History Main / UnKemptBeauty

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Carol Danvers, who usually dresses in intentionally scruffy t-shirt and jeans, often with short hair, and tends to avoid make-up and fancy dresses like Kryptonite, yet is still considered to be very attractive. That said, it is explained that she actually doesn't mind getting dressed up every now and then (and gets SheCleansUpNicely reactions on top of her already notable good looks), she just refused to do so whenever she could to spite her father who had StayInTheKitchen values.

A SisterTrope to SexySpectacles, {{Meganekko}}, UglyCute and NerdsAreSexy. Contrast with CurlyHairIsUgly for a hair-specific variant.

** Entrapta looks pretty good in her overalls and oil-stained top, as Bow, Hordak and King Micah can confirm.

* Most of the female characters in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' fit the trope, including Marceline, Betty, Doctor Princess, Canyon, and even Princess Bubblegum (especially in [[HotScientist her scientist attire]]). [[spoiler:Finn's mother]] in the 2-part fifth season premiere.
* Sadira on ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries''. Jasmine was also this whenever she dressed down in some form (like when she became a street rat in the episode "Sand Switch").
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': Vi is younger than her [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends game counterpart]], and bare-faced with limited access to conventional grooming. She's still good looking, but it's toned down since she's usually dirty and/or beaten up.
* Kevin Levin in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' and ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien''. Dirty with oil? Hot. Exhausted, dirty and with his clothes in tatters? Hot, hot, hot!

