol" stars who are almost unrecognizable without makeup. That was never truer for her than when she cut her dark brown hair into a bob. The pop star was already almost a different person with her hair dark and long, but the cut took Clarkson's transformation to a whole new level. She may have had some clear gloss on her lips during her visit backstage after seeing "Avenue Q" at The John Golden Theatre in New York City, but it's hard to tell. Either way, her clear skin looked luminous.

In 2020, months after the tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi Bryant, Kelly Clarkson honored Gigi in a post on Instagram for the teenager's birthday. Clarkson was makeup-free and wearing a crimson red shirt in the photo, with a rubber bracelet to honor the young girl, who died in a helicopter crash with her famous father at just 13. "I remember Kobe telling me that Gigi always played with kindness, not just talent!" she captioned it.

Kelly Clarkson went barefaced during her appearance on Kylie Kelce's podcast, "Not Gonna Lie," which dropped in March 2025 on YouTube. Her look was casual and cozy for the appearance, for which she paired what appeared to be a "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" sweatshirt with black leggings and a trucker hat. The "American Idol" winner had no makeup on and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun for the interview. Kelce wore makeup for the chat, but Clarkson's look fit the vibe more as the women talked about football, the early days of "American Idol," and motherhood.

Kelly Clarkson gave her followers a rare, raw look at her process in the studio in a video posted to Instagram in June 2025 to promote her Las Vegas residency. She hit an incredible note in the black-and-white BTS video before stopping to catch her breath. It's a little hard to tell because of the angle and coloring of the video, but she appeared to be totally makeup-free for the session, which makes sense because she shouldn't have to wear anything on her face while honing her craft.