No Filter, Full Power: What Female Founders Can Learn From Addison Rae’s Makeup-Free Tour
When Addison Rae new music video dropped, it wasn’t just the sound that caught people’s attention - it was her look. Who What Wear quickly picked up on the beauty influence, predicting that the glowing pop princess blush she wore would become a standout summer trend. It was a soft, youthful look that paired perfectly with her natural skin - a sign that beauty is shifting towards something lighter, freer, and less performative.
But it’s what happened next that really made headlines.
For women in business - founders, entrepreneurs, leaders - Addison’s decision isn’t just a beauty moment. It’s an opportunity to reflect.
What if your boldest move in your personal brand was to show up exactly as you are?
The Makeup-Free Movement
Shortly after the music video buzz, Addison Rae stepped out on stage for her tour without makeup - and TikTok exploded with admiration.
Users responded enthusiastically, branding her makeup-free moments as brave, refreshing, and real. It was a striking contrast to the celebrity culture of decades past, where women often pursued plastic surgery and heavily retouched appearances - and then denied it publicly. Addison’s choice felt like a bold departure from those long-standing beauty ideals.
It’s also part of a much bigger story.
In 2016, Alicia Keys famously announced she’d stop wearing makeup in public as part of reclaiming her natural beauty - and stayed bare-faced through major moments like the 2018 Grammy Awards. In September 2023, Pamela Anderson walked Paris Fashion Week entirely makeup-free, earning critical acclaim and praise from Jamie Lee Curtis, who called it an “act of courage and rebellion.” Anderson later described the decision as a liberation - a chance to shed the ‘Baywatch’ image and reconnect with herself.
These aren’t just isolated moments. They are part of a cultural shift: women are questioning the expectation to always be “on” - not just in their work, but in how they look.
And that’s a conversation women in business need to pay attention to.
Visibility for Female Entrepreneurs: Letting Go of the Pressure to Look the Part
For female entrepreneurs, there’s often an invisible weight to look the part before we feel ready to lead.
We feel it when:
We book professional photoshoots but hesitate to post a candid selfie.
We carefully curate our Instagram feeds to showcase our most polished selves.
We hold back from showing up on video because we don’t feel “camera-ready.”
We’ve been conditioned to believe that our businesses will grow faster if we appear flawless, glossy, and aspirational. But perfection is exhausting - and in today’s world, it’s no longer what people are looking for.
Authenticity has become a real brand advantage. More than 80% of consumers say authenticity influences who they buy from. What cuts through now isn’t curation - it’s connection.
Your clients, collaborators, and community aren’t waiting for you to look a certain way. They’re waiting for you to lead in a way that feels true.
Why Showing Up as You Are Builds Real Power
When you stop waiting to be polished, you create space for something much more powerful.
You build a brand people can genuinely trust. You attract opportunities because of who you are, not just how you present yourself. You give your audience permission to show up imperfectly, too.
This is what the makeup-free movement really represents. It’s not about rejecting beauty - it’s about rejecting the idea that you must be perfectly presented to be worthy of attention.
It’s about showing up:
On Instagram stories without filters.
In conversations without needing to have all the answers.
In your brand without the constant pressure to perfect every detail.
When Addison Rae walked on stage without makeup, she didn’t lose her influence - she deepened it.
The same is true for you.
You Don’t Have to Wait to Be Seen
So many women in business wait.
We wait to feel more camera-ready. We wait until we’ve achieved more. We wait until our website, brand photos and messaging are perfectly aligned.
But Addison’s tour is a timely reminder: You don’t have to wait to be seen. You can show up now. You can lead now.
Because you are already enough. No filter required.
Reflection for Founders
Where are you still wearing the ‘makeup’ in your business?
Where could you show up more honestly and confidently - just as you are?
What would it look like to lead without the mask?
Final Thought
You don’t need to over-curate your life to earn your place. You don’t need to perform success to attract clients. You don’t need to wait to look the part - you already are the part.
The women who are rising now? They know that authenticity is the real power move.
No filter. Full power.
Feel-good beauty picks for days when you do want a little something
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