What Kamala Harris Looks Like Without Makeup

For women standing in the international spotlight, appearance is part of the political game. First ladies in the U.S. are built up (or torn down) for their fashion, royals across the world are held to strict dress codes, and it's hard to even imagine any of the Trump women without makeup. So, it's no wonder that people are interested in the beauty and styling secrets of current VP and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris — and also wonder what she looks like beneath all that professional coiffing.

For context, here's what we know about Harris' usual makeup routine. Her makeup artist of choice is celeb MUA Sam Fine, who has also worked with huge names like Michelle Obama and Beyoncé. As Fine revealed to Hello Giggles in 2021, both Harris and the former first lady opt for soft, refined cosmetics. "As a political figure, you can't let makeup take the main stage when you have a crucial message to deliver, so it's all about elegance and beauty basics," Fine told the outlet. "Both Michelle and Kamala go for voluminous lashes, feathered brows, radiant complexions, and neutral sheer lip shades."

Some of Fine's favorite products include The Multiple Cream Blush, Lip and Eye Stick from NARS and Hourglass Cosmetics' Girl Lip Stylo, and for touch-ups throughout the day, he leaves his clients with Tatcha's Blotting Papers. The result of all this careful work and maintenance is a look of flawless poise befitting a woman of Harris' station. But there's also a clean, authentic face hiding underneath all that makeup — one that typically only comes out when Harris is in her comfort zone (aka at home and around family).

For many people, being with family is the one place where they can let their guard down. This seems to hold true for Kamala Harris, who tends to relax her way through the holiday season with a fresh face and a big smile. Take her Thanksgiving post from 2018, which showed her happily baking in her civvies. "The meal wouldn't be complete without my cornbread dressing!" the then-senator wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. A month later, Harris once again bared it all in a fresh-faced candid with her sister, Maya Harris. "We started the day with tamales and chile relleno made with my mother's recipe, and now we're about to eat my sister's delicious gumbo that she makes every year. Merry Christmas to all!" Kamala captioned her Facebook post.

In both shots, Kamala looks fresh and glowing, even though her skincare routine is surprisingly down to earth. As she told Cosmopolitan in 2019, she favors a skin cleanser and wipes from Cetaphil to keep her complexion radiant. She doesn't specify which of the brand's products she uses, but we'd hazard a guess at the crowd-favorite Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser and Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths.

Other than that, it's "just a regular moisturizer" to complete her healthy skin look, as she told Cosmopolitan. While this routine may have seen some updates in the years following this interview, pre-White House Kamala didn't even go in for serums, expressing her confusion and frustration over the burgeoning trend: "You know what I'm trying to figure out? Serums. ... All of a sudden, they've become a thing, and then there are all kinds of them. ... It just feels like a lot of work." Relatable much?

When serving in her official role as vice president or hitting the campaign trail at debates and rallies, Kamala Harris often has to curate a polished, professional appearance — hence Harris' incredible style transformation. But even world leaders are still just people, and Harris occasionally gives followers a peek into her everyday home life, including makeup-free shots.

One such occasion cropped up back in February 2020. Having dropped out of the presidential primary two months prior — and having not yet joined Joe Biden's ticket — Harris got to enjoy a rare breather from her busy political schedule. "It's good to be back home in California this week," she wrote on Facebook, sharing another bit of food-centric home life by posing with a dish piled with salad and chicken thighs. As tempting as the meal looks, Harris' clean and smiling face is the real centerpiece of the photo, showing off clear skin, tidy brows, and naturally rosy lips.

Even Harris' barely there crows' feet add to the unique and genuine beauty of her makeup-free appearance. The former district attorney would have been 55 at the time of the post but reads much younger, putting her in good company with a few other famous women who never seem to age. However you feel about her political career, Harris clearly doesn't need cosmetics to emphasize her natural good looks. As one commenter aptly put it, "Quite stunning sans makeup."