Full glam is taking a backseat, and for once, it is not about what is added, but what is left behind.
Across red carpets, press tours, and off-duty sightings, a new kind of beauty statement has been dominating. Not contoured, not filtered, and not even particularly complicated. In fact, the latest beauty trend does not ask you to do much. Or anything at all, really.
While the 'no-makeup makeup' aesthetic has become a staple in 2026, it was Alicia Keys who started the revolution in 2016, famously showing up to high profile events in all her bare-faced beauty. There wasn't even a trace of sheer foundation or a strategic dab of concealer. This was bare skin, visible texture, and a face card doing all the talking.
Alicia Keys did not just popularise the look. She committed to it. No foundation, no cover-ups, no halfway interpretations. Just skin, consistently and unapologetically on display at events like the MTV Video Music Awards and the Grammys. Long before it became a red carpet talking point, she had one of the most honest takes on the no-makeup look Hollywood has ever been graced with.
Now, a new wave of stars is picking up where she left off. Zendaya, for one, has been rewriting the rules, stepping onto the red carpet in full, angelic glamour while skipping eye makeup entirely. While she obviously was still made-up, her lighter makeup styling was in the ballpark of the fresh-faced trend.
Before Zendaya's understated red carpet makeup for The Odyssey premiere went viral, silver screen beauties like Lily Collins and Hailey Bieber have long been fans of softer, stripped-back finishes that favour skin over structure. Together, they are proving that polish does not always require product. Sometimes, all it asks for is the face you woke up with, brave enough to skip that 10-step foundation routine.
Alicia Keys
Before it became a trend, Alicia Keys made it a movement. Back in 2016, the singer stepped away from makeup entirely, not for a moment, but for a mindset shift. No foundation, no concealer, no 'clean girl makeup'. As an alternative, she was all about natural beauty. What followed was a series of bare-faced appearances and a refreshing redefinition of beauty standards.
Her glow was not the result of highlighter, but confidence. And years later, that same philosophy still holds. Whether she chooses to wear makeup or not nowadays, Keys made one thing crystal clear: beauty is not something you can dab on with a brush and a spoolie. Instead, beauty is either something you're born with or something you choose to exude.
The 'Karma' singer made a bold aesthetic choice yet made it clear that she isn't 'anti-makeup', encouraging people to 'do you'.
Lily Collins
Lily Collins has never been one to overdo it. Whether she dons full-glam on the red carpet or shows up to brunch fresh-faced, her beauty aesthetic feels like it was made in Paris with love. While some people may suffer from blush blindness, Collins' beauty is blinding enough on its own.
No heavy falsies, no overlined lips needed; just a gorgeous face that calmly carries the entire look without needing a supporting cast.
It is exactly this kind of understated elegance that makes her a natural choice to portray Audrey Hepburn in the upcoming biographical drama. Grace over excess, charm over theatrics. Instead of transforming herself to fit the moment, Collins refines it.
Call it effortless, call it timeless, call it very Lily. Either way, she proves that sometimes, the real beauty flex is knowing when to do less and still give everything.
Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber has built an entire aesthetic around looking like she just woke up like this, and somehow, it works every single time.
Often spotted fresh-faced and glowing, the mom of one loves to advocate for skin-first beauty with barely-there makeup, brushed brows, and that signature glazed finish that launched a thousand skincare routines.
It is the kind of effortless beauty that looks low-maintenance but definitely knows its angles. Love it or question the science behind it, the Rhode founder has mastered the formula for a complexion that glows and 'slays' at the same time.
Zendaya
Zendaya may have arrived at The Odyssey premiere dressed like a celestial being, but her makeup told a very different story; one that Athena herself might approve of.
Skipping mascara entirely, she embraced bare, so-called 'ghost lashes', letting her prominent blush stand out as the main character. While the eyes stayed almost untouched, a sun-kissed flush brought just enough life back into the look, proof that 'no makeup' rarely means no effort at all.
It is the kind of minimalism that only works when it appears effortless on the surface, yet expertly curated underneath.
In a sea of full glam, Zendaya dialled it down while delivering minimal requirements for maximum impact.
