6 Real Housewives Stars Who Are Completely Unrecognizable Without Makeup

"The Real Housewives" franchise is one of the most prominent in all of television. It started in the mid-2000s, and it doesn't show any signs of slowing down — and neither do its stars. From coast to coast, cities in between and beyond, women are eager to become part of this epic TV phenomenon known for showcasing the lives of wealthy women. When describing most of these ladies, one of the first words that comes to mind is "glamorous," and that's thanks in part to the makeup they wear.

It's a rare occurrence to see a Real Housewife without a designer outfit and a full beat. They take their glam seriously, and the world loves them for it. While they look beautiful in full glam, some of the Housewives don't look the same when they're not wearing makeup (though that's not necessarily a bad thing). Take a look at six "Real Housewives" stars who are completely unrecognizable without makeup.

Plenty of fans recognized LeeAnne Locken when she joined the cast of "The Real Housewives of Dallas." The Texas native had a career in modeling and acting prior to her stint on reality TV. "The Real Housewives" star was even in a movie with Sandra Bullock, as well as had an appearance in "Walker, Texas Ranger." 

Locken was well-accustomed to the glamour of the entertainment industry when she joined Bravo. When filming as a Real Housewife, Locken was often rocking a smoky eye and thick lashes. She often opted for a bold lip color, and her face was chiseled like Maleficent's thanks to her contour. Locken had a signature makeup look, and she stayed true to it.

Without makeup, Locken isn't quite as recognizable, but she still looks great. Her eyelids aren't as dark and her lashes aren't as long, but her face is still chiseled and her natural beauty is on full display. Like many of us, Locken has used makeup to cover insecurities. "I have gotten very good at covering up the scars on my face with makeup but in the end, they are simply evidence of a life that has been lived!" she told People. But beauty to Locken isn't tied to her appearance. "I feel the most beautiful when I am with my friends laughing or spending time at home watching my fur babies play. When I am at peace is when I feel the most beautiful!" she said in another interview with People.

Ramona Singer is one of the most recognizable Real Housewives in the entire Bravo universe. A longtime star of "The Real Housewives of New York," Singer is known for her confidence and some of her outrageous moments (who can forget Singer's infamous bug-eyed walk down the runway?). Singer was on the show long enough to be part of multiple eras of the franchise – the early days where the women weren't quite as concerned with glam, and the modern era where many of the cast members hire professional makeup artists before filming. While Singer has never been famous for her glam team, the reality star isn't quite as recognizable without makeup today as she was when Bravo first hired her.

But that doesn't mean she looks bad. Singer is still a beauty sans glam, and she's worked to look as good as possible. "I have the confidence to go out into the world without it because I've always taken great care of myself. I have great skincare products that I use morning and night, I eat healthily, drink plenty of water and get my eight hours. So maybe I'm blessed with good genes, but I'm very disciplined as well," Singer told People. Singer has also put in the work to feel good on the inside. "It's more important for me to feel confident and to appreciate my sensuality. That confidence comes from within," she said.

Teresa Giudice defined the entire "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" franchise in a single scene. Her infamous table flip made her a legend, and she's only gotten more famous since then, perhaps hitting her peak with a Super Bowl commercial and an appearance on "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test." Since joining Bravo, much of Giudice's life has revolved around the entertainment industry, and when she's public-facing, the reality star is all dolled up. When she's at home, though, it's a different story. "It's liberating," Giudice told People of going without makeup. "If you see me running around the town where I live or going to the gym, I am almost always makeup-free. Plus it's good to give your skin a break once and a while."

Giudice's look definitely changes when she's makeup-free, but likely in a way she's proud of. The reality star has always taken pride in being a mother to her four daughters, and as they grew up on camera, it appeared that they favored their father in looks. But when Giudice goes makeup-free, it's clear that her daughters aren't just copies of her ex-husband — there's a serious family resemblance between the females in the family.

Kim Zolciak-Biermann is famous for a few reasons: being part of the original cast of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," wearing wigs, and her canceled Bravo show, "Don't Be Tardy." Since the early "RHOA" days, Zolciak-Biermann has rocked wigs, sharing with fans that she finds wearing hairpieces easier than sitting in hair and makeup for hours each day. But while she may not spend hundreds of minutes on glam, Zolciak-Biermann still puts plenty of effort into her appearance, often looking like a blond bombshell when on camera.

Zolciak-Biermann may look unrecognizable when she removes her wig and takes off her makeup, but the reality star is still a beauty who embraces how she looks in any form. "I feel beautiful with no makeup and no wig and I feel beautiful with makeup and a wig," she said under a no-makeup selfie posted on Instagram. I love being a woman ... dressing up and I also love running around in my La Perla pajamas bottoms (that are old as s**t I wear them everyday) and my bathrobe." Zolciak-Biermann added that she prioritizes skincare and makes sure to take her makeup off before she goes to bed. She also encouraged others to embrace themselves. "Do what makes YOU happy! Love the skin you're in!" she said.

As one of the stars of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and a former beauty queen, Kenya Moore was the second African American woman to ever be crowned Miss America, and when she went on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant in 1993, she finished sixth. It's not a stretch to call Moore one of the most beautiful women in the world since she's got the hardware to prove it. But to compete on stage in beauty pageants and film reality TV, it requires significant amounts of makeup, and wearing as many beauty products as Moore does has altered her public appearance some.

But Moore doesn't mind. She knows she looks like a queen with or without foundation and blush. Moore once posted a makeup-free selfie to Instagram, and let all her followers know exactly how she feels about herself. "I'm a Nubian queen it's in my blood to adorn myself. But I'm definitely comfortable not wearing makeup too ... Beauty is from the inside out and even if you don't wear makeup, don't judge others who do or make them feel bad for wanting to present themselves however they want," Moore wrote.

Erika Jayne's life looked much different before becoming a Real Housewife. One of the most tenured cast members of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Jayne instantly made a splash when she joined the cast thanks to her lavish lifestyle. She lived in an enormous mansion, flew on her husband's private plane, and took a glam squad with her everywhere she went. Things changed for Jayne when her ex-husband got into major legal trouble, but Jayne hustled to keep at least one thing the same: the glamour. Despite losing her home, the plane, and significant cash flow, Jayne kept paying for her glam squad. "Certain things you don't downsize on, and that's your glam. Fashion, hair, makeup: To me, it's art, living art, and I enjoy that. And it shouldn't be judged any other way," Jayne said on an episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

But just because Jayne loves glam doesn't mean she can't go without it. Though she does look somewhat different without makeup, Jayne still looks beautiful and feels confident. A photo of Jayne without makeup circulated the internet back in 2019, and the reality star took some flak for it. But she quickly defended herself, asserting her confidence and her pride in her age. "Actually this is me after a facial with no makeup and no, I'm not ashamed to be 47," she replied in a since-deleted tweet, per Page Six.