The Simple Way in Which Pamela Anderson Is Challenging Beauty Ideals

The model-actress has made headlines in recent months for going makeup-free.

Pamela Anderson / Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

When Pamela Anderson started attending major events makeup-free last fall, it made headlines. The 57-year-old actress and model has largely continued her streak since then, opting for little to no makeup at fashion weeks, while attending awards shows and even in campaign videos.

In a new interview with Better Homes & Gardens, the former Baywatch star opened up about her choice to forgo makeup as a way to challenge existing beauty standards.

“I don’t think I was ever striving for perfection. But somewhere along the way, I started thinking that I want to challenge the idea of beauty and this mask we put on. As soon as I took the mask off, the whole world opened up,” Anderson explained. “It just happened to be this silly thing of being at Paris Fashion Week and me saying, ‘I’m not going to sit in a makeup chair for three hours. I’m going to the Louvre.’”

Pamela Anderson / Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Anderson, a proud mom of two adult boys, added that going makeup-free simply feels right for the stage of life she’s currently in, in which she’s taking back her power.

“That was the beginning of me letting go of the image I had always had of myself,” she stated. “‘What is this cartoon character that I’d created? O.K., that was fun. But I’m not that person anymore.’ It was a dance I was doing that I was only partly aware of. And looking back, I can see why I did it.