What Megyn Kelly Looks Like Makeup-Free

Megyn Kelly is a big personality and no stranger to controversy, from her sensational years as an anchor on Fox News to her short-lived but equally provocative turn on NBC, where she got into hot water for questioning the inappropriateness of blackface. And the scandals don't just follow her words, as Kelly is also a wildcard in her fashion and beauty game. She unapologetically wears what she wants — as proven by a few of Megyn Kelly's most inappropriate outfits — and often opts for a very glam take on professional makeup.

Sometimes, this unique personal style distracts from Kelly's actual work, as it did during a presidential debate back in January 2016. Instead of focusing on the candidates' political platforms, viewers were transfixed by Kelly's fake eyelashes. "I think Megyn Kelly's eyelashes are getting longer as the debate goes on," one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Yikes — sounds like nobody told Kelly that you don't need lashes for a glam makeup look.

To be fair, though, Kelly doesn't maintain a full face of makeup 24/7, and she's happy to drop the occasional clean-faced selfie on social media. But if you're only accustomed to seeing her all done-up while hosting TV shows or conducting interviews, you may be surprised by her fresh appearance sans cosmetics.

Megyn Kelly may favor plenty of mascara and eyeliner when she's on the air, but that's not always the case during her private time. For example, in June 2023, Kelly shared a clean-faced photo from her vacation in Saint-Tropez, France. In the shot, she's lounging poolside in a fluffy white robe, enjoying a light breakfast — suggesting that, yes, she did wake up like that. "Lord, you look even younger without makeup on!" wrote one commenter, and it's true that the TV personality looks awfully luminous as she enjoys the tropical locale.

Kelly also posted a no-makeup picture of herself and her husband, Douglas Brunt, in honor of their 16-year wedding anniversary in March 2024. And while a baseball cap obscures Kelly's forehead in the picture, it does nothing to overshadow her wide smile and glowing skin. "You're as beautiful without makeup as with," one person commented on the Instagram post.

Whether or not you agree with her outspoken approach to journalism and politics, most of us can agree that Kelly is a naturally gorgeous woman. Fortunately, Kelly isn't interested in gatekeeping her routine — on the contrary, she often explains the steps of her beauty regimen and shouts out her favorite (and unsponsored) products.

Want to know how Megyn Kelly puts forth such a polished image both with and without makeup? First and foremost, she starts with a fresh canvas. On her podcast, "The Megyn Kelly Show," she underscored the importance of cleansing in her skincare methodology. "Because I wear so much [makeup] for the camera, I do make sure I clean my face religiously. ... Every night, you've got to wash your face. In the mornings, too, but especially at night to get up all that makeup and grime."

Kelly has also been very forthcoming with the facials and beauty treatments she prefers, which include alternating between picosecond lasers and Clear + Brilliant laser treatments every six to eight weeks. "They're very gentle — like you don't need a numbing cream," she shared in the same episode of her podcast. "It keeps your skin looking really good."

Even on the days she needs to be camera-ready, Kelly saves the drama for her eye makeup, gravitating toward lighter skin products. A 2023 post on Megyn Kelly's website revealed her go-to makeup item: Rather than grabbing a standard foundation, she uses the Bye Bye Foundation Full-Coverage Moisturizer from IT Cosmetics, a tinted moisturizer that includes SPF 50.

Of course, by the time she adds any contouring and finishing, who's to say how many layers of makeup Kelly wears during work hours? But with her makeup-free selfies, we know she'd look just as good — if not better — without it. And Kelly isn't the only conservative darling to sometimes set aside a full face of cosmetics: Here's what the Trump women look like without makeup.