Scarlett Johansson praises 'powerful' Pamela Anderson for going makeup-free at Paris Fashion Week

vt-author-image

By Nasima Khatun

Article saved!Article saved!

Scarlett Johansson has praised Pamela Anderson for her iconic look at Paris Fashion Week.

The 56-year-old former Playboy model made headlines last month after appearing at Isabel Marant Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 during the coveted fashion event with a bare face, giving everyone a glimpse of her natural beauty.

The star candidly opened up to Vogue France about the inspiration behind the look, stating that she hadn't originally planned to go make-up-free; she just had a change of heart when the time came.

"I didn’t come to Paris Fashion Week and think: 'I’m not going to wear any makeup,'" she said in a video for the outlet. "I don’t know, something just kind of came over me. And I was just dressing in these beautiful clothes, and I thought: 'I don’t want to compete with the clothes.' I’m not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room."

"I feel like it’s just a freedom," the Baywatch alum continued. "It’s like a relief."

wp-image-1263232458 size-full
Pamela Anderson attends the Isabel Marant Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week. Credit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis/Getty

She also added that she doesn't have "a glam team" saying: "I’m just kind of doing this freestyle."

During the video, she was also getting ready for the Vivienne Westwood show during Fashion Week and gave fans a look into her routine to make her feel her best before stepping out in front of the cameras.

"I let my hair dry naturally, and I just put on some moisturizer because I am not into the makeup look right now," she said, before recalling how her mother once told her that "at some point" in life, she’s not going to want to "wear makeup on [her] skin."

And I guess mother always knows best because Anderson noted that she may have reached that point in her life.

"If we all chase youth or we’re chasing our idea of what beauty is in fashion magazines and everything, we’re only going to be disappointed and maybe a little bit sad," she said.

wp-image-1263232461 size-full
Pamela Anderson shocked audiences after she appeared at Fashion Week bare-faced. Credit: Michael Ostuni/Patrick McMullan/Getty

One thing's for sure though, in a world where women are still expected to look prim and proper all the time, the 56-year-old proved that it's possible to look perfect even if it's not to society's expectations.

After seeing snapshots of the icon rocking her natural beauty at the event, other celebrities decided to speak out on the issue with Jamie Lee Curtis describing the move as an "act of rebellion."

Taking to Instagram, the actress posted a photo of the star alongside the caption: "THE NATURAL BEAUTY REVOLUTION HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN! @pamelaanderson in the middle of fashion week with so many pressures and postures, and and and, this woman showed up and claimed her seat at the table with nothing on her face. I am so impressed and floored by this act of courage and rebellion."

Now, Scarlett Johansson has also spoken out about Anderson's brave decision during a recent interview with Pop Sugar.

"I think it is definitely different to see somebody that's in the public eye, a woman in the public eye, go to a fashion show or big event with no makeup on. It's just very different from what we're used to," Johansson told the outlet.

"It's a powerful message for women to see that, whether they follow suit or whatever the effect is, in the zeitgeist. It's powerful for women to see other women rejecting standard beauty norms," the actress continued, before recalling a "mortifying" incident that happened to her while shooting her 2005 movie, The Island.

"The conversation on set [was] about lighting and hiding your bad skin," she said. "The conversation between the director and the makeup artist and the cinematographer and the lighting person. I remember it was so, so mortifying."

wp-image-1263232462 size-full
Scarlett Johansson is seen arriving to the Clooney Foundation For Justice's "The Albies" on September 28. Credit: Jason Howard/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty

Thankfully times are now changing. Though there are still pressures on women to submit to society's standards, we're happy to see women like Pamela Anderson paving the way for a new standard.

Period.

Featured Image Credit: Nina Westervelt/Variety/Getty