‘Morning Joe’ Co-Host Mika Brzezinski Looks So Different Without Makeup — And Fans Are in Awe

Mika Brzezinski, co-host of Morning Joe , offered fans a rare look at her makeup-free appearance in a 2022 Instagram post with her late mother, Emilie Brzezinski. In those photos, Mika was seen smiling naturally, showing a candid side far removed from her usual polished on-screen persona. The post, shared in honor to her mother, who passed away later the same year from Parkinson’s disease, also touched on the struggles of aging and the impact of the illness on her family, as reported by Nicki Swift .

While these photos shed light on a more casual side of the TV news personality, her normal routine is quite different. Mika’s on-screen transformation begins every weekday at 5:15 a.m., when her makeup artist , Wilbert Ramos, prepares her for the cameras. Ramos, who has worked with her for 11 years, has only 30 minutes to get her camera ready, a process he has perfected over time. Mika often jokes that without Ramos’ expertise, her face is ‘all one color,’ despite always appearing sharp and energized on television. In a 2019 video, MSNBC captured a behind-the-scenes moment showing Mika’s bare skin before Ramos worked his magic.

Ramos starts with an eye primer to create a smooth base, followed by eyeshadow application and a bold lash enhancement. He uses a brow pencil to shape her eyebrows, adding definition to her features. For her face, Ramos emphasizes moisturizing before applying concealer and foundation to ensure a seamless, dewy finish. The routine concludes with a lighter lip shade, which complements Mika’s complexion and enhances her overall look.

This is not the only time Mika showed her bare face in front of the public. In 2014, she attended the Women in the World conference and completely wiped off her makeup on stage, HuffPost . In a clip from the event, the TV host and mother of two appeared polished in a magenta dress and black heels, her makeup perfectly applied—until she decided to remove it. The Morning Joe co-host was part of a discussion about female identity and independence, emphasizing how often women rely on makeup as a source of power.

During the same conference, she had admitted to feeling ‘addicted’ to makeup, sharing how it ‘owned’ her and left her feeling ‘less powerful’ without it. “You guys would not believe me without makeup,” she remarked to the panelists. “Should I take my makeup off?” she asked, prompting enthusiastic encouragement from the other speakers. Encouraged by the other women on the panel shouting, “Take it off!” Brzezinski began wiping off her makeup in front of the audience. Viewer and social editor Elizabeth Plank noted that Brzezinski also shared a story about being denied entry to the CBS building because she wasn’t wearing makeup, leading security not to recognize her.