5 Times Megyn Kelly Went Without Makeup

Megyn Kelly has had a lengthy career in front of the camera. After working in the legal profession, Kelly made a stunning transformation and began a TV career. She began by amassing hands-on experience on local TV. "There's no way to get better without doing it a lot, over and over," Kelly explained to The State Journal-Register. By 2004, she was on Fox News. Between covering presidential debates, working for NBC News, and hosting "The Megyn Kelly Show," audiences became very familiar with her TV-ready visage. While Kelly's acknowledged that her on-camera work isn't always perfect, she reportedly has exacting standards for her makeup team.  "She was difficult and demanding," Iren Halperin, a former TV makeup artist, informed Page Six in 2018. "If you didn't do what she wanted, she would try to get you in trouble."

Apparently, it takes a lot of product to achieve Kelly's final look. "I wear so much makeup for the camera, but I do make sure I clean my face religiously," Kelly admitted on her eponymous show. "Every night, you've got to wash your face to get off all that makeup and grime." Even though it may be a chore to remove, Kelly's purportedly a makeup fan, and she recommends products. "I'm not getting any money for these endorsements," Kelly explained on her website. "So, you know they are real."

To give her skin a break, Kelly occasionally goes sans makeup, and her fans really enjoy catching a glimpse of her bare-faced.

In 2014, Megyn Kelly posted a makeup-free photo on Facebook. With her blond hair pulled back and her arms crossed, Kelly looked confidently at the camera. Fans enthusiastically approved her lack of products. "You're actually prettier without makeup," gushed one. "WOW!!! Something Grace Kelly-ish about you. Beautiful!" Another commented, "This woman doesn't require make up to look smashing."

Five months later, Kelly shared another no-makeup photo on Facebook. Kelly posed casually in front of an office door, with coffee in one hand and a stack of election info in the other. Once again, her fans commented in support of her natural look. "You are drop dead gorgeous without makeup!" observed one user.

Election nights are undoubtably a busy time. Kelly's dossier indicates her primary concern was getting up to speed on the various races — a habit she developed in the legal profession. Over the years, Kelly discovered this strategy was a definite confidence-booster. "In journalism, I don't have quite as much self-doubt as I did practicing law, but I still feel that the key to most things is preparation," she explained to Cosmopolitan. "There's comfort in being prepared." Even so, it's impossible to be ready for everything. For instance, on the day of a Republican presidential primary debate, Kelly became ill with what she surmised was a yucky GI virus. However, the TV pro kept going and soldiered on as the debate's moderator.

Once again in 2014, Megyn Kelly eschewed makeup when she attended "Wicked" on Broadway in December. After the show, Kelly ventured backstage and took a photo with actress Tiffany Haas. Similar to Kelly's experiences with breaking into national TV, Haas had to persevere and endure rejection before starring as Glinda in the phenomenally successful musical. Kelly's Facebook post about the show generated lots of enthusiasm. "Beautiful ladies," commented one user. Another fan went beyond the surface details, writing, "So much beauty and intelligence in one room!"

When she's not working, Kelly appears to favor skipping the makeup. In January 2016, the Daily Mail shared photos that revealed the differences between Kelly's on-camera makeup and her natural face. The TV personality had just appeared in a presidential primary debate, and some viewers made snarky comments about the super-long fake lashes Kelly had worn on camera. In contrast, the makeup-free pics revealed her naturally dark, normal-length lashes. 

However, Kelly apparently was undaunted by the criticisms. About a month later, she wore similar fake lashes for a second debate. Not surprisingly, social media users took the opportunity for more silliness. "Megyn Kelly's eyelashes are longer than Trump's fingers," jested one user on X (formerly Twitter.) Another poster on the platform took the pursuit of humor too far and veered into uncomfortable territory, suggesting, "Flint, MI should use Megyn Kelly's comically large eyelashes to filter their water."

In June 2023, Megyn Kelly revealed her zero-makeup style during a tropical vacation. Wearing a fluffy robe, Kelly relaxed on a lounge chair and savored a leisurely breakfast. Kelly's Instagram followers responded with numerous fire emojis, with one observing, "Lord u look even YOUNGER without make up on!!!"

Curiously, one fan hinted at some familial drama by writing, "Hey your mom is wrong u look just as beautiful without the makeup." Linda Kelly, the TV host's mother, has occasionally appeared in front of the camera during Kelly's stint on "Today." While it's unclear when and where Linda may have critiqued her daughter on the topic of makeup, Linda has been candid about her own fandom for cosmetics. "After I put my makeup on, I feel better," Linda observed on "Today" in 2018. However, she's not a proponent of getting plastic surgery, adding, "I have earned these wrinkles." Kelly's also been outspoken about plastic surgery. She's taken advantage of cosmetic procedures like Botox and laser resurfacing to minimize wrinkles and promote a glowing complexion.

Potential drama aside, Kelly and her mom have a close relationship. In 2018, Kelly and her siblings arranged a surprise Mother's Day party. "The best part about being a mother? This is it," Linda enthused on "Today." In addition, she's also hinted that a good-natured ribbing is part of the family's dynamic. "We make fun of each other all the time," Linda admitted during one of her "Today" segments.

Megyn Kelly shared a glimpse into her off-camera (and makeup free) life in March 2024 when she celebrated her 16th wedding anniversary with Douglas Brunt. In the candid shot, Kelly wore a messy braid and ball cap and skipped the makeup. She and Brunt were all smiles as they stood close together, and their positive body language caused posters to focus on their relationship rather than Kelly's lack of product on her face. "You guys are seriously the cutest!!!!" enthused one Instagram commenter.

Brunt and Kelly got together in 2006, and they have three children. Kelly has been outspoken about how her marriage eclipses her TV fame. "Nothing in my life has been as fulfilling to me as that relationship and the goodness that stems from it," she explained on "The Megyn Kelly Show." In fact, Kelly fell in love so fast that she worried Brunt was too good to be true.

Earlier in their relationship, Brunt was CEO of Authentium. However, working in the corporate world was causing burnout, and Kelly encouraged her husband to switch careers and become a writer. Like Kelly, Brunt is also a podcaster. After publishing fiction and nonfiction, his "Dedicated with Doug Brunt" podcast is also book-centric in its topics and includes in-depth interviews with authors. The spouses have also cross-promoted each other's work and appeared as guests on each other's shows.

In 2023, Megyn Kelly shared a makeup-less photo in honor of Mother's Day. Even in profile, Kelly's lack of eye makeup and lip color are evident while she cuddles one of her three children. Kelly commented on how quickly the years go by, writing on Instagram, "Here's to all the moms out there for whom 10 years ago feels like yesterday & yet the comfort of knowing you have 18 years w/them at home seems a world away."

Combining her media career and parenting has sometimes been stressful for Kelly. She particularly felt conflicted after her first child was born. However, as time went on and she transitioned to life with two kids, Kelly became adept at quickly segueing between her roles as a mom and a TV personality. In one instance, Kelly breastfed her child backstage, quickly comforting the infant before switching to an on-camera appearance.

To help make life easier, Kelly relies on her partnership with her husband, Douglas Brunt, as she navigates all her personal and professional commitments. She appreciates the flexibility that Brunt's career offers their family. "Without that setup, I couldn't be doing what I'm doing. It's like our balances worked out perfectly," Kelly explained on her website.