Pamela Anderson Arrives in Milan in a Flowing Metallic Gold Gown — and Her Look Has People Divided — Photos

Pamela Anderson made a striking appearance in Milan in a flowing metallic gold gown, a look that quickly drew contrasting reactions online.

Anderson's approach to beauty has shifted considerably since the bold makeup and glitter of her '90s era. After embracing makeup-free appearances in recent years, she has continued to experiment with how she presents herself.

Anderson's '90s Style Came With Makeup, Glitter, and a Sense of Fun

Anderson's '90s style continues to attract attention decades later, but she remembers that period as less calculated than it might appear in hindsight.

Speaking with Elle in 2023, Anderson described her aesthetic at the time as "wild and uninhibited." For her, having fun was central to the way she approached the look.

"I don't know if it was a defense mechanism or what," she said. "I just thought, 'I'm going to have fun.'"

Her makeup sometimes carried over from one day to the next. Anderson recalled leaving on traces of the previous day's makeup, while glitter could remain for even longer.

That sparkle occasionally followed her to her children's school. While volunteering there, Anderson said she would sometimes catch her reflection and notice glitter still covering her face.

She could laugh about the contrast. "Which doesn't make you a bad mom, just because you're covered in glitter," Anderson said. Decades later, Anderson briefly revisited that era for a 2024 Smashbox campaign.

The collaboration gave her an opportunity she said had not been available to her in the '90s. Anderson told Harper's Bazaar (HB) that the beauty industry had not been looking at her for campaigns like Smashbox's at the time.

"But now, since the '90s are popular, I'm just going to take that," she said. "I'm just going to be happy about it."

On Instagram, Anderson called the campaign a "fun 'wink to the past,'" while making clear that the throwback was no longer her current aesthetic.

Anderson Later Chose to 'Peel' Her Makeup Back

Years after the freewheeling looks of her '90s era, Anderson began taking a much more pared-back approach to makeup in public.

Her makeup-free appearance at Paris Fashion Week in 2023 became a particular talking point. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar Australia ahead of The Fashion Awards that year, Anderson said the attention caught her by surprise because the decision had been a personal one.

She had started questioning whether she wanted to continue with the elaborate makeup routine that had long been part of her public image. "I mean how much more makeup could you put on someone?" Anderson said. "I just peeled it back."

That did not mean she had lost her affection for makeup. Anderson said she still enjoyed playing with cosmetics for a film character or photo shoot, but no longer saw them as necessary for everyday situations when she was appearing as herself.

Her approach left room for both ends of the spectrum. "For me, it's either no makeup - or a showgirl," she said.

By 2024, Anderson was still navigating what wearing makeup meant to her. Speaking with HB, she noted that photography itself had changed since her earlier years in front of the camera, with digital and HD images capturing far more detail than film.

That difference influenced her decision to keep things simple. "So I feel like the safest bet is makeup-free, because once you start putting it on, you get so much information from these cameras," Anderson said.

She acknowledged that primer could help smooth the skin, but beyond that, she was not sure where her makeup routine would go next. At the time, Anderson was leaving that question open.

Anderson Stepped Out in Metallic Gold at Milan Fashion Week

On September 22, 2026, Anderson attended Vogue World: Milano 2026 during Milan Fashion Week in a loose metallic gold floor-length gown.

The dress had a fluid, draped silhouette, with a black layer visible beneath the hem. Anderson accessorized with a chunky gold statement necklace, rings, and a small structured black handbag.

Anderson smiled and waved to onlookers as she arrived, while full-length photographs offered a clearer view of the gown. Her platinum-blonde bob was styled in defined, vintage-inspired curls swept to one side.

According to Vogue, Anderson had recently returned to her signature platinum-blonde shade at her son's request and wore her bob in what the publication described as "full Old Hollywood" curls.

Her look included black eyeliner along her lower waterline, black shadow across her lids, and lashes that added definition to the smoky eye.

She paired the dark eye makeup with a glossy pink lip. Her complexion remained fresh and pared back, appearing either lightly made up or without additional makeup beyond her Sonsie skin-care products.

Netizens Were Divided Over Anderson's Milan Look

The combination of Anderson's voluminous gold gown and more dramatic eye makeup drew sharply different reactions on social media.

On Instagram, one netizen compared the loose shape of the dress to a "Sack of potatoes 🥔." A separate reaction focused on Anderson's appearance: "Thanks for make up [sic]."

One person took aim at the overall styling, writing, "No!!! Looks like a golden glazed, baked potato with that ear of corn 🌽 silk sticking out."

Someone else reacted to Anderson wearing more visible makeup again after her recent pared-back appearances. "Back to wearing a lot of makeup 😮," the user remarked.

The gown's loose silhouette also prompted a different comparison, with one person asking, "Is that a parachute?"

On another Instagram post, viewers concentrated more heavily on Anderson's face. One response focused on her eyebrows: "Eyebrows ..... they make a HUGE difference ❣️." A different netizen remarked, "Still no eyebrows 🥲."

Anderson's makeup also drew criticism. "Who ever did her make up, did her wrong. 😑 [sic]," one person wrote.

Other reactions were more supportive. One user defended the eye makeup, sharing, "It's smoky eyes. What's the drama? I love the look and love that she is normalizing either no makeup or less makeup."

Another weighed in on both sides of Anderson's beauty style: "Honestly I like her with no makeup but I love a full glam situation too."

Anderson Has Described Her Approach to Beauty as an Experiment

Anderson has previously said she does not view her makeup-free appearances as a commitment to one beauty look.

When HB asked which period of her beauty evolution felt most like her, Anderson pointed to her current appearance and her "Baywatch" days, when she said she insisted on wearing waterproof eyelashes.

She also described changing her appearance as something that extends beyond cosmetics. Anderson said she enjoys inhabiting different characters and considers clothing, mood, music, and the people around her part of how she presents herself.

She compared the experience to performance art and said it should be fun rather than something she takes too seriously.

Anderson also addressed how she viewed her decision to go makeup-free at Paris Fashion Week in 2023. "I am not trying to say that I'm this natural-beauty guru [by going makeup-free]," she said. "I'm just experimenting."

At the time, Anderson said she had questioned why she should spend three hours in a makeup chair while visiting Paris. She preferred using some of that time to walk around the city and see its architecture. Her thoughts about appearance also reach back to childhood.

Pamela Anderson said her mother placed a strong emphasis on beauty and told her that being pretty made a person more powerful. Anderson, meanwhile, described herself as insecure when she was young.

She said she is still working through those ideas and believes it is important to remember "what's underneath it all" before having what she called "the conversation with makeup."