Kelly Ripa's Best Makeup-Free Moments That Turned Heads

Kelly Ripa is usually all made up when we see her co-hosting "Live with Kelly and Mark," but she hasn't hesitated to keep it real and show the world what she looks like without her full coverage foundation and faux lashes. In fact, in 2014, Ripa appeared on the ABC show with a totally bare face. The incident went down after Ripa lost a Super Bowl bet with her former co-host Michael Strahan, and her forfeit was to step out in front of the cameras — and guest George Clooney! — without makeup. "Don't adjust your dials. There's nothing wrong with your TV. One of us is wearing makeup today, and one of us isn't. Not even anti-shine," Ripa said (via E! News). "I labored under the delusion that I looked okay without makeup until I came out here and I went, 'Oh my God!'" she added. Strahan then told her, "You look great. And really fresh." And he wasn't wrong.

Though Ripa jokingly made a big deal about ditching cosmetics for work, in reality, she doesn't seem to mind letting fans see what she looks like when she wakes up in the morning. The former "All My Children" actor has had multiple gorgeous makeup-free moments that got the world's attention (which is fitting considering Ripa's braless habit proves she's the queen of confidence). And it's not difficult to see why her au naturale snaps have repeatedly turned heads.

In a multi-photo Instagram post from Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Ripa proudly dialed back the glam while celebrating Labor Day with her family. One makeup-free image, showing her smiling with her husband, put her natural beauty on full display. Ripa's skin tone appeared incredibly even, without obvious acne scars or hyperpigmentation patches. She pushed her blond hair behind her ears, so we got a better look at her bare face and her megawatt smile, which complimented her tan skin.

Few of Kelly Ripa's Instagram uploads turned heads like the risqué snap she shared while bending over in front of Mark Consuelos. The 2021 upload showed Ripa in a black swimsuit, while her shirtless hubby looked shocked and delighted at the same time. It has more than 287,000 likes at the time of writing, and appeared to show Ripa au naturel (with a healthy-looking tan complexion, no lash extensions, and naturally pink lips) as she coyly smiled at the camera.

Kelly Ripa gave fans a peak at what it takes to keep her looking glam in 2019, when she shared an Instagram selfie with her hairstylist. The upload showed Ripa with dye on her roots, and she seemingly wasn't wearing even a light layer of tinted moisturizer or a slick of lip gloss. She appeared to be sporting lash extensions though (which she confirmed she gets on "Live! With Kelly And Mark"), but the slight redness on her nose and thinner brows gave away that she wasn't wearing cosmetics.

Kelly Ripa, who's been open about her plastic surgery journey, didn't appear to have so much as a coat of mascara on her lashes when she showed her affection for her husband in an adorable Instagram snap. The 2020 pic showed Ripa, with enviably beautiful bare skin, with her arms around Mark Consuelos. The TV star didn't have dark circles or bags under her piercing eyes and she gave us total eyebrow envy, as her blond brows were well-defined and shaped to compliment her face.

To celebrate Mother's Day in 2023, Kelly Ripa recreated a throwback photo of herself and her kids at the beach. The star was far from her usual glamorous self, as she scowled at the camera without her regular combination of lipstick, blush, and faux lashes. Without her falsies, Ripa's eyes looked a little smaller and less defined, and she had slight dark shadows under the eye area (which was totally relatable seeing as she's a busy mom of three). "You haven't aged," one user wrote of the makeup-free beauty.

Anderson Cooper proved Kelly Ripa has no problem ditching makeup while spending time with friends. In 2012, he posted a sweet Instagram snap with his fellow celeb, who confidently let her skin breathe. The star had a natural flush on her cheeks and thinner brows than we're used to seeing, but ditching the cosmetics helped the star look years younger than her age — she was around 42 at the time! "She looks way more beautiful [sans] makeup," an Instagram user commented.

In 2016, Kelly Ripa looked almost unrecognizable when she posed with a freshly-dyed pink bob and seemingly no makeup. The Instagram upload showed the TV personality's fun and fearless side, as she posed in a bathroom. Her skin appeared youthful-looking, even and bright, and had no blemishes or red spots. Thanks to her dramatic new hair color, her eyes popped without black eyeliner or coats of mascara, and her cheeks glowed without dramatic blush. "We love you any which way. Stunning!" one fan commented.

In 2025, Kelly Ripa removed her makeup on camera. She filmed the process for Instagram and gave her followers a look at her glowing skin without foundation. Her complexion appeared bright and smooth, and her brows were still full with a high arch, likely as a result of microblading (which Ripa has hinted at getting on Instagram Stories). As for how she keeps her skin looking good without cosmetics? She revealed she uses L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Age-Defying Face Serum and L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Moisturizer.