15 Women Who Prove Confidence and Self-Love Are the Best Beauty Combination

Bare faces, natural beauty, and real confidence: these 15 women prove that the most powerful beauty secret is simply loving how you look. We’ve grown so used to filtered, perfected images that we sometimes forget what a real face actually looks like. These women decided to change that. Their photos, with and without makeup, are a quiet reminder that giving yourself permission to just be is always enough.

With and without makeup — how can I do better?

The difference makeup and hair can make

Me without makeup and with “no-makeup” makeup

• And 99% of men think we’re “all natural” in the second look. © local_redheadd / Reddit

I’m 49. I never leave the house without makeup, and it takes me almost 2 hours to apply it.

• Are you really 49?! Your skin is glowing! © GabrielHunter / Reddit

I look worse with makeup on.

I’m 21. This is how I look with and without makeup.

Everyday makeup vs no makeup

How do I look without makeup?

Makeup or natural look?

• You look good in both, but the makeup ages you a lot more. You look younger without makeup! © Marebearfgt / Reddit

After and before makeup. What would you recommend?

I’m 31. Me with makeup and without

I’m 19. This is my bare face, no makeup done, no hair done.

My full makeup vs natural look. Which looks better on me?

They say I look older than my 23 years. What do you think?

Am I doing my makeup okay for my eyes shape or do I have to try a different method? The second photo is no makeup on.

Beauty was never really about what’s on your face. It’s about that feeling you get when you look in the mirror and actually like what you see — makeup or not. These women proved it better than any beauty tutorial ever could.

How do you prefer your everyday look: full glam, a light touch, or bare skin all the way? Tell us in the comments.

The women in these photos aren’t the only ones who chose themselves. Here are more women who decided to live on their own terms and never looked back:

• 15 Women Discovered a Secret to True Beauty, and It Had Nothing to Do With Perfection
• 16 Women Who Refused to Shrink and Chose Themselves Instead