Can She Do Anything Right? Meghan Markle Now Slammed Simply for Going Makeup-Free

Meghan Markle has been criticized for many things in recent years, but OK! can reveal the latest flashpoint is her bare face.

The much-mocked Duchess of Sussex, 44, has found herself at the center of another culture skirmish since she last year appeared largely makeup-free on the cover of the American edition of Harper's Bazaar, which has now prompted a backlash that even critics of Meghan's describe as proof she "cannot seem to do anything right."

The controversy follows the magazine's publication of a minimalist cover shot showing Meghan seated against a gray backdrop in a black Dior jacket, her freckles visible and her styling deliberately pared back.

Her shoot, credited to makeup artist Diane Kendal, was widely praised for its restraint, but has also became fodder for critics who accused the image of turning "natural beauty" into a "humblebrag" – rather than a radical statement.

Trolls have now filled forums with remarks including: "Even Meghan trying to appear authentic is something she fails at. It just seemed to try too hard, like she was trying to shout about her authenticity by going make-up free."

Another critic added: "The difference between her parading a 'make-up free' face and the rest of the world's women is that they don't have a team of the world's top stylists and skin specialists and photographers helping her flaunt it."

Meghan's appearance has also reignited a long-running debate about celebrity "no makeup" moments and what they are said to represent.

In Meghan's Harper's interview that went with her bare-faced shoot, she reflected on imperfection, saying: "There's no such thing as perfect," adding "there's also not a lot of fun in trying to be perfect."

Those remarks were seized upon by commentators who questioned whether such messaging lands when delivered by someone whose public image is still associated with wealth, polish and aspiration.

One source close to the Sussexes said the pile-on said more about the climate around Meghan than the shoot itself. "If going makeup-free is now something she gets criticized for, it shows how impossible the standards are," the insider added.

"At this point, Meghan can seem to do nothing right. Whatever she does is read through a hostile lens."

The debate echoed earlier moments in pop culture, including when Jamie Lee Curtis praised Pamela Anderson for appearing barefaced on red carpets from 2023, calling it an act of "courage and rebellion."

That framing, too, drew criticism from writers who argued that conventionally beautiful women opting out of cosmetics does little to challenge deeper beauty norms.

In Meghan's case, the reaction has been intensified by her broader re-entry into public life with her Netflix projects and lifestyle brand ventures.

Last year, she also appeared without make-up during a podcast conversation with entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima, a moment framed as intimate and unfiltered.

Critics argued that such presentations risked turning quests for “authenticity” into another form of branding, while supporters of the embattled duchess countered that the scrutiny itself is the real story.

"There's a sense that Meghan is judged more harshly than almost anyone else in her position," another source said. "If she wears makeup, she's accused of artifice. If she doesn't, she's accused of virtue signaling. The criticism has become endless and totally reflexive."

One media analyst added: "This isn't really about Meghan skipping makeup at all. "It's about how women's appearances are endlessly loaded with symbolism, as if a bare face must always stand for something instead of simply being allowed to exist without judgment."