- Alicia Keys started to wear minimal makeup looks after an album photo shoot in 2016.
- She has since taken the low-key approach during several major awards show appearances and performances.
- Keys most recently hosted the 2019 Grammys, choosing her signature natural look for the occasion.
Alicia Keys hosted the 2019 Grammys on Sunday night with a minimal makeup look, but it’s certainly not the first time the star has ditched the flashy looks typically seen during such a big event.
Keys wrote about her new relationship with makeup in an essay for the Lenny Letter in May 2016. She described a time when a photographer insisted on shooting her with no makeup for her album cover.
“I swear it is the strongest, most empowered, most free, and most honestly beautiful that I have ever felt,” Keys wrote in the essay.
Whether she’s on the red carpet or posting personal Instagram photos, Keys has been sticking to a minimal makeup look ever since. Sometimes she forgoes makeup completely, while other times she sticks with a light touch of foundation.
Here are 16 times she has gone with little to no makeup.
Keys began opting for minimal makeup looks in 2016.
Keys wrote in an essay for the Lenny Letter that a photo shoot with photographer Paola Kudacki for here album "Here" struck a chord with both herself and her fans.
"Once the photo I took with Paola came out as the artwork for my new song 'In Common,' it was that truth that resonated with others who posted #nomakeup selfies in response to this real and raw me," she wrote.
Read Keys' full essay on Lenny Letter.
Keys then wore her no-makeup look to the BET Awards in June 2016.
This was one of the first major awards shows Keys attended with the subtle look.
She brought the movement to the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet in August 2016.
She arrived in a vibrant red and black dress.
Keys took to Twitter in August 2016 to clarify some of her thoughts on the "no makeup" movement.
"Y'all, me choosing to be makeup free doesn't mean I'm anti-makeup," Keys wrote alongside a makeup-free selfie on Twitter. "Do you!"
Keys then brought her signature look to NBC's "The Voice."
Keys joined the show for its 11th season in 2016.
Keys framed her face in a bold red outfit for the 2016 Billboard Women In Music event.
She paired the look with an oversized wide-brimmed black hat.
She brought the look to the performance stage during an appearance on the "Today" show in September 2016.
She wore a black blazer with multicolored sleeves.
She then performed at the Grammys in February 2017, two years before hosting the annual ceremony.
She wore a black jumpsuit with tons of sparkly silver details.
Keys also proved the look was perfect for Paris Fashion Week in March 2017.
The star pulled the minimal makeup look off effortlessly during the major fashion event.
She kept it going in January 2018 with an appearance at the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing Grammy event.
She accessorized with hoop earrings and deep-red nail polish for a touch of color in her mostly black ensemble.
She walked the red carpet of the 2018 Grammy Awards in January 2018.
She wore an all-black ensemble to match her subtle makeup look.
Keys most recently kept her makeup low-key for the 2019 Grammys in February.
Refinery29 reports that Keys kept her makeup subtle with a $15 foundation from Burt's Bees.
She still managed to make a bold statement on the red carpet with an eye-catching red gown by Armani Privé.
She later changed into a teal Oscar de la Renta jumpsuit during the ceremony.
She paired the ensemble with a printed Emilio Pucci headscarf.
She later changed into a pair of sparkling Balmain trousers during the awards show.
She paired the eye-catching pants with a black wide-brimmed hat.
Keys also changed into an eye-catching red jumpsuit by Oscar de la Renta.
The jumpsuit had a sheer cape overlay for a glamorous touch.
Though Keys continues to keep her makeup minimal, she told Allure in 2017 that she has not completely sworn off cosmetics.
"I'm not a slave to makeup," Keys told Allure in January 2017. "I'm not a slave to not wearing makeup either. I get to choose at [any] given moment. That's my right."
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