Christina Aguilera Goes Makeup-Free for 'Paper' Magazine

When the latest cover of Paper magazine was released yesterday afternoon, I—like many others—had to do a double take when I saw the name Christina Aguilera printed across a close-up shot of a freckly, bare-faced blond. My internal monologue rambled through the stages of recognition: "Wait, who? No, it couldn't be. Christina has freckles?!? She looks so pretty. I never thought I'd see the day."

The public image of Christina Aguilera—the one she's mostly stuck to since she burst onto the music scene in 1999 with "Genie in a Bottle"—has been one in which makeup plays a big part. She has definitely been a "go big or go home" girl when it comes to beauty, long a fan of dramatic eyelashes, contouring, and a bold red lip. And that camp vibe is part of what makes Christina, Christina. The Paper cover and coinciding photos inside, however, indicate that perhaps a different Aguilera era is upon us, and that new music is likely on the way. This isn't the first time we've seen a pop star take this route prior to a musical shift. See: Taylor Swift's brow-heavy Wonderland cover where she ditched her famed winged eyeliner and red lipstick.

While no new album has actually been announced, it's hard to imagine that Aguilera is out doing covers with a new look just for fun. (She's also sporting a new, decidedly pared down beauty look on her website.) Of this latest incarnation, Aguilera says, "I've always been someone that obviously loves to experiment, loves theatrics, loves to create a storyline and play a character in a video or through stage. I'm a performer; that's who I am by nature. But I'm at the place, even musically, where it's a liberating feeling to be able to strip it all back and appreciate who you are and your raw beauty."

Of course, any woman should express herself through her hair and makeup in any way she sees fit, but I must say that this stripped-down version of Aguilera is not only beautiful but incredibly intriguing. If she was looking to make me interested in her music in a way I haven't really been in years, she's absolutely done it. There's never been any doubt that she has one of the greatest voices ever, but I'm pretty excited to see what she does with it next. It's certainly not easy to do a magazine cover barefaced, so if she's feeling that kind of confidence (which is awesome), I'm all in to check out how that translates musically. (Not to fear Aguilera fans who love her in makeup, she's not giving it up forever telling the magazine, "I mean, I'm a girl that likes a beat face—let's not get it twisted.")

While it shouldn't be so shocking to see a famous face makeup-free, it's still definitely a thing, as evidenced by the online conversation around Aguilera's cover. In this time when authenticity is king, the response was blessedly positive.

Bring on that first single, Christina.