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Reba McEntire Reveals How She Overcame Her Beauty Struggles

Reba McEntire exclusively told E! News that it took her "a long time to accept" what made her beautiful, but now she's embracing the skin she's in.

By Alyssa Morin Apr 10, 2024 11:21 PMTags
Watch: Reba McEntire Shares Rare Details About Her Rex Linn Romance (Exclusive)

You'll want to sing Reba McEntire's praises after listening to her beauty wisdom.

The country legend recently opened up about the challenges she faced about her appearance—and why she's embracing the skin she's in at 69.

"I was pale, [had] lots of freckles and frizzy hair," Reba told E! News' Francesca Amiker in an exclusive interview. "And my girlfriends had long, black, straight, beautiful round curls. Another girlfriend could tan easily, so I'd lay out with her and she would get brown as a biscuit—and I'd be blistered."

Instead of trying to be like others, she realized her differences are what made her special.

"I finally figured it out: I'm not supposed to be like them—I'm just me," she explained. "It took me a long time to accept that and realize that it."

As The Voice coach put it, "It set me free."

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Reba McEntire Through the Years

That's why she isn't afraid to go against the grain.

"I don't like trends," she said. "The younger generation, they're more confident than I was at their age, and I'm so happy for them. It takes guts, it takes stamina and it takes courage to be comfortable in your own skin."

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation

Reba's message of self-acceptance is one she truly believes in, which is why she partnered with Dove to celebrate the brand's 20 years of real beauty and commitment to not use AI in ads.

"I'm very proud of how old I am or how young I am," Reba said. "Real beauty means that you're comfortable in your own skin. And if you're confident and comfortable, you're gonna feel beautiful."

Of course, Reba isn't the only celebrity to pass down her best beauty advice. Keep reading to see what other stars have said about embracing aging, acne and more.

Alicia Keys

The OG celebrity to go makeup free, Alicia shows off her radiant skin.

Anne Hathaway

"I don't think about age," Anne told Today's Sheinelle Jones in an interview published Sept. 18. "To me, aging is another word for living. So, if people want to pay a compliment, it's nice. But whatever the hype is, I'm interested in what's beyond the concept of hype."

Millie Bobby Brown

The Stranger Things star recently shared a makeup-free selfie, embracing the skin she's in on Instagram.

Megan Thee Stallion

The rapper proved that hot girls don't need makeup to look beautiful.

Pamela Anderson

The Baywatch alum is kickstarting a new beauty trend after going makeup-free during Paris Fashion Week

"It's all about self-acceptance," she told i-D magazine on Sept. 29. "This is the chapter of my life I'm trying to embrace now. Since I really walk out the door as me, I feel relief—a weight off my shoulders."As she put it, "I'm dressing for me now, not for everybody else."

Drew Barrymore

"This is 47!" Drew celebrated in February 2022.

Sofía Vergara

The Modern Family alum shared a rare makeup-free selfie during Paris Fashion Week.

Tracee Ellis Ross

The Grown-ish actress is known for celebrating her natural beauty and this thirst trap is no different.

Selena Gomez

The Rare Beauty founder not only snapped a selfie of her fresh-faced look, but showed off her natural curls.

Lady Gaga

Even makeup rebels have to let their skin breathe.

Leni Klum

The model shared a close-up of her acne breakouts in this makeup-free selfie.

Priyanka Chopra

The Quantico alum soaked up the sun in this gorgeous makeup-free selfie Feb. 25.

Tyra Banks

The supermodel struck a pose to show off her fresh-faced beauty. "Some take a chill pill," she wrote. "I take a wig break."

Hailey Bieber

The model bared it all on TikTok to share her skin condition. 

"Perioral dermatitis is a skin disorder resembling acne or rosacea," she explained in the text of her March 27 video. "In most cases, it involves tiny red bumps that form on the lower half of the face, in the folds of the nose and around the mouth."

Salma Hayek

"Thank you for sharing your love, making me feel supported and many times making me laugh," the actress told her followers. "I always learn from all of you and I hope many blessings come your way in this new adventure

Jessica Biel

The actress skipped the makeup for a good cause, writing on Instagram, "Spreading some self love today with zero filter and zero makeup for my girl @KateUpton."

"She's on a mission to encourage everyone to feel strong and love themselves *as they are*... and I'm so honored to help spread that message," Jessica continued. "Take a second to show the real you."

Gabrielle Union

The actress is often told she doesn't look a day over 21 and this selfie proves it.

Gwyneth Paltrow

The Goop founder is known for rocking a makeup-free look.

Halle Berry

The Oscar winner bared more than just her face in this sexy snapshot.

Michelle Pfeiffer

To celebrate a social media milestone, the actress showed off her natural beauty.