Mariska Hargitay Is An Ageless Beauty Going Makeup-Free

Even if you're not a devoted fan of "Law and Order: SVU," which has been on television since 1999, you may still recognize Mariska Hargitay. Not only is she an award-winning actor for her role as detective Olivia Benson on the series, but she's also Hollywood royalty. Hargitay is the daughter of Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay, both of whom weren't just talented but considered to be some of the most beautiful people of that era.

Although Hargitay is known for her acting chops first and foremost, she's also known for her natural beauty. In fact, at 61, Hargitay almost appears to be aging backwards. "I am young at heart and doing everything I want to do in my life, and I've never been happier," Hargitay told Harper's Bazaar in September 2025, when she was asked how old she felt. "I've never been here before, and it's so exciting. But at the same time, I have always been me, so I feel like 49 or 50. I don't even care. I feel stronger than ever."

While Hargitay has worn some outfits that totally missed the mark, she still always looks gorgeous. Even when you strip away the makeup, she's the very definition of ageless beauty. Maybe there's something, after all, to not caring what others think that keeps people looking younger longer.

In January 2026, a Mariska Hargitay fan account posted a photo of a makeup-free Hargitay smiling with two of her friends. Although all three women looked stunning, since we're so used to seeing Hargitay with makeup, she was the one who really stood out. It was so refreshing to see someone of her level of fame allowing herself to be so exposed — especially in a culture that shames women for aging.

"Everyone has to do what makes them feel powerful and beautiful," Hargitay told Allure in September 2025. "I get worried when people start all looking the same ... altering their faces to look more like other people than themselves ... When you get older, you just feel that fear and do it anyway." Although Hargitay didn't reveal what treatments she's had done, if any, she did say that a fresh manicure, ideally a classic Chanel red, is something that always makes her feel good about herself. 

When she's not acting, producing, and directing, Hargitay is an activist who gives back to the community. In 2004, Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization that provides support to survivors of sexual assault, and she's also a certified rape counselor. "Tell someone you've survived cancer, and you're celebrated. I want the same response for sexual assault survivors," Hargitay wrote in an essay for People in 2024. "I want no shame with the victim." Hargitay is proof that when you're beautiful on the inside, it's going to radiate on the outside, too.