In Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issues of yore, VF would hire several top photographers to take interesting snaps of the year’s most talked-about actors and actresses over the course of months. The portfolio would always be a good 30 pages of interesting, never-before-seen pics, and it was awesome. Somewhere along the line, VF messed with their formula though. They began featuring less people and they would just get one photographer to do it.
So, this year’s portfolio was done by Chuck Close. Close is famous for his no-muss, no-Photoshop, warts-and-all portraits, and that’s what VF allegedly hired him to do this year. You can see the VF slideshow here. Close says: “I don’t do glamour shots, and they’re not airbrushed or whatever. So they can be, um…they can be rough. So I need to talk people through it. They have to give up a great deal of vanity in order to do it. And it takes a real act of generosity and faith on the part of the subject to go with it and to give me their image without having any control over what’s gonna happen.”
VF claims that no hair or makeup people were on hand, and VF did not provide any wardrobe for the celebrities. So, they were photographed as-is, as they came to his studio. Which has led some people to suggest that these celebrities were makeup-free. Which… if I’m reading between the lines, I think is not really what happened. I think some people – like Kate Winslet – arrived at Close’s studio with some light makeup already applied. I have to give some credit to Oprah, though – I think that’s what she looks like without any makeup. And Brad… well, that’s a good photo of him! Close has photographed Pitt several times before, but I think this is one of the best Close portraits I’ve seen of Pitt.
Photos courtesy of Chuck Close/VF.
I only see a bit of eye makeup on Oprah and that’s it. I think it’s interesting to see, and I give the ladies credit for doing it (not as big a deal for guys).
Kate and Brad’s both look like mug shots.
I think maybe even some tinted moisturizer. That’s sort of makeup, but sort of not, I guess.
This is probably he closest I’ve seen to something being called makeup-free though. And I like that they did it. I also love that Scarlet looks so much like a regular person. A pretty person, but it’s not some scary unattainable pretty. She looks cute.
I think Scarlett looks ugly, and that makes me glad. I always thought she was way overrated (her face, because her body *is* awesome), maybe now others will see it too.
The others however hold their own 🙂 Oprah = gorgeous
Well, to me Scarlett looks glowing and gorgeous. I know I am in the minority here, but I think she exudes so much sensuality!
Wow JIJI you’re really attracting good karma your way.
@Little Parisienne nope you’re not in the minority. I feel the same way 😉
Haha Migdalia, I’m not afraid of bad karma! I always say what I think, but what I think is positive more than 50% of the time. So my reasoning is that I’ll be mostly spared from evil karma 🙂
“Well, to me Scarlett looks glowing and gorgeous.”
I agree. She radiates health, IMO.
@Migdalia,
Tell the parents of an innocent child with cancer, or a hard working person who’s lost their job because of downsizing, etc, about “karma.” It doesn’t exist. Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I’m tired of “karma” being trotted out, especially over something so trivial.
Scarlett looks healthy and glowing, but since this story is about appearances I will say her looks are not my cuppa. Ditto Amber Heard, though her long legs are lovely. I find Kate Winslet far more attractive. Brad, Oprah, and Julia look amazing.
Mercy –
I disagree. Karma definitely exists. But karma doesn’t come into play with disease, natural disaster and the like. Karma is about the inevitable personal responsibility someone will take – whether they like it or not – for being an azzhole. Even if it’s unintentional, the world around the person is aware of a person’s slights and repercussions follow – maybe not now but eventually. And for those who love and are genuinely kind, people around them recognize that. If they are kind with ulterior motives, the world recognizes that too. What your heart is made of attracts the same…
When she’s all done up for movies, I think Scarlett is very pretty, and without all the makeup she still looks cute.
@mytbean,
I didn’t realise losing a job was considered a disease or natural disaster. And where does insinuating a person has earned bad things happening to them because they express a difference of opinion fall on the karma meter? Seems pretty negative to me. Believe me, I wish with all my heart that karma existed. I would love to see good people doing good things rewarded and spared hardships, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I don’t mean to imply that people shouldn’t bother putting good out into the universe or anything of that sort, but you do it because it’s the right thing and it makes you and others happy, not because there is some kind of a karmic reward involved.
They all have some form of make up on.
Oprah may have on the nights before mascara, but no way would you be able to see the lash definition with out it.
