Pamela Anderson, 56, is well-known for her work as a Playboy Bunny and her acting role on BayWatch. In 2023 Anderson took the internet by a storm with her bold choice to go make-up free to Vivienne Westwood’s show at Paris Fashion Week.
Getting ready for the show, the actress shared with Vogue France that she believes women need to take a stand and push back against the pressures of unattainable beauty standards.
"You kind of have to challenge beauty sometimes," she said. "You know, if we all chase youth, or we're chasing our idea of what fashion magazines and everything, we're only gonna be disappointed or maybe a little bit sad. So I feel like this is it."
This was a defining moment for Anderson and a lot of other women. Since the debut of the stripped back version of Anderson, she has focused on reclaiming her personal brand.
In 2022 Ms. Anderson made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart, the much put-upon chorus girl, in “Chicago.” Last year (2023) she published “Love, Pamela,” a memoir interspersed with her own poetry and starred in a Netflix documentary, “Pamela, a Love Story,” which she co-produced with her elder son, who helped guide her when she was starting her vegan skin-care line, Sonsie Skin.
The beauty industry has always been tough on women of all ages. Anderson spoke vulnerably with Vogue France about the importance of being able to make a choice about her presentation, unrealistic beauty standards,and being rebellious in the face of certain aesthetic expectations.
Isabel Marant : Front Row - Paris Fashion Week - Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024
PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 28: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Pamela Anderson attends the Isabel Marant Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 28, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
A big part of Anderson’s choice to pursue this make-up free life was due to her make-up artist, Alexis Vogel, passing away from breast cancer. That was another moment where Anderson was inspired to leave her signature look behind.
“She was the best. And since then, I just felt, without Alexis, it’s just better for me not to wear makeup,” she told the magazine, adding that the move has been “freeing, and fun, and a little rebellious too. Because I did notice that there were all these people doing big makeup looks, and it’s just like me to go against the grain and do the opposite of what everyone’s doing.” - Anderson told Elle in August 2023.
Sometimes the path to conforming is not the most authentic to you. Anderson’s journey is true to this statement; her appearance was always dictated by someone else and now she is embracing a natural and soft look to accompany her graceful ageing.
Anderson was asked in an interview with Sidia the Brand to share her biggest beauty secret. “Wake up, whatever is happening is just happening. It’s all about self-acceptance,” she continued. “This is the chapter of my life I’m trying to embrace now.”
Anderson opened up to TODAY.COM saying, “I am much more comfortable in my own skin, but I also am in an industry that really focuses on beauty. And I thought, ‘I’m going to challenge beauty,” she said of the choice. She continued, “I think challenging ourselves is what keeps us young and beautiful. And I think, really genuinely, beauty does come from within and you don’t have to play the game.”
