Lady Gaga Just Went Makeup-Free For Her Oscars Perfomance

There are countless red carpet looks and stunning music videos that may have hooked you into loving Lady Gaga—but her journey to accepting herself and pushing her Little Monsters to do the same is likely what made you stay. We can't deny that Gaga's red carpet look at the 2023 Oscars was breathtaking (seriously, she looked like a porcelain doll and wore a Versace gown that *just* hit the runway last Thursday). But our favorite Gaga look of the evening was when she took to the stage to perform her Oscar-nominated song "Hold My Hand,” which she created for Top Gun: Maverick, wearing no makeup at all.

On the red carpet, Gaga's makeup artist, Sarah Tanno, created a blood-red lip look with an intense black smokey eye. Yet, on stage, Gaga went completely makeup-free, showing off her beauty marks, dark circles, and even her slightly chapped lips. She switched out of her Versace number for what is probably the most paired-down outfit we've ever seen her in, consisting of an oversized black T-shirt, ripped jeans, and Converse Chucks. She finished the look off with the same French braid she wore on the carpet that shows off her darker roots.

Gaga was clearly emotional while she sang, and and her stripped-down appearance was a perfect pairing for her equally stripped-down performance. We've mentioned that celebrities shouldn't be called "brave" for showing off their natural skin in the past, but we must admit that going makeup-free at an award show that is all about glamour does take some guts. Gaga pushed the envelope for embracing skin neutrality, showing that you don't always need all the smoke and mirrors that a glam team can create.

Before singing, Gaga mentioned that sometimes our heroes come from the most unassuming places—even from within. We're glad to know that Gaga is her own hero, and it's pushing us to be our own heroes, too.