Stars go makeup-free - would you?

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Beauty is all about 'getting real' right now: plus-size models are walking even Chanel's runway (Lagerfeld said just months ago that "nobody wants to see round women"), Hollywood's casting directors have had it with plastic surgery, and stars are baring all on magazine covers and TV shows.

Pioneered by an issue of French Elle, in which photographer Peter Lindbergh published pictures of makeup-less models and actresses last year, the trend has now captured the US: singer Jessica Simpson appeared barefaced on Marie Claire, model Heidi Klum posed without makeup for People's 'Most Beautiful' issue, and reality TV star Kim Kardashian did the same for Life & Style magazine.

"Makeup is fun, but it's just another accessory," Kardashian told Life & Style." I'm happy with myself, and this is who I am. As much as it's fun to glam up, the most important thing is to be comfortable in your own skin - with or without makeup."

Last week, Today show host, Kathie Lee Gifford and her co-host, Hoda Kotb presented the one-hour program completely makeup-less after comedian Rosie O'Donnell speculated that Gifford had had cosmetic surgery. Apparently however, the transition was harder than anticipated, since at the beginning of the show, she said: "I didn't think it was going to bother me, and then I started realizing, you know what, I feel vulnerable," before adding that "at a certain point, you can never compete with the girls that are in the Miss USA pageant and that sort of thing. You just want to look your healthiest and your best."

The 'no makeup trend' has also already gone viral, with The Beauty Bean's Alexis Wolfer launching the Makeup Free Mondays campaign to "remind women of the importance of real and inner beauty, to promote better body image, to prevent eating disorders and to encourage conversations about unrealistic body ideals," as she states on the site.

If you don't feel ready to go completely barefaced just yet, read the tips on Beauty and The Blog ( http://blog.sephora.com/2009/04/no-makeup-makeup-look.html) to learn how you can achieve looking natural despite using some little helpers. Chances are your better half will welcome your new you: according to a recent study by hair- and skincare brand St. Ives, one in five men complains that women wear too much make-up.

To learn more about the Makeup Free Mondays campaign, visit: http://thebeautybean.com/site/beautify/makeup-free-mondays-how-you-can-show-your-support-for-casual-fridays-new-sister.

For an entertaining guide on the fashion industry's makeup-less insiders, click here: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/no-makeup-required.