THANK You! all of them have some sort of concealer and light foundation, their skin is even color and you see no difference between under eye skin color and rest of the face, we Normal Plebe KNOW that is not for realsiez
I agree, they are not sans fards. They are wearing very little, though.
Yeah they do have on concealer. No one’s skin is smooth all the way through like that. I would expect to see some peach fuzz, something.
Kate’s face has fuzz on it. My co-worker said, “She’s like a nun peach, it’s kind of adorable.” <– her words, not mine.
Agreed, I don’t care how much they all look after their skin, the tone is far too even to be fully natural. Your skin *should* have 3-4 different tones on it depending on the area.
I still think it’s a nice idea and especially in Scarlet’s case, shows what how good lighting/make up etc. can turn a really pretty girl into the hottest woman on the planet so it gives me hope, haha but yes, they are wearing some sort of base here.
Ugh–I hate that about my face. I’m really pale–skin is the same color as Kate, but I have pink cheeks. They’re ALWAYS flushed, and I don’t know why.
@Virgilia, do you have rosacea? I have mild flares, but when it first surfaced, my skin was a nightmare for 3-4 months. Never ever put any kind of steroid cream on your face to calm redness or dry spots. I think that’s where my problem started. Use gentle skin care products & a quality sunblock on your face no matter the weather.
I kind of think Winslet has no makeup on. If she was going to touch anything up wouldn’t it be those 3 blackheads on the photos left side of her nose? Is that what i’m seeing or is it a birthmark?
And tinted moisturizer is indeed makeup. If it covers a flaw or enhances the look I stand firm on it being makeup.
Oprah has been seen without makeup and she looks much worse than this. Or she’s had some very good work in the recent past.
I can’t judge anyone on their eyelashes. Mine are dark, think and plentiful. The hallmark for me is they’re so heavy they’re weighed down and have no upcurl. So when I see them curled up I wonder wither mascara or a curler used with clear mascara.
Florc, sounds like you’re blessed with impressive eyelashes. Lucky you.
Winslet also has some lip liner, it looks like.
I think they all did tinted moisturizer, clear mascara, and then eyeliner or lip liner, depending upon the person.
Sullivan
I have to pluck my eyelashes weekly. They grow straight down and irritate my eye if I don’t or rove up my eye lid outside of the eyelash line. I do like the compliments, but it’s more of a curse/blessing case.
Jag
I’m a bit shocked Chuck didn’t require them to have a wet nap taken to their faces to ensure a true makeup free shot. Or did he and that’s why they all look a bit greasy?
Let me see….. Kate definitely seems to be wearing light foundation and mascara, at the very least. Brad probably is genuinely make-up free, but that’s no biggie for a man. Oprah may not have applied any make-up but seems to have permanent eye-liner. Scarlett may be wearing some BB cream and light blusher, but I do think she’s probably genuinely make-up fee. And she looks about 17, though not in a good way.
Scarlett looks very young and delightfully average.
Dammit, even I could be the Hottest Woman in the World with professional hair and make-up!
LOL! I’ve always been slightly bewildered by her ‘hotttest woman’ status anyway. Most of the time she looks only slightly above average to me – and I’m not talking candid pics, but red carpet pics complete with designer gowns and professional hair and make-up. That said, she CAN look very pretty and does have biggish boobs (which is enough for a lot of men) but for someone whose fame is mostly due to her looks, she’s still massively overrated.
They look delightfully normal. Scarlett and Kate have really limp hair.
That’s exactly what my hair looks like when it’s gone a day too long without a wash! Like today!
I think ScarJo looks great! I always feel that the skin and the eyebrows are the ones that really make or break a face. The other features are just accessories.
Oh and a smile too! A smiling make-up free Kate will look even better than a poker-face make-up free Kate.
I think Scarlett looks really really pretty. Personally, I see nothing “average” about her face.
Ice Maiden
2 words… Dry Shampoo.
If I have no time for a hair wash i’ll spray it in and brush my hair. On top of taking the greasy look out it thickens your hair. If I want voluminous hair i’ll spray it in clean hair after it dries.
I don’t see anything average about ScarJo either. I would kill for her cheekbones and full lips. I always wish mine were fuller, but I’m afraid of weird looking filled lips. They can seem so obvious.
