Today's Before & After subject, by popular request, is Jessica Biel—a celeb so gorgeous that many people would just assume she went under the knife, like so many other Hollywood stars.
But Jessica has also been in the public eye for a really long time. Now 34, she is best known for her role on 7th Heaven, which started when she was only 14 years old. Over the years, despite trying virtually every hair colour and style, it's remarkable that her facial features have not changed.
Well, except for ONE thing. It might not be what you think, and you have to go way, way back to see it! Without further ado, here is Jessica's beauty evolution:
Jessica as a Child
Jessica Biel as a child.
Like I said, you have to go far back in time—to Jessica's childhood pics—to spot any evidence of cosmetic tinkering. Usually, it's the nose that celebrities alter, but as you can see, hers was always quite small and button-like. Instead, what jumps out at me is her upper lip. It's very thin (not that there's anything wrong with that!), and noticeably different to Jessica's full upper lip of the present day.
Jessica in 1998
Jessica Biel on the cover of Teen's January 1998 issue.
You can also see Jessica's natural mouth here, on one of her first magazine covers in the '90s. She would have been 15 in this shoot. Thin upper lip or not, she was a gorgeous teenager!
Jessica Biel at the 1998 premiere of 'Halloween H2O.'
Just a few months later, Jessica chopped her hair off for one of her first red carpet events. (Skinny brows, stringy hair and tan lines as an accessory: my how things have changed since the '90s!) Her nose looks the same to me, but the lips, I'm not sure. Does the top one suddenly look slightly fuller?
Jessica in 2001
Jessica Biel at the 2001 Critics' Choice Awards.
Okay, NOW it's official. Jessica's upper lip suddenly grew much larger than the bottom one by 2001. Weird, right? Hyaluronic acid lip injections weren't common then, so I suspect Jessica got something more, er, permanent. She was 19 here, and aside from the light hair and over-tweezed brows, looks exactly the same as she does now. Her bone structure is just amazing.
Jessica in 2004
Jessica Biel at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards.
The blonde hair continued through 2004, when Jessica wore these tousled waves with bright blue eyeshadow, angular brows and pink blush. Even though the styling would be considered tacky from a 2016 point of view, I think she looks super-pretty.
Jessica in 2005
Jessica Biel at the 2005 premiere of 'Elizabethtown.'
Then, Jessica took her hair colour a few notches darker, to brown, with a flippy layered cut and tons of bright pink blush. (Yes, this was considered a normal level of blush in the '00s!) She is smiling, which stretches out the upper lip, but it still looks HUGE, and there is no Cupid's bow. Do natural lips do that? I think not.
Jessica in 2006
Jessica Biel at the 2006 New York premiere of 'The Illusionist.'
Jessica's makeup gradually started getting better, and her brows managed to miraculously recover from the over-plucking of the '90s. In a light pink lipstick, her inflated lip also looks less obvious. I don't know even know how to describe this hair colour—it's blonde at the ends, reddish near the top, and dark brown at the very roots.
Jessica in 2007
Jessica Biel at the 2007 CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute.
At age 25, Jessica briefly returned to brunette hair, with subtle Ombré ends (before Ombré was even a thing!). Her makeup was also becoming more sophisticated and neutral. She looks super-glamorous here.
Jessica in 2008
Jessica Biel at the 2008 BAFTA Awards.
Remember this? For a hot minute in 2008, Jessica went light blonde. With her green eyes and fair skin, she pulls it off, but it does wash her out, unlike the brunette.
Jessica in 2009
Jessica Biel at Cartier's 100th anniversary gala in 2009.
Finally, in 2009, Jessica returned to brown hair and never looked back. These tawny makeup tones add to the sophistication, although she was still only 27 here. This is the first front-on shot of her nose in a few years. Maybe it was surgically refined, but it's very hard to tell.
Jessica in 2010
Jessica Biel at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.
By 2010, Jessica was a full-fledged trendsetter on the red carpet. I remember loving this layered, expertly highlighted hair look at the time (and still do!). With neutral tones on her lips, you don't notice that they've been enhanced.
Jessica in 2011
Jessica Biel at the 2011 GQ Men of the Year party.
Jessica had a rare red lipstick moment in 2011, and right away, it highlights the size discrepancy between her upper and lower lips, along with the lack of Cupid's bow. I'm not crazy about the yellow eyeshadow, but once again I'm blown away by her bone structure.
Jessica in 2012
Jessica Biel at the 2012 London premiere of 'Total Recall.'
To switch things up, Jessica got bangs in 2012, no doubt inspiring legions of fans worldwide to follow suit. I love them with the cat eyes and pale pink lips—she's definitely been having more fun with her makeup in the last few years. Her face does look more sculpted, but I'm guessing that's just the normal fat loss that occurs with aging (she was 30 here).
Jessica in 2013
Jessica Biel at the Tiffany Blue Book Ball in 2013.
The following year, Jessica began growing out the bangs, adding blonder ends but keeping the roots natural. I just love these soft waves with the deep side part and sparkly barrette. The makeup is barer than ever, but she looks absolutely fantastic. Notice how her brows have now fully returned.
Jessica in 2014
Jessica Biel at the 2014 Academy Awards.
For the 2014 Oscars, Jessica kept up the low-key makeup, which I love. Once again, the pale lipstick helps her lip enhancement to blend in. This is another good shot of her nose. If anything was done there, it was super-subtle.
Jessica in 2015
Jessica Biel at the 2015 EMA Awards.
With her permanently augmented upper lip, Jessica might not be a candidate for injections there—but I suspect she had them her cheeks, at least going by this photo (she was 33 here). I think they are tad too full, especially near the eyes, although she still has some natural creasing there. I'm still loving her light makeup, and this loose, wavy updo.
Jessica in 2016
Jessica Biel at the 2016 Independent Spirit Awards.
Now Jessica is 34, and I have to say, I think she's looking more beautiful than ever. This electric blue eyeliner will go down as one of my favourite beauty looks of all time, along with her enviable hair texture and highlights. Her upper lip looks smaller here, but I think it's a combination of the lighting and her nude lipstick.
Update: Jessica in 2017
Jessica Biel at the 2017 Emmy Awards.
Does this woman age at all? At 35, she looks so fresh in this low-key natural makeup and glam hair. Perhaps there are a few injections here and there, but the work is GOOD.
Update: Jessica in 2018
Jessica Biel at the 2018 Critics' Choice Awards.
Like most celebs we saw at the Critics' Choice Awards, Jessica's skin looks a little dry and dehydrated here. But again, I appreciate that she hasn't smoothed away her lines (except for her forehead, maybe). Her upper lip looks smaller... maybe she had it reduced?!
Conclusion
Jessica Biel as a child (left) and in 2016 (right).
Well, we had to go all the way back to a childhood photo, but I think it's very clear now—Jessica's upper lip has been enhanced.
Truth be told, I'd always wondered about it, because I've never seen anyone whose upper lip was THAT big, compared to the lower one. As plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn says, "The lower lip should be one and a half times the size of the upper lip. Some patients and doctors don’t know this and they go overboard with the upper lip."
What I suspect is that she had a permanent silicone lip implant inserted when she was still a teenager. That's why it has never inflated and deflated in size, like lip injections do as the hyaluronic acid dissipates within a few months. Still, you'd think it could be replaced with a more natural-looking implant, all these years later!
As for her nose, "There is also a possibility that [it] has been slightly thinned," adds Dr. Youn. I honestly can't tell. What do you think?
How do you feel about Jessica's beauty evolution?
Which of these looks is your favourite?
What "beauty work" do you think she's had done?
