Katie Couric, 64, Goes Makeup-Free For People Magazine’s Beautiful Issue — See Pic

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Katie Couric got very candid with People for their 2021 Beautiful Issue. The longtime journalist, 64, went makeup-free for the outlet’s photo series, and the result totally took our breath away. In the photo for the magazine, Katie looked stunning, wearing a gorgeous cream-hued dress with sheer fabric overlaying the bodice and a spaghetti strap top beneath. Katie smiled wistfully in a lush, floral garden as the photo was captured. You can see the image here.

While the photo definitely gave fans a breath of fresh air, Katie also imparted a lot of wisdom for the Beautiful Issue. “Doing a shoot without makeup, makes you feel both liberated and vulnerable,” Katie told People. “You feel great because you’re being true to who you are and how you look. It’s a huge dose of reality!”

Of course, Katie also recognized the more intense side of societal beauty standards placed on women and how what an important part makeup plays in building self-confidence. “On the other hand, let’s face it, people feel prettier when they have some makeup on that enhances their features,” she observed. “So I think doing a shoot like this requires a lot of trust.”

But Katie, whose platform has expanded to podcasting on Next Question with Katie Couric and maintaining her daily digital newsletter, wants to continue to use her platform to inspire others, even when it comes to beauty! “When we start seeing women as they age and appreciate the beauty that comes with that, women will stop trying to look young all the time,” Katie told the outlet. “Someone said to me, ‘I have so many wrinkles.’ I said, ‘I think wrinkles show a lifetime of laughing and smiling.’ And that’s an awesome thing to show on your face.”

As the mother of two daughters, Elinor, 30, and Caroline, 25, Katie has also been incredibly thoughtful about the language she uses to describe beauty standards. “Sometimes I’m neurotic about the way I look. I try not to say, ‘I feel fat or look fat in this.’ It’s such a bad example for your kids. I haven’t been perfect and I don’t think I’ve always been great about that, but I tried to balance that focus,” she said. “Girls are so much more than their packaging.”