What Mariah Carey Looks Like Makeup-Free

Mariah Carey is one of the most beloved stars in the entertainment industry, and she makes a hefty amount of money each Christmas season due to her insanely popular song "All I Want for Christmas Is You." However, before Carey's music career, she attended beauty school. In a 2023 TikTok clip from "The Jennifer Hudson Show," the iconic star detailed how she split her time between high school and beauty school since Carey enjoyed both beauty and hair (and also wanted to get out of school early, naturally). "Yes, so I'm a beauty school dropout," the "Honey" hitmaker acknowledged, noting that she did 500 hours at beauty school before quitting after only one day at her salon job due to a boss she really wasn't fond of. Thus, if her music didn't take off, Carey's career might have looked different.

The singer later joined the world of makeup with a M.A.C. Cosmetics collaboration. In 2015, the first item from the collab— a champagne-colored shiny lipstick — was released, with the rest of the line dropping in 2016. Carey looks beautiful in makeup whether it's her own or another brand. She also looks stunning with just a little bit or going completely makeup-free, such as in the below snapshot, which she posted on Instagram in 2022.

Although she appears to have a little gloss on her lips, a bit of concealer, and some light eyeliner on her eyes, the "Heartbreaker" songstress is mostly fresh-faced. Notably, she didn't seem to be wearing any eyeshadow, false eyelashes, and/or mascara whatsoever. 

In the caption for the above photo, also posted on Instagram, in 2013, Mariah Carey referenced the name of her fanbase, writing, "Love to all the lambily!!!" Even years after the pic was initially posted, fans continue to pour into the comments with effusive praise. "She looks so good without makeup," one gushed while another wrote simply, "NATURAL BEAUTY" with a heart emoticon. The iconic star isn't a stranger to beauty hacks, and her natural beauty hack for plump lips involves combining peppermint oil with lip gloss. When Carey does opt for a full face, her makeup artist Kristofer Buckle is most likely the one getting her ready. Buckle and Carey started working together in 1997 and have become friends in the time since. During a 2020 interview with Who What Wear, Buckle offered some insight into the secrets behind Carey's impressive makeup looks. 

For one thing, he puts blush on her cheeks both before and after setting the rest of her makeup. Buckle also adds blush and highlighter to the "Obsessed" singer's nose, but the feature that gets the most glam is definitely Carey's eyes. "It's always about the eyes!" Buckle enthused. "Mariah's look is eye-centric ... period. I love the Swarovski earth-toned crystal eyes I did for her Magical Christmas Special on Apple+. I glued 50 stones to each eye over a smoky chocolate and gold eye shadow to create a magical light-show effect." As a contrast, Carey's lip colors are usually non-bright and neutral shades. 

Although she's a natural beauty, the difference between the "Fantasy" hitmaker only wearing eyeliner and a little concealer or a full face is noticeable when compared to glamor shots such as this performance photo she shared on Instagram in April 2024.