** Entrapta looks pretty good in her overalls and an oil-stained top, as Bow, Hordak and King Micah can confirm.

* SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower: Adora looked beautiful with her hair down, after [[spoiler: having a hard battle with Light Hope]] in the end of Season 4. Hordak, too, looked hot even covered with scrapes and having lost his sanity almost completely.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Janie in ''Film/AnotherTimeAnotherPlace'' does a lot of agricultural grunt work and looks suitably roughed up, but despite this, she is by no means unattractive.
* In ''Film/BetterOffDead'', French foreign-exchange student Monique looks very sexy fixing Lane's car with grease on her face.
* ''Film/BlueIsTheWarmestColor'': Adèle, whose hair often gets in her eyes and is otherwise pretty messy.
* In the old Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/RobertMitchum western ''Film/ElDorado'', Mississippi ends up in a brief scuffle with the daughter of a nearby rancher when he thinks she is one of the bad guy's Mooks sneaking up on the Sheriff's office. Mississippi remarks after they stop fighting that she looks like "A mustang in need of a comb."
* Creator/DaryaMelnikova in ''Cinderella Four By Four'' has got a WrenchWench [[http://kino-teatr.ru/kino/acter/w/ros/12447/foto/5277/ appeal going on]].
* ''Film/DieAnotherDay'': The make-up department tried to make Creator/PierceBrosnan look as unattractive as possible after James Bond had been imprisoned and beaten up for 14 months, yet the director undid some of its intended effect by giving the actor a gratuitous ShirtlessScene, so Bond still appears quite healthy (and remains at least somewhat desirable in the eyes of Brosnan's fangirls) in spite of the long-term torture.
* [[Creator/ZooeyDeschanel Trillian]] in her first main story scene in TheFilmOfTheBook of ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''. Pretty much looks like she just got up. And yet, Arthur is the one who never changes his damn clothes.
* [[Creator/UmaThurman The Bride]] in ''Film/KillBill''. Being an assassin is hard work, and it shows--she's frequently sweaty and messy-haired, if not covered in dirt and blood.
* In the film ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'', Janey Briggs is said to be ugly because she is wearing [[HollywoodHomely overalls with paint on them, glasses and a pony tail]]. [[ParodiedTrope This is considered worse than girls with actual deformities]]. Of course, she is good-looking that way, as well as when SheCleansUpNicely later. This is a parody of the UnnecessaryMakeover in ''Film/ShesAllThat.''
* In ''Film/PlanB'', Bruno is perpetually scruffy-looking with a beard and unruly hair. Pablo, while somewhat [[PrettyBoy prettier-looking]] than Bruno, also has PermaStubble and doesn't look like he dresses up that often. None of that stops the two of them from being quite easy on the eyes during their {{Shirtless Scene}}s. The film's director, Marco Berger, said that he intentionally cast actors who were attractive but not "Hollywood attractive" to defy the media stereotype of all non-straight men being well-groomed, clean-shaven, and having perfect muscular bodies.
* Invoked in ''Film/RedCliff''--top model and idol Lin Chiling plays Xiao Qiao, whose very first scene has her very sweaty and untidy indeed as she's involved in the difficult delivery of a newborn foal.
* Creator/MaryElizabethWinstead in ''Film/TheThing2011'' prequel, all sweaty and her hair in disarray... Oh, and she's carrying what appears to be a flame thrower.
* ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'': Even while undergoing a MessOfWoe after [[spoiler:Frigga's death]], Loki's untidy appearance doesn't diminish his physical beauty. His long, wavy mane is all tangled, he has been clawing at his shirt, and his bare foot is blood-stained, but there's absolutely nothing to mar his [[PrettyBoy delicate facial features]], not even a 5 o'clock shadow.
* ''Film/WithnailAndI'': Both title characters wear odd clothing and look like they haven't combed their hair in days, yet are nonetheless fashionably unkempt.
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'': Charles' appearance in 1973 is rather sloppy and disheveled, especially in comparison to the other movies, yet he is still an attractive man. This was done on purpose by the filmmakers (the producers insisted that Creator/JamesMcAvoy keep his hair), and it conveniently evokes the LooksLikeJesus trope, as Christ is often depicted as being handsome in art.
** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': The director sought to elicit this trope when Professor X is losing the BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind against the titular antagonist. Xavier's hair is in disarray, he's smeared with blood, and the worst thing one can say about his appearance is that he looks like a stained [[PrettyBoy porcelain doll]]. The photogenic close-ups spell out to the audience that Charles is the "beauty" and "cutie" in BeautyEqualsGoodness and BreakTheCutie.
* While she's known for straight out BeautyInversion, as in ''Film/{{Monster}}'', Creator/CharlizeTheron appears to lean toward this trope in ''Film/YoungAdult''.
* Norwegian movie ''Film/AnnMagritt'' from 1969 has the titular character going like this all the way: Mostly dressed in rough mining clothes, mud in her face and covered in a hood (her hair is, all things considered, in a braid). She is played by ''Liv Ullmann'' - one of Norway´s international stars, who later worked with Creator/IngmarBergman.
* In ''Film/EvenLambsHaveTeeth'', Sloane and Katie are noticeably attractive. This applies even when they are on their RoaringRampageOfRevenge; dressed only in tank tops and [[WhoWearsShortShorts shorts]], with their hair dishevelled, and splattered with blood. The gas station attendant is so taken by their looks that he doesn't even think to ask why they are covered in blood.
* ''Film/Revenge2017'': Jen is gorgeous by conventional standards. However, over the course of her ordeal, she is transformed into a completely different kind of beauty. Her blonde hair is dyed black by blood and dirt, as are her clothes and she becomes a savage goddess of retribution.
* ''Film/HowItEnds'': Ricki is quite pretty, in spite of her messy hair and unflattering clothes.
* Ash, the main protagonist from the Franchise/EvilDead films, becomes more battered and disheveled -- and handsome -- as the series goes on. By the time he's dropped into a medieval kingdom in the third film, he's acquired a collection of scars, his left hand has been amputated, his clothes are in tatters, and he's [[https://movies-b26f.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Army-of-Darkness.jpg covered in blood and grime]]; after he proves that he isn't an enemy of the kingdom (by slaying a pit demon), women ''immediately'' start fawning over him. His [[EvilTwin zombified doppleganger]] even threatens him by promising to "mess up those good looks".
* ''Film/{{Ondine}}'': Syracuse looks like he's never even touched a comb or razor. General consensus is that this makes the already MrFanservice Colin Farrