Every facet of Erika Kirk’s life — including her makeup routine — has been placed under a magnifying glass since the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk. As interest in her life has increased, Erika has attended more public events, giving observers a closer look into her beauty preferences. Like many women who run in Republican land, Erika often dons what’s been described as MAGA makeup, usually involving heavy foundation, thick-lined eyes, nude lip products, and overly bronzed skin. To round off her look, Erika usually styles her bleach-blond hair into soft waves, or on certain occasions, tight ringlets like in the photo above. But what does she look like without it — makeup, specifically?

Erika looks drastically different without makeup, like many celebs and public figures. While her public appearances usually involve her going full glam, she dials things back considerably back home. That’s why her Instagram photos taken among her friends and family often show a more laid-back side of her. Take, for example, the Instagram photo above of Erika posing with Maverick, one of her friend’s young children. Taken in 2018, the shot features Erika smiling as she embraces the child in what appears to be a shopping mall. Fittingly, Erika dressed all the way down this day, wearing a messy bun and zero makeup. Unlike her more glamorous shots, this photo emphasizes the obvious bond she has with the child. But this isn’t the only makeup-free shot she’s posted over the years.

In July 2024, Erika Kirk posted an Instagram photo of herself with her own child. A fresh-faced Kirk snuggled close against her baby while sitting in a big, comfortable chair. And though the baby was blocking part of her face, it’s clear that she skipped her makeup routine that day, opting instead to flaunt her natural face. Like the other image above, this shot shows a more comfy, casual version of Kirk. She completed her at-home look with an extra messy bun/ponytail situation, seemingly created by piling her long hair atop her head. “…fearfully and wonderfully made,” she captioned the photo.

Like seeing what celebs look like without makeup, Kirk’s casual shots are pretty jarring compared to the glamorous image she usually projects in public. By the way, her love of glam has generated criticism online. One user on X wrote that their mother withdrew their support from kirk because she wore too much makeup. The post, which has been viewed over 1.9 million times as of write time, attracted a fierce debate about Kirk’s beauty preferences. “She looks like somebody from the capital of Panem,” opined oner user, referring to the overly-made-up, wealthy citizens from “The Hunger Games” franchise, which starred Jennifer Lawrence. Meanwhile, another user wrote, “She looks like she’s perpetually wearing the bold glamour filter I fear.”