Alicia Keys clarified that her choice to go makeup-free isn’t rigid or absolute.

In her Allure cover story, the 35-year-old singer shared her thoughts on cosmetics, stating, “I’m not a slɑve to makeup. I’m not a slɑve to not wearing makeup either. I get to choose at [any] given moment. That’s my right.” She had made waves by announcing her decision to go without makeup last year, but she insists she’s not trying to preach or judge anyone.

Keys emphasized that makeup is a form of self-expression and she has no intention to shame anyone who chooses to wear it. “No one should be ashamed by the way you choose to express yourself,” she explained. “However, if you want to do that for yourself, you should do that.”

To demonstrate her point, she wore colorful eyeliner for her Allure shoot, marking the first time she wore any makeup in a magazine shoot in over a year.

Addressing critics who claim it’s easier to go without makeup if you have perfect skin, she responded that she is far from perfect and has struggled with skin problems for years. “Perfection is not the point,” she remarked, adding, “I think a woman should do anything she wants as it relates to her face, her body, her health. Whatever mode of expression that empowers you, that’s what you should do.”

Alicia, who is also a judge on “The Voice,” recalled how years of heavy makeup in the music industry led to breakouts and made her feel self-conscious. “It took me so long to finally sɑy, ‘Whoa! Who am I under there?’ That is just my own personal quest,” she said.

She noted that her “glow” doesn’t come from her skin, but from a deeper place. “I think there’s something really beautiful about what resonates from within us,” she explained. “It makes you feel more aware. In touch. More confident.” She emphasized that her growing confidence is due to listening to herself more, not because she feels superior.

Keys concluded by saying that her recent music is inspired by her rejection of societal pressures on womеn to look and act a certain way. She also criticized the cultural expectations placed on boys, suggesting they shouldn’t be forced to be “fake strong” or constrained by stereotypes. “Let a boy be able to dance! Let a boy paint his nails. So a boy wants to paint his nails. Who cares!” she remarked, denouncing these “strange, oppressive ideas.”