Brooke Shields without Makeup - Not for the weak of heart

Fortysomething Brooke Shields without her makeup looks like a lot of us do in the morning...




I had to do a double take. Was this really Brooke Shields?

The Brooke Shields of Calvin Klein fame? Brooke Shields who is several years younger than I am? And was she on the red carpet without makeup (or at the very least, minimal makeup she had done herself?)

I'm so used to seeing spackled and heavily made up celebrities (like the whole Kardashian clan) that when a natural beauty comes along, it's somewhat shocking.

But here's Brooke Shields, in all her natural glory, looking like most of us moms do every day.

She's got real skin, real lines, real dark circles. She's not airbrushed or fake looking. I love it.

One of the most difficult things about grower older is coming to grips with our changing looks. On the one hand, 50 really is the new 40: we are vital, active, young in spirit and appearance. With a little maintenance, clean living and a few medical interactions (like injections and nip/tucks) we can cheat looking as middle-aged as our mothers did.

But on the other hand, all that work to keep looking young takes its toll. It's expensive. Some of it – like makeup and fashion tricks – are fleeting, short-term fixes. The reality is that most of us – without the benefit of a professional makeup artist on staff – wake up looking (on our good days) like Brooke Shields does without makeup.

One of my favorite features in the gossip mags is the stars without makeup photo section. We are all smart enough to know that stars without makeup look like totally different people (I once sat at a table next to Kim Kardashian sans her makeup and argued with everyone – even the waitress – that it definitely was NOT HER – the waitress then verified it through her credit card receipt that it actually was.)

The reason I love to see celebs without their makeup – especially those in our age range – is because it's refreshing to be reminded of how much of what we see celebritywise is good lighting, flawless professional makeup and photoshopping.

When you see pics of some of the stars without makeup – like Julia Roberts and Debra Messing – it's a nice reminder at how even the playing field really is without the help of a professional makeup artist.

Sure, lots of these women are genetically gifted to begin with but things like age spots, lines, dark circles and discoloration happen to the best of us — even Brooke Shields.