Former Real Housewives Star Gretchen Rossi Isn't Sure Why This "No Makeup Pic" Got So Much Attention!

"I'm comfortable in my own skin, makeup or not, and I'm proud to show women it's ok to be vulnerable and not perfect," she explains

By Rebecca Macatee Sep 10, 2015 7:14 PMTags

Gretchen Rossi didn't really think much of the barefaced selfie she posted to Instagram Wednesday afternoon.

In the pic, the former Real Housewives of Orange County star isn't wearing any makeup as she snuggles up to one of her dogs. This is Gretchen's "Happy Place at the end of the day," she explained, "cuddled in bed, no makeup, ready for beauty sleep."

The 36-year-old ex Bravo star was surprised when her sans fards snap made headlines. "So not really sure why this 'no makeup' pic got so much attention when I posted it yesterday," she wrote in an Instagram post Thursday, "because I have posted plenty of other pics and even a video washing my face with no makeup.....but ok."

Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

Gretchen definitely doesn't regret sharing the makeup-free snap! "I'm comfortable in my own skin, makeup or not, and I'm proud to show women it's ok to be vulnerable and not perfect," she wrote. "I'm a true blonde so when I take off my makeup, my eyebrows and eyelashes are so light that they virtually disappear...the joys of being a true blonde."

The RHOC alum actually has her own line of cosmetics, Gretchen Christine, that she started after Real Housewives fans started asking about the different looks they saw her wearing on the show. 

"...I had so many of my fans tweeting and emailing me saying, 'what kind of makeup are you wearing? You look really pretty in this scene' or 'what kind of lipstick do you have on?' so I started responding to some of my fans," she explained to Arizona Foothills Magazine back in 2013." ...at that time, I would explain I was wearing this foundation called Clau De Pau and they would go online and look it up only to find out the foundation is $150 a bottle...They would write back and say 'Oh my gosh, that's so much money! I could never afford $150 for foundation.'"

"I started realizing there was this need in the market for high quality makeup at an affordable price," she added. "That's what really inspired me was the fans, they inspired me to start the cosmetics line."

(E! and Bravo are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)