She does look very young here, but I think that’s a good thing! She also looks pretty and confident. I wouldn’t mind looking like her at all. 🙂
Years ago, Oprah had a show where Julia Roberts brought her best friend from highschool into the studio for a makeover, and a gaggle of professional hair and make-up people gave her the Hollywood treatment. The friend was attractive, yes: but when she came out for the “big reveal,” her transformation was truly unbelievable. She looked GORGEOUS. It really did drive home for me how much primping and perfecting celebrities go through, and how anyone can look good with the right treatment and lighting.
@Granger It’s true, though I think some people react better to make-up than others. Some people just look like a more polished version of themselves with even the best professional hair and make-up, whereas others, like the one you describe, look like a completely different person.
I had a friend who worked in the fashion business in Milan. She said the models there could be divided into 2 groups. Some of them would look gorgeous even with no make-up, a hangover, and 3 hours of sleep. The other 50% would look rather plain in ‘real life’, only to be transformed into ravishing beauties after an hour in front of the cameras. It’s that chameleon quality which so many of the best models have.
Really? Well on one hand I can belive that celebrities have a lot of “help”: make up, flattering clothes, good lighting, trainers to work out and all that stuff.
But let’s not kid ourselves though: they are also very attractive to begin with.
Even without make-up (or barely any) I still think Scarlett Johansson is pretty attractive. And I’m no fan of hers but come on, how often do you see a woman who looks like Scarlett on the subway?
” how often do you see a woman who looks like Scarlett on the subway?”
If you mean looking like Scarlett in the picture above, then very very often. Or at least I suppose so. She’s so unremarkable looking in the above pic that I doubt I’d even remember seeing someone who looked like that. They’d just blend into the background.
Ice Maiden, fully agree! My sister who is extremely beautiful when she’s in full make up – which is always, nothing extreme but flaws hidden and best features enhanced – looks much worse than me when we both wake up. This is due to to fact that I am natural brunette and she’s a natural blonde.
So in the morning I have dark eyebrows and long black lashes, even golden skin tone with natural hair waves while she looks washed out with limp hair. 30 minutes of make up later I look pretty much the same while she’s gorgeous. Have to say, the fact that all men in life – those who matter more than people on the street – were shocked in the morning when seeing that I look pretty much the same with a washed face – makes me prefer my part of the bargain. At the end of the day o am happy and I love my beautiful sis so that’s that 🙂
Jenna, haha, i think i’m also like this. U r saying men are SHOCKED when in the morning u r not ugly? ))))) poor guys must have had harsh experience))
There was this make-up photo thing on Facebook I saw the other day. It was about contouring. In the 1st photo hey had the women with the countouring on their faces in bold stripes. In the 2nd it was blended in. It was AMAZING! The make up completely chaged the perceived shape of the faces. “Normal” looking girls changed to complete Glamazons.
Make-up is art…just like oil painting or sculpture, it is just done on human bodies.
Heavy makeup can make your skin look dried out and ragged.
I always thought the next day after wearing a lot of makeup my skin just looked awful. cold creamhelps, but doesn’t fix the whole problem.
Oprah’s also got her eyebrows filled in a bit, but ya that could also be permanent or semi-permanent makeup — my aunt had her eyebrows done with feathering and it really looks great.
yeah oprah has got them filled ,and so has Scarlet , so much for being fresh faced
ScarJo looks like she’s got brow powder on.
I love these. But come on, Kate…. your skin is *really* one completely even tone? No undereye shadows with three kids and a career?
There should be more of these types of portraits, really. Where celebs look like the lady in front of you in the grocery store or something. I’ll always value my years in the industry because it really drove home the fact that it’s 90% smoke and mirrors (I even worked before the age of heavy handed photoshopping and it was STILL all an illusion). I wish all young girls could get that lesson! No one is “perfect”.
I think that even with the women in a touch of make-up, it’s nice to see them look ‘normal’.
And I agree — no one is perfect and it’s really not a good thing to portray people that way.
Brad, darling, I love you, but please wash your hair….
What does it matter, anyway? Clearly the intention is to have some contrast to the glamourous, highly made-up pictures you usually get in these magazines. I don’t care whether Scarlett Johansson is wearing some concealer or not.
Agreed if anything, it makes them more comparable to everyday people that for the most part do apply some light makeup as well (sometimes badly, but that’s another story).
