Did These Celebs Lie When They Said They Went Makeup-Free?

Celebrities: they're just like us. Right? Well, that's what many want you believe when they tell you about their #makeupfree photos. From magazine cover shoots to Instagram selfies, it's become trendy for stars to claim they're posing au naturel when there's actually more to the story. (Um, like concealer. And mascara. And blush.)

Beyoncé might actually be the only person who can say, "I woke up like this...flawless" and tell the truth. These six celebrities — who are all beautiful regardless — are making us lose faith in the authenticity of "completely bare" looks. In all of their cases, we were led to think we were looking at them sans makeup, but it WAS A LIE. The humanity!

Lady Gaga

[caption id="attachment_458929" align="aligncenter" width="500"] [Photo Credit: Harper's Bazaar][/caption]In October 2011, Gaga did a cover shoot for Harper's Bazaar that was believed to be makeup-free. However, the singer made a comment to the magazine that implied there might be something more to the story — so much that a Fox website put the word "natural" in quotation marks in its article. "Don't you think that what's on the cover of a magazine is quite artificial?" she told Bazaar. "There's this idea that it's all natural, but everything's been staged to look natural." Today.com shared the same belief, reporting Gaga appeared "(almost) totally barefaced" in the shoot. EW.com also took a stand, writing, "I love this new look but am not really buying the no-makeup thing." Better luck next time, HB. 

Miley Cyrus 

In November 2013, Cyrus posted this (presumably natural, BuzzFeed claims) selfie before hitting the sack. However, the website says the pop star is wearing mascara. Her eyes do look on point... 

Kerry Washington 

[caption id="attachment_458912" align="aligncenter" width="500"] [Photo Credit: Allure][/caption]

This was a lie that ended quickly. In October 2014, it was reported by several reputable outlets Washington was donning the November 2014 Allure magazine cover sans beat face. (In fact, E! News gushed, "It's just unfair that she looks that fabulous without a stitch of makeup!") However, Washington told The View just a few weeks later that it was just an au naturel illusion. "It is a no-makeup look, but I do have some makeup on," she confessed to the ladies. "I'm going to be honest because I think it's unfair when we tell women they should look like something that's not real." Either way, Olivia Pope is gorgeous.

Demi Lovato 

Nigella Lawson 

The popular English chef and media figure claimed her April 2014 Vogue U.K. cover was bereft of beauty enhancements. “I was terrified of being photographed without makeup, and I hate having my looks talked up,” Lawson said, via People StyleWatch. “It always makes me feel I’m going to be a disappointment in the flesh.”  However, this was actually a total fib. The iconic glossy wrote, "[Lawson] wears only the most minimal make-up on the April cover." Last time we checked, "minimal" and "without" are two different ideas. The Huffington Post reported Lawson was wearing even more than that:"... light pink blush on her cheeks, eyeliner, mascara and most likely some brow liner to make her eyebrows look more full," according to its style vertical in Canada. Liesssssss! 

Michelle Keegan

In March 2014, the English actress posted a #nomakeupselfie in support of breast cancer awareness. BuzzFeed was quick to point out Keegan was sporting "HD permanent eyebrow tinting," which it considered makeup. And we have to agree. C'mon, M! Stop making us think your brows look that good naturally.