What Amy Winehouse Looked Like Makeup-Free
Amy Winehouse left an indelible mark on music, beauty, and fashion when she passed away in 2011 at the age of just 27. Known for her iconic beehive hairdo, bold red lip, and heavy eyeliner, the "Back to Black" hitmaker was lauded by pop culture enthusiasts as a true style icon of her time, who wasn't afraid of standing out and even embraced imperfection as part of her overall aesthetic. As Naomi Parry, Winehouse's close friend and former stylist, shared in a 2021 interview with makeup brand Illamasqua, "She didn't care about being perfect all the time. And she didn't care about wearing something different all the time [...] It wasn't about that." With Winehouse's makeup, the singer had a similar philosophy.
"She'd do everything in, like, half an hour, 20 minutes. Just shove it all on [...] And it wouldn't be wonky. It was there, it was her look," the former stylist, who also noted that Winehouse preferred to do her own hair and makeup, recalled. She didn't have a lot of products in her makeup rotation either, just essentials like her trusted Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner, which the late singer-songwriter used to achieve her signature cat-eye flick. But even though Winehouse often sported makeup, with Parry proudly telling BBC that "Amy was the architect of her look," she wasn't always in full-glam mode and occasionally showed off her natural beauty too. Here's what the "Rehab" singer looked like makeup-free.
Amy Winehouse had naturally glowing skin
In 2016, ahead of the fifth anniversary of her death, i-D magazine published a series of rare throwback photos, one of which was also shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, of Amy Winehouse through the years, including a snap of the late "Valerie" hitmaker showcasing her natural beauty in all its glory. Winehouse flashes a giant smile as she flaunts her gorgeously smooth, rosy complexion while seemingly going completely makeup-free. The six-time Grammy winner sports her signature beehive hair (which was inspired by French '60s style icon Brigitte Bardot) while keeping her look otherwise simple and clean by ditching the heavy eyeliner and bold, red lip. Winehouse's famous Monroe piercing, above her left lip, is also quite noticeable in the pic. That being said, it wasn't the only time that fans saw the singer-songwriter without her usual onstage glam.
Back in 2011, Winehouse was spotted rocking her stunningly fresh face during a tour in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which turned out to be among Winehouse's final live performances before her tragic death. The "Love Is A Losing Game" songstress was captured wearing little to no makeup while gazing off into the distance in a throwback snap shared by a fan account on Instagram in 2023. Winehouse, who had an extensive collection of piercings and tattoos, also showed off her some of her ink while clad in a gold-and-red bikini top, which she paired with matching jewelry and her iconic long, black locks.
Remembering Amy the way she naturally was
Without a doubt, Amy Winehouse is among the most naturally gorgeous celebs who look even more stunning without makeup. In 2019, her former stepmother, Jane Winehouse, also took to X to post a throwback snap of the music legend in honor of her eight-year death anniversary. The pic shows a youthful Winehouse in her more natural state with almost zero makeup and her jet black hair — cut just below her collarbones — falling loosely around her. In the caption, Jane shared a sweet tribute to her late stepdaughter who died after suffering an accidental overdose. She wrote, "23rd July and it's hard to believe that 8 years have passed. When I look at this picture of you, Amy, I remember you as that beautiful, funny, bright, fun-loving girl, full of talent, love, hope and ambition."
Jane added, "We miss you so much baby girl. Lots of love, 'Janela.'" Several of the replies to Jane's tweet were comments praising the iconic pop star's natural beauty, with one X user gushing, "So beautiful and such an amazing talent," while another commenter wrote, "Such a beautiful woman." But most of them came from fans collectively expressing their grief over the tragic loss of the singer, with a third commenter adding, "We all miss Amy!! Her memory will always live on."
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