The Major Makeup Mistake Jennifer Garner Knows She Committed In Her Youth

Jennifer Garner is the quirky and relatable celebrity we all need right now. She's absolutely stunning (likely thanks to Garner's multi-step skincare routine), but at the same time, even the lovable "13 Going on 30" star has had several red carpet outfits that totally missed the mark. She's also had some makeup blindness too. During a November 2024 appearance on the "Lipstick on the Rim" podcast with model Molly Sims, Garner was asked about the worst makeup advice she'd ever got, to which the actor hilariously replied, "I didn't have to receive it. I am my own worst beauty advice." The mom-of-three elaborated that when she was in college, she wore heavy-duty theater makeup both onstage and off, confirming, "It was pancake makeup on my face." 

This typically resulted in her face looking ghostly white. For those unfamiliar with stage makeup, it's never a simple, nuanced, or lightweight look and is usually piled on pretty heavily so it can be seen under the bright theater lights all the way to the back row. In fact, the "Elektra" star even shared a snap of herself on Instagram, in her full pancake makeup glory, to show us the receipts. Of course, we still stan Garner regardless. Back in November 2021, she also discussed her college beauty woes with Today, claiming, "My idea of makeup was what I would wear if I was doing a ballet recital or the Nutcracker." The beloved actor added, "I had very light-colored pancake makeup, and seriously, you could see where my chin met my neck [...] It was atrocious."

Thankfully, after college, Jennifer Garner put her elaborate pancake stage makeup days behind her for good. The "Love, Simon" star scaled back her beauty routine considerably over the years and has even added some drugstore products into her regimen too. For example, Garner swears by this affordable anti-wrinkle oil and this Neutrogena body oil. During her November 2021 chat with Today, she classified her makeup routine as pretty laidback, explaining simply, "I want to look normal and I want to normalize looking normal. I always have felt really strongly about that."

Seemingly scarred from her college look, she now only opts for concealer, blush, mascara, and a slick of gloss or lipstick. Nothing pancake-like in sight! And that's if she wears makeup at all. If you follow the actor on Instagram, you've likely already seen Garner comfortably going makeup-free, which is a great feeling, as she proudly informed People in 2018. "My kids are so relieved to see me take my makeup off and put glasses and sweatpants on," Garner said. "I guess that doesn't really count as feeling beautiful! It is more like feeling wanted and loved for being me, which is even better."