When Gwen Stefani Left Fans in Stitches By Sharing a ‘Shocking’ Close-Up Footage of Her Face

Editor's note: This article was originally published on July 23, 2023. It has since been updated.

Gwen Stefani surprised her fans with a shocking up-close-and-personal clip of her face on TikTok. The singer, known for showing off her real skin texture and natural features on social media, took a different approach on TikTok over the weekend while promoting her new single True Babe. She used a filter that drastically changed her appearance, jokingly referring to the caveman-esque look as her style "before" listening to her upbeat new track. In the video, Gwen swayed back and forth while waiting for the beat to drop, and her face suddenly transformed with a full glam filter.

While she looked more normal with the filtered look, her makeup and hairstyle appeared a bit over the top as she sang the lyrics of her song. Gwen captioned the video with "vs after" and a kissy face, suggesting that fans would look just as glamorous after listening to her single chartbuster per The U.S. Sun. However, her followers were stunned by the transformation and expressed their surprise in the comments. Some fans admitted to being initially shocked but still found Gwen pretty regardless of the filter. Others speculated whether she had undergone any cosmetic procedures. Some even compared her filtered appearance to a scene from the movie White Chicks and found it somewhat scary.

Despite this filtered faux pas, Gwen has recently been leaning towards more natural selfies. Over the July 4th weekend, she shared photos of herself and her husband Blake Shelton celebrating America on Instagram. The pictures showcased their time at the lake, with several selfies and snapshots of them enjoying the shore and a boat ride. Gwen opted for red, white, and blue outfits, including a straw hat and a red and white striped top. In these photos, her smile was genuine, her skin appeared natural, and the lines around her eyes were visible. Fans appreciated seeing her unedited look, although there were some critiques and suggestions regarding her filter choice.

One user @LaDonna M wrote, "😂😂😂😂😂 you definitely got me on that one!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰" Another user, @BB.IN.NJ commented, "I was like, Gwen…..?? 😂😂" This was an attempt to dispel rumors that she heavily edits her photos as she donned some make-up.

Gwen Stefani continues to engage with her fans on social media, sharing glimpses into her life and promoting her music. While her filtered TikTok video may have startled some fans, her recent efforts to showcase more natural selfies have been well-received. As a popular artist, she is bound to have a mix of admirers and critics, but she remains authentic to her own style and image.