Christina Aguilera Went Natural* For Paper Magazine
*Natural-looking, I mean. It is still Christina Aguilera, after all. Paper might have been dead-set on a stripped-down Christina for their latest issue, but I refuse to believe that’s what they got. I’m not a scientist, but I wouldn’t be surprised if years of exposure to industrial-grade cosmetics has caused her skin to develop a codependent relationship with them. Christina might have agreed to no-makeup makeup, but her skin probably screamed, “LIKE HELL! I’ll agree to three layers of foundation instead of six, but that’s as low as I go.”
No-makeup Christina is still Christina, but it still feels like one of her alter-egos to me. Like, if Xtina is the one that does the shoplifting inside CVS, and regular Christina is the look-out, then no-makeup Christina is the low-maintenance friend waiting in the car who asks for a pack of gum and a lip balm. Christina talks to Paper about her choice to go way less-extra than she usually does.
“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.”
Apparently she also wanted to borrow a wig from the shoot for…later.
“You were really good about it, you were a sport. I think I wanted to go home and have sex that night and you were like, ‘Okay, don’t get her too messed up.’ I was like, no guarantees, thanks.”
But even though a stripped-down no-makeup Christina appears on the cover, we still got some classic over-the-top makeup-slathered Christina on the inside.
I bet they didn’t even have to glue those lashes on. Her eyes were so happy to be finally reunited with cartoonishly false eyelashes after such a long time apart (25 minutes), they instinctively gripped up on the lash bands like they were giving a hug.
Pic: Zoey Grossman/Paper