Before Pamela Anderson was the ultimate blonde bombshell of the nineties, she was just a teenager in Ladysmith, British Columbia, rocking a look that was a far cry from her signature platinum locks.
A newly unearthed high school portrait of the star at age 16 proves that even a global style icon wasn't immune to the experimental hair trends of the early eighties.
In the vintage snap, a teenage Pamela beamed at the camera, but her hair takes center stage. In place of the voluminous blonde waves she'd go on to team with her famous red, Baywatch swimsuit Pam sported a dark, chocolate-brown mullet.
© Getty ImagesHer wispy, face-framing bangs hit just above the brow and the cropped sides and party in the back screamed 1983.
While Pamela's hair was vastly different to today, her radiant smile and unmistakable features remain practically unchanged.
Brunette to bombshell
© Getty ImagesPamela's transition from brunette teen to one of the world's most famous blondes didn't happen overnight.
She was famously discovered on the JumboTron at a BC Lions football game in 1989 while wearing a Labatt's Beer t-shirt. Shortly after, she made the move to Los Angeles, and traded her brown hair for her iconic sun-kissed shade, and the rest is history.
Her natural era
© Getty Images for The Met Museum/In recent years, Pamela has embraced a "make-up free" revolution, and has frequently appeared at high-fashion events with a fresh, bare face.
After spending decades sporting dark eyeshadow, frosted pink lipstick, fake eyelashes, and overlined lips, Pamela shocked the world in 2023 when she arrived at Paris Fashion Week sporting very little makeup. At the Isabel Marant and Vivienne Westwood shows that year, all that could be seen on her face was a flick of mascara and a simple slick of natural gloss.
Since then, the mother-of-two hasn't looked back, regularly heading to the red carpet without makeup, sporting a super natural, pared-down look.
In various interviews, Pamela explained that her choice to go makeup-free is all about embracing her natural beauty and rejecting the pressures of conventional glamour. She finds her look liberating and enjoys presenting the authentic version of herself.
Move back home
© Getty Images for Paramount PictuIn 2020, Pamela decied to move back to Vancouver Island from Malibu where she purchased and renovated her grandmother’s former seven-acre waterfront property, known as "Arcady".
In an Interview with Architectural Digest she discussed her home— which is where her parents first lived after they got married, and where her two sons Dylan and Brandon learnt to walk — she said it was "where everything came back together for me."
She finds joy in the outdoor life where she harvests her own food and has discovered a passion for gardening.
