A Woman's Face

How we use makeup to disguise ourselves, and what we reveal in the process.

A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction.
- Oscar Wilde

Pamela Anderson attended New York Fashion Week in September without an ounce of makeup— nary a swipe of mascara or a dusting of blush.

Anderson isn’t exactly known for being natural, but she’s gone makeup-free before. She often appeared barefaced in the 2023 documentary Pamela, A Love Story, which was co-produced by her son, Brandon Thomas Lee (and, incidentally, was incredibly good. A must-watch, especially if you were alive during the 90s/00s)

But the fact that a woman (and a famous one, at that) dared to show her makeup-free face at a major event caused quite a stir in news outlets worldwide.

Bigger things are happening in the world, and whether or not one woman wears makeup shouldn't be news, but it was. It is. We continue to write think-pieces about Pam and her bare face (this one included).

So, instead of debating whether the story is newsworthy (because the number of posts and articles have proven it is), I think we should lean into the social value of gossip and ask why it was so newsworthy.

Why is a woman’s face such a big deal?