Judging from my inbox, more than a few of you have noticed ch-ch-ch-changes to Gwen Stefani's visage lately.

Of course, change is inevitable with aging, and Gwen has been in the public eye since the late '90s, when she was lead singer of the band No Doubt. Now 45 years old, she is a mother of three, an award-winning artist and songwriter, designer of the fashion label L.A.M.B., spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris AND a coach on 'The Voice'. 

Let's examine how Gwen's beauty look has evolved over the years:

Gwen in 1996

First pic is from 1996, when Gwen was on the cusp of fame as a 27-year-old singer. Ah, the '90s! Skinny brows, first-generation marsala lipstick, a bindi and the strangest lowlights I've ever seen. I can't help but notice how much wider Gwen's nose looks compared to the present. (Not that she wasn't attractive here with her original nose.)

Gwen in 1997

Possibly an early rhinoplasty took place? Gwen already looks different in this 1997 shot. Maybe it's just the angles here, but this is much closer to the Gwen we know today, save for the brow-area action. This isn't the same nose she has today, but it seems narrower than in the first pic. 

Gwen in 1998

It's hard to say whether she'd gone under the knife at this point or not. But her fascination with the brows, bindi and dark lipstick continued.

Gwen in 2001

In 2001, Gwen launched a brand new look. This is when platinum blonde hair and red lipstick became her signature. Brows are a little softer, thank goodness, but that lip liner is truly unfortunate. 

Gwen in 2002

By this time, Gwen was 34 and growing into a more sophisticated beauty look. Notice how she was over-drawing her upper lip line before that was a thing.

Gwen in 2004

You can clearly see her present-day nose here. It definitely look like it's been refined; it's narrower and more angular. As for the rest of Gwen's face, I feel like something has changed, but I can't put my finger on it—maybe it's that her forehead and brows seem more "lifted"? Or maybe it's just the Kabuki look.

Gwen in 2005

I think her brows seem higher compared to, say, 2001. (So, Botox?) Her forehead is also incredibly smooth.

Gwen in 2006

OMG, this hair—I die! I also love seeing Gwen sans red lipstick and with fresher skin. She didn't over-draw her lips here, so the upper one is naturally thin (and I think that's totally fine). You can see the evidence of Botox in the new angles of her brows. Instead of coming down at the tails, they're arching upward.

Gwen in 2007

The following year, Gwen's brows were different again. Maybe she eased up on the Botox, or maybe it's that they're more filled in here with pencil. Her skin is just unbelievably smooth.

Gwen in 2009

Gwen turned 40 in 2009—so gorgeous. It's nice to see her brows looking more natural here. Does this woman know how to work a red lipstick or what?!

Gwen in 2010

Gwen tried out a brand new hair and makeup look here. I love the electric pink lipstick with tons of curls. However, I still think Gwen looks best in her signature minimal makeup with a bold red on the mouth and hair scraped off the face.

Gwen in 2013

Whoomp there it is. Suddenly, there's a hint of masculine look to her features—which I've observed can happen when people start doing procedures (with men, it goes the opposite way and they get more feminine). Brows are very, very lifted, there's filler in her lips and cheeks, and her face just seems a bit wooden/frozen. Not to mention her skin texture seems puffier and uneven.

Gwen in 2014

Lainey Gossip called this a "Kidman eye"—as in Nicole Kidman, whose cosmetic interventions are well-documented. In other words, Gwen's face is so frozen here from the 'tox that one eye can't open normally. Do you see it?

Meep! I don't know why people get on Nicole Kidman's case so much, because Gwen seems JUST as frozen, if not more. Also chec out her newly plumped upper lip.

Update: Gwen in 2015

This is better, although I don't understand the visible lipliner (J.Lo does that a lot, too). Gwen's skin looks really good!

Update: Gwen in 2016

If anything, Gwen looks younger here than a few years before! I'm happy to see her back with the red lipstick; that and the the ponytail make her look so fresh. However, you can still see the injections everywhere (lips, cheeks, forehead).

Update: Gwen in 2017

And here's our latest shot of Gwen. She's still favouring the heavy lashes, drawn-on brows... and plumped-up cheeks. 

Conclusion

So what do the experts think about Gwen's beauty transformation? According to Dr. Anthony Youn: "Her eyes look more open, and may be the result of a conservative, well-performed upper eyelid lift, which is called blepharoplasty. Her forehead is also exceedingly smooth for a woman her age, possibly due to injections of Botox. I also suspect that her perfect skin could be the result of some well-performed chemical peels. It also appears that her nose has been thinned at one time."

Yep! If Gwen eased up just a tad with the injections, and left her upper lip alone, it would do wonders in giving her a more natural appearance. But at age 47, I say she looks pretty great.

How do you feel about Gwen Stefani's beauty evolution?
Which of these looks is your favourite?
What "beauty work" do you think she's had done?