ITA. I wish all of them were smiling though…”your best accessory is a smile” and I think that would have made a difference for Kate!
Kate isn’t smiling because of her wrinkles – if they weren’t going to photoshop then it’s better to not smile. It only shows her at rest wrinkles.
ScarJo is still young so she can smile away and have hardly any wrinkles just regular face movement.
I don’t really care if they have or they haven’t – although I suppose it’s naughty to lie – but I think they all look so much better NORMAL. Normal to include marginal make up if that floats any particular boats. I hate plastic faces. It’s not that I’m anti-make up particularly, but I do get fed up with being told that homogenous, expressionless faces are so beautiful, when half the time they just look like they’ve all just got back from a weekender in Stepford (and I mean the boys as well as the girls).
Just because they don’t look like they’re on the red carpet doesn’t mean they’re makeup free. How do they ALL have even skin tone?
Extensive skin care regimes and good lighting, probably..
I can’t believe Kate Winslet isn’t 40 yet. She looks older.
Except for Brad, with him I can’t discern for certain, the women all have some make-up or other on: lip gloss, lip stain, eyebrow pencil or filler, tinted moisturizer, or even eyeshadow and liner (on Oprah).
I appreciate Chick Close’s paintings more than these photos, which seem to reveal nothing about the people in them.
Somewhat refreshing imagery. BTW, the “link” to the “VF Slideshow” only takes you to the images that Kaiser shows here; to see the entire gallery, you have to click on another download… which takes you to…. VF’s subscription page. bummer. Would actually love to subscribe, but then I’d NEVER get any work done. [*apologies for going off-topic*]
So, is Brad’s picture really of recent? I thought he didn’t want to have anything to do with VF, no? (although he won’t ban actors from his movies to appear there). Or am I missing something?
He has done other things for Vanity Fair like in 2008 or 2009 when he and the cast of IB were in Vanity Fair and he was on one of the covers in 2007 for their Africa issues. But when its just for him and only him, no he won’t be on the cover.
I would think that it was from a year ago—because of the hair. He only got it cut last fall for his WW2 movie.
I do believe they are wearing some sort of foundation or concealer, but to be fair I don’t leave the house without undereye concealer and some sort of bb cream or tinted face cream. I think this does show how much of our favorite celebrities or kind of normal looking and a lot of kudos goes to the makeup and hair artists out there.
Scarlett looks young and pretty, Kate looks like herself, and Brad looks like a caveman. It’s all good!!!
Given the mostly even skin tones, I vote that several are wearing some type of cream (maybe BB, CC or tinted moisturizer). A makeup-free interpretation could mean different things to different people. To some, it means no products whatsoever; others may interpret it as toning down their usual look.
I do think less is more. It’s more interesting to see faces with some lines and movement instead of cookie cutter plastic looks.
Proof that Hollywood is all an illusion
Of course it is. That does go for almost all those with a public image. They’re all selling us something.
Even if these photos are touched up on some level it’s refreshing to not see them with gobs of make up on.
And personally I think Chuck wouldn’t compromise his reputation of taking natural shots by letting them walk in and sit down. I’m fairly sure he had them wipe their faces with a wet nap and that’s why their faces look a bit greasy.
Oprah is looking great at 60.
Maybe not entirely makeup free, but the photos do reveal more normal looking people.
In the full article I read on yahoo it explained that the photographer explained that no professional styling would be available. So I think this is just like- average person light make up day
Clooney’s shirt’s misspelled. It should read C-A-S-A-N-O-V-A;)
I see what you did there! 😉
I just realised that oprah looks a lot like my mom. wow. I have never noticed that before!
Are the pictures also Photoshop free?
They’ve all got something on their skin, it’s pretty obvious.
It’s only when I see pictures of celebrities without makeup and feel the shock run through me that I realize that I subconsciously compare myself to their usually altered and photoshopped images. Sad. I will definitely stop doing that, these people look no better or worse than anyone else.
I do that as well and agree with you. It needs to stop. Seeing those recent pics of Christie Brinkley at 60 looking fabulous depressed me for days. And I’m a decade younger.
No way they don’t have some foundation. I’ve seen Oprah without makeup and it’s scary
LOL
Yes, Oprah’s definitely wearing a decent amount of makeup, she looks NOTHING like this au naturel.
That one of Julia in the slideshow… my God she’s stunning!
Brad has done lost his handsome, imo
SJ would have looked a lot better if her hair wasn’t so greasy looking and flat to her head.
Like CW, I HAD moles on my face, but I had them removed. She should too – they don’t add that much character and they only increase in size as you get older………(above and beside lips)
Brows, lips, concealer… I think they all have something on. But seriously, if Scarlett were not made up to the nines all the time, she’d be just your average girl. Makeup made her. Kate we’ve seen barefaced so many times onscreen, I’m used to her that way… And Oprah… Come on, we all know what she looks like without makeup, and that aint it!
um, no. Makeup IS there
I am not buying they are completely make up free. i am guessing concealer and some foundation was definitely allowed. They had good lighting too–which really helps us all. But the undereye area and the even skin tone are giveaways that there was a little help.
Scarlett has a great skin.
VF never said they were makeup free.
Brad cut his hair last September for Fury so these are not new pics.
I think Oprah has permanent eyeliner.
SJ and Kate dont look too bad.
This picture of Kate reminds me of Jonathan Rhys Meyers, like they could be brother and sister. I am no way saying that Kate looks like a man.
Oprah has done selfies with no makeup on, and that aint how Oprah looks with no makeup. Kate has a bit of foundation on & Scarlette looks the most natural with maybe just some vaseline on her lips. Screw Brad Pitt, men don’t need makeup to look good.
I think they all have at least a little concealer on. Everyone I’ve known who acts, even community theater and mostly waiting tables types, has some skin problems from the stage makeup. It’s hard for me to believe that we’ve stumbled on the only four people in entertainment with naturally perfect skin. I think some of the women have a little more on than just concealer as well.
Not that I have a problem with that. A lot of the people I see in my daily life wear a little makeup too, and these pictures come across as a lot more real than much of what we see in magazines.
I think Kate is definitely using tinted moisturizer. Her natural beauty/bone structure shine through. Makeup doesn’t change her much, just emphasizes her. Brad looks like…Brad. Don’t see much of a difference, really. Oprah looks fresh and natural, not very different, just less obviously “polished”. I think she might have eyeliner tattooed on? Just a guess, as otherwise for the shoot she most likely would have gone without. She is strong and daring like that. Scarlet looks the most different to me without makeup. Her face seems more bulbous in places, and less “refined”. She must normally do a lot of contouring for her full-on makeup look. Looks years younger and pretty-cute instead of sexy.
This pic of Scarlett reminds me of Sue Heck from The Middle.
Virgilia, are you really light-complected? I’m very pale and have rosacea. Look it up. It’s possible that’s why your cheeks are always flushed.
And as for “karma” for me it’s “what comes around goes around” not “bad things only happen to bad people.” For instance, if you cheat on someone, you will be cheated on, etc.
I think everyone looks great!
I am so disappointed they changed up the portfolios. Those were what made the hollywood issues so fun… If I wanted to see a bunch of normal looking people I’d go n Facebook.
Good-looking people, not beauty gods how magazines want us to see them.
I cringe when my kids want to take my photo with no or barely any make up. I can’t imagine letting anyone publish a photo of me with that little make up.
lol I like brad but I remember this picture of him from I think last year?. I have to admit I have seen a better pap pictures of him than this he looks he went early in the morning without sleeping the night and a bad mood or tired mood . I agree with some who said it looks more of a mug shoot….scarlet is the best here. oprah looks s obvious she has eye liner and may be little something still she looks nice I mean she is 60 now? not much wrinkle as she should have at her age… kate looks not good as well but not very bad….
I think when you do this kind of photos, a little smile , and try doing it when feel refreshed or rest and a good attitude would bring a certain matter to your appearance ….
The photographer said, no makeup, he didn’t say anything about no soap or shampoo. I’m looking right at Brad’s extra greasy head. Ugh! Wtf?
I love this Chuck Close. I like Brad Pitt with long hair. Jessica Lange is sexy as hell. George Clooney is forcing me at this point to like him, he is hysterical. Kate Winslet looks great to me, no comment on the others. Chuck Close is trying to show their true embodiment. Love his work from this.
Kate is definitely wearing makeup. She’s got tinted moisturizer, bit of concealer, clear mascara, cheek contour, and nude lip pencil.
Yup
and they’re all wearing eyebrow stuff too!
Such liars!