Pamela Anderson Claims People ‘Never Liked’ Her Until She Stopped Wearing Makeup

Pamela Anderson says she has even more fans now that she doesn't wear makeup.

“I didn’t think anyone would even notice,” Anderson, 57, told Better Homes & Gardens in a profile published on Wednesday, August 7. “And then it became this whole thing. I have people stop me on the street now and say, ‘You know, I never liked you before, but I do now.’”

Anderson, who stopped getting glammed up after her longtime makeup artist Alexis Vogel died in 2019, continued, “And then I think, ‘Hmm, I know there’s a compliment in there somewhere.’”

The actress added that when she stopped wearing makeup, it “was the beginning of me letting go of the image I had always had of myself.” While she admitted that the “cartoon character” she “created” of herself was fun, “I’m not that person anymore.”

Pamela Anderson Through the Years

Back in the 1990s, Vogel and Anderson met and quickly created the model’s signature look, which featured black smokey eyeshadow, overlined pink lips and rosy cheeks. Anderson said that she would rock makeup “from the day before” to really nail the grunge aesthetic. “And a little bit of glitter from two nights before,” she joked to Elle in August 2023.

Since Vogel’s death, Anderson has “felt without Alexis, it’s just better for me not to wear makeup .” (Vogel died at age 61 after a battle with breast cancer.)

Since giving up her iconic smokey eye and overlined lips, Anderson has leaned into making her own skincare at home . “I’m not really a product person,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2023, noting that her routine consists of “rose water, vinegar, toner and homemade things.”

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Even without a full beat, Anderson never fails to command attention on a red carpet. In March, she showed off a fresh face while attending the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. She paired her look with a yellow floral frock from Oscar de la Renta.