'I love my lip gloss, I love my blush. It's not about that': Alicia Keys explains why she's going makeup-free - and gets Today's Tamron Hall to join in

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Alicia Keys' no-makeup movement is gaining momentum — and even the anchors of the Today show are joining in.

The 35-year-old first spoke out about deciding to ditch cosmetics with an essay in Lenny Letter in May, and quickly earned praise and support from fans for her take-me-as-I-am attitude.

And on Today this morning, the show's hosts took their admiration one step further, with Tamron Hall — and Bully Bush and Al Roker — agreeing to wipe their faces clean on camera.

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Natural woman: Alicia Keys went makeup-free on the Today show this morning

A movement: The show's anchors, including Tamron Hall, were inspired to join her

Committed: They used a back of makeup wipes to clean their faces while on-air

Selfie time! Tamron seemed a bit nervous, but played along

Alicia went makeup-free in a photoshoot for her new album, which led to a major realization for the star. She said the shoot made her feel 'the strongest, most empowered, most free, and most honestly beautiful that I have ever felt'.

Since then, she's been ditching the foundation and mascara more often, even going without makeup on the MTV VMA red carpet this weekend. 

She showed up to the Today show fresh-faced, too, with a braid down her side and a bandanna around her head.

'You're looking gorgeous,' Savannah Guthrie told her during an interview. 'It's internal, but it's external too. You've started a movement here ... Not wearing makeup, and I mean, first of all, you don't wear it so well.' 

Feelin' free! Alicia also performed without makeup this morning

Tamron assured Alicia she was wearing a 'ton' of makeup and needed help removing it

Alicia said it felt 'really empowering' and 'really freeing' as she explained how she came upon the decision to go makeup-free.

'I think it came from, because we put so many limitations on ourselves,' she said. 'I think we put limitations on each other. Society puts limitations on us. And in a lot of ways, I'm sick of it. Over it, to be honest.

'It would be so amazing to just embrace each other how we are,' she added. 'I think the most important thing is you do what feels good for you.'

She also sat down with Tamron Hall, Billy Bush, and Al Roker for another interview segment, where the anchors had a packet of makeup wipes ready in order to join her fresh-faced movement. 

Alicia offered some assistance as the men cleaned their own faces

Encouragement: Alicia told Tamron she looked beautiful without makeup

She explained that she doesn't want to wear makeup because she has to, but only when she wants to

'I love the message,' Tamron told her, though she seemed a bit nervous to actually remove her makeup on camera. To that end, Alicia helped her out, taking a wipe in hand to help her take the cosmetics off. 

'You're so beautiful, look at you,' Alicia gushed as she wiped Tamron's face with the cloth. 'You don't even look like you have makeup on anyway.'

Tamron assured her she had 'a ton' on, while Al and a Billy also wiped their own faces.

Alicia made sure to add that she isn't totally against makeup, and actually likes it. She just doesn't want to feel forced to wear it. 

Acceptance: The star added there are a lot of pressures and she wishes people would be embraced as they are

Brave: She attended the VMAs earlier this week without any makeup

She said she loves lip gloss and eyeliner but doesn't want to have to cover up

'I love my lip gloss, I love my blush, I love my eyeliner,' she said. 'It's not about that. At the same time, I don't want to feel beholden — to have to do it.'

She may still be seen in makeup in the future, but it'll only be when she wants to — not just because she'll be on TV or on the red carpet and is expect to. 

'I don't want to cover up anymore,' she wrote in her Lenny Letter essay. 'Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.'