What Zooey Deschanel Looks Like Makeup-Free

Although it's probably little surprise to learn that the stunning and talented actor Zooey Deschanel is a natural beauty, it's actually fairly rare to see her going completely au naturel. The "New Girl" star admitted to Marie Claire in 2023 that she's a big makeup fan and tends to have at least a little bit of something on her face most of the time. "When it comes to makeup, I'm not a maximalist or a minimalist. I see people wear a lot more makeup than me, and I see people wear a lot less than me. So probably I'm in the middle," Deschanel explained. She also dished on her go-to products: "Normally I like to wear a little eyeshadow, mascara, lipstick, blush, and concealer." 

However, don't expect her to hide her skin. As the actor clarified, "I don't wear a lot of foundation." So what does this natural beauty look like on those days when she decides to go without any of her favorite products? Well, she shows off clear, glowing skin that proves exactly why she doesn't have to apply layers and layers of foundation, as well as attention-grabbing eyes that certainly don't need liner or shadow to bring them to life.

Back in 2014, Zooey Deschanel posted a rare no-makeup selfie that showed off her gorgeously blemish-free skin. The self-confident star cut quite the casual figure in the photo, which was uploaded to her Instagram, rocking a red, white, and blue long-sleeved top. "Good morning!" the lovable A-lister captioned the post, confirming via hashtags that she hadn't added a filter, nor was Deschanel wearing any makeup. Further, it certainly looked like the "(500) Days of Summer" star had just risen from her slumber, with her brunette locks stylishly unkempt — which, naturally only made this post all the more relatable. 

Fans clearly loved this peek behind the curtain at Deschanel's home life, and they let the "Elf" star — who's come a long way since appearing in the beloved holiday movie — know. "One of the most naturally beautiful women I've seen, those eyes are hypnotizing," one commenter gushed. Others couldn't help but point out her youthful glow, with one user lamenting, "Argh [...] You look like you're 16! Not fair." The actor may have looked way younger, but the A-lister was actually 34 at the time!

This wasn't the first time Zooey Deschanel went without makeup in a very public way either. Just two years prior, the "New Girl" star did a whole photoshoot without any beauty products when she appeared in People's annual Most Beautiful issue. The accompanying video showed what went on behind the scenes of the shoot as the actor posed outside by a pool in a collared blue dress and black pantyhose, proving she can even pull off a more dressed up look sans makeup. The A-lister rocked voluminous locks for the shoot (including those signature bangs that totally transformed her face), and looked completely stunning as she gave the camera a coy smile.

And yet, Deschanel admitted in the clip that she originally wasn't exactly reveling in the idea of putting her bare face in the magazine for the whole world to see (and judge). "I was really honored to be asked to be part of the Beautiful People issue but also really terrified to do this shoot without any makeup," the "Elf" star confessed. Deschanel also spoke to People about how she'd grown more comfortable in her own skin as she got older, telling the outlet, "All the things I like about myself go along with my flaws. I just have to accept those things." Only, we don't see any flaws here, just one jaw-dropping transformation.