Gabrielle Union on 'terrifying' time she went makeup-free and how she feels about it now

Gabrielle Union is getting real about the fears – and triumphs – of going makeup-free.

The actress, 46, talked to People in this week's Beautiful Issue about how she felt being photographed bare-faced for the first time with the magazine 10 years ago.

“At first it was kind of terrifying, to be honest,” she said. “I think sometimes we use makeup as a mask to insulate ourselves from reality. But once I kinda got comfortable and we were outside, it was the beach, and I had a bike, and I just let it ride. I thought the pictures turned out great and I had a great time that day.”

Now older and a mother, Union said she felt “mildly less confident" for this year's makeup-free shoot, but says she has made peace with her looks.

“Once I kind of made peace with who I am and where I’m at and being 46, I actually feel pretty, pretty solid about being back here 10 years later, shooting again with no makeup,” she said. “Because I’m finally really okay with me.”

She continued, “For the most part, I feel most like myself without makeup. It’s how my friends and my husband (Dwyane Wade) and my loved ones appreciate me most. Again, because I think makeup can be a mask, and I think the older we get, that we feel like the more makeup we have, the better we look. Sometimes it just looks like an older woman with a lot of freaking makeup on. I’ve made peace with: this is my face and I’m okay with it. It does all right by me.”

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