Vanessa Williams Just Shared A No-Makeup, No-Filter Selfie On Her 57th Birthday

Photo credit: Instagram / Vanessa Williams
Photo credit: Instagram / Vanessa Williams

From Oprah Magazine

Singer, actress, fashion designer, and former Miss America Vanessa Williams just turned 57 on March 18, and she celebrated the special day with a stunning no-makeup selfie. Taken from the legendary entertainer's bed, it's pretty clear she really, to quote Beyoncé, "woke up like this."

"Good Morning 57!" Vanessa captioned the snap on Instagram. "Another year on this wondrous planet that continually surprises and challenges me to grow in love and adventure. I cherish all the endless support I am given and am grateful for the #more that is in my daily prayers. Many thanks for all my birthday wishes 💋 #nofilter #nomakeup #nocorona."

Her skin is all glowy and clear in the photo, and she looks way younger than 57.

But Vanessa told Allure that she didn’t always have the best skin. "Growing up, my skin wasn't so great. I did everything, even Accutane, because I was always having breakouts," she said. Vanessa ended up trying Proactiv's 3-Step System, which she said helped her skin so much, she became a spokesperson for the brand.

Now, Vanessa is cool with using the tools her dermatologist has to offer. "There are collagen-boosting, skin-tightening machines like lasers," she told Allure. "It used to be that to keep looking like yourself, you had to go under the knife. But you don't have to get cut anymore, and technology just keeps getting better."

She also stressed the importance of asking her doc tons of skin safety questions before trying something new in a 2018 interview with Madame Noire. "If I see my dermatologist, I’m like, 'What machines do you have and what do they do?!'" She also noted that she always makes sure to ask things like, "What are the downsides? Are they good for my skin?"

And, of course, having a good attitude about aging helps, too. Vanessa also told the publication that she’s cool with getting older. "Sometimes lighting is like, 'Whoo! This is not my friend.' Then sometimes with good lighting, you're like, 'I’m not doing so bad today,'" she said.

"And then I look at myself and I look at my life...and I have grown kids who are wonderful and productive and talented and salt to the earth human beings that I know I have guided and steered and developed," she continued. "And I said, 'Well, this is who I am and this is what I need to be.' So, I embrace what I have. Sometimes, it’s a struggle, but I embrace it and I look for science to help me maintain. I want to look like myself, not anybody else."