7 Times Jennette McCurdy Went Makeup-Free And Looked Flawless

Makeup can serve as a beautiful and therapeutic canvas for expressing your creativity and personality through your appearance. However, there are situations where it can become harmful if the idea that altering your features with makeup is required to obtain success or acceptance. If you sometimes find yourself feeling like you "need" makeup to hide or correct your natural features, it can help to look at examples of successful women embracing their natural appearance by going without makeup.

Jennette McCurdy — best known for her role as Sam Puckett on Nickelodeon's "iCarly" — has moved on from acting but remains in the public eye as an author and a podcaster. McCurdy is known to be candid, as evidenced by her 2022 memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died." She also makes pretty frequent and gloriously unapologetic appearances in public and on social media without makeup. If you've struggled with the idea of showing off your bare face to the world (or just the other shoppers at the local 7-Eleven), take a look at these inspiring shots of Jennette McCurdy looking gorgeous without makeup for motivation.

In an October 2023 Instagram post, Jennette McCurdy posted a photo of herself in Halloween-themed pajamas on the night of one of her live one-woman shows. "If you're coming to any of the 'shows' at the hudson tonight or tomorrow, i invite you to join me in wearing pj's," the caption reads. In the photo, McCurdy appears completely free of makeup with wild, un-styled, naturally wavy hair. She looks gorgeous, confident, and free as she invites her fans to join her in turning pajamas into streetwear.

When — or around the same time — Jennette McCurdy signed her book deal with Simon & Schuster in 2022, she posted a photo on Instagram showing herself casually snacking on a piece of licorice from a bag of Twizzlers in front of the publisher's iconic headquarters in New York City. It appears that she took this massive step for her image and career without feeling the need to wear any makeup — an admirable feat for a female public figure. 

While promoting her book, Jennette McCurdy revealed to The Washington Post that she requested that the "iCarly" writers focus less on food in her character's storylines — as she was living with multiple eating disorders — but couldn't bring herself to share her true reasoning. A July 2022 Instagram post shows McCurdy dining out on an outdoor patio, rocking a baseball cap and no makeup. "Food has played a significant role in my life, for better or worse," she wrote in the post's caption. "I'm glad now it's for better."

As many authors do, Jennette McCurdy completed a book tour upon the release of her memoir, speaking to fans and media outlets all around the country about the book's content and the process of writing it. After the tour concluded, McCurdy took to Instagram in April 2023 to ask her followers for advice on reliable luggage and post celebratory photos, including a gorgeous shot of her speaking onstage makeup-free.

After successful runs as a child actor, a bestselling author, and a standup comedian, it only makes sense that the next step for Jennette McCurdy would be hosting her very own podcast. Her podcast, "Hard Feelings," launched on October 24, 2023. She announced the release of the first two episodes with an Instagram post showcasing a beautiful shot of the former actor posing in a sundress holding a delicious-looking churro — without a touch of makeup in sight (other than maybe a coat of lip gloss).

In late September 2022, Jennette McCurdy announced to the world on Instagram that she was "ready for fall" by posting a carousal of photos summarizing what kind of fun activities she had been up to over the summer. One of the shots offered a refreshing glimpse into the star's makeup-free trip to the Harry Potter Museum, where she boldly touched an off-limits plant.

We know that Jennette McCurdy hasn't been shy about skipping makeup when it comes to getting out and promoting her memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died." She proved this point again when she posed bare-faced in front of a Barnes & Noble store and posted the photo on Instagram for her millions of followers. "@barnesandnoble just let me know they're running a brief promotion on pre-order titles including my memoir," she wrote.