Last year, you might remember the world went into meltdown when it saw Grammy Award-winner, Alicia Keys, repeatedly making public appearances and performing on stage sans make-up.
Why Keys' decision to ditch the foundation and mascara in favour of the au naturel look garnered such unprecedented attention beats us, but we guess it's to do with the fact that here was a highly successful and talented woman in the limelight, unashamedly stepping out in front of the world's media without the need of hours in a make-up chair, preening, plucking and painting her skin to make it 'socially' or 'Hollywood' acceptable.
So, imagine our dismay when singer and Key's The Voice co-judge, Adam Levine, thought he had the right to call Keys up when she decided to – shock horror – put on a smidge of makeup.
According to Mashable, earlier this month radio host Howard Stern thought it was appropriate to ask Levine about his thoughts on Alicia going makeup-free, during an interview with the frontman on his show.
Because, you know, there's nothing quite like championing feminism and equality like one man asking another what he thinks of a woman's appearance, am I right, ladies?
In response, the Maroon 5 singer recalled a moment when he spotted the mother-of-two armed with makeup backstage and teased her about her 'no make-up stance'.
'She was putting on a little bit of makeup and I was like, 'Oh, I thought Alicia doesn't wear makeup',' Levine told Stern.
Fortunately, Levine added that Keys responded to his joke to say: 'I do what the f*ck I want.'
Yaaaas, Queen!
Last year, the 'Empire State of Mind' singer explained the reason why she stopped wearing makeup as part of her journey towards self-empowerment, writing on Lenny Letter that, for years, she felt trapped by her own insecurities regarding her skin.
'Every time I left the house, I would be worried if I didn't put on makeup: What if someone wanted a picture? What if they posted it? These were the insecure, superficial, but honest thoughts I was thinking. And all of it, one way or another, was based too much on what other people thought of me,' she revealed.
As a result, the singer decided to stop covering up her face altogether, revealing to ELLE in our December issue: 'Some have called this a crusade. Well, I died laughing at that. I use to feel the pressure to appear as the music industry expected, but I don't now.'
Whether Keys decides to wear makeup, go make-up free, paint her face blue or sprinkle glitter over her entire body, it's her prerogative to do with her body what she wishes and it's society's job to support a woman's choice to celebrate their beauty in whatever way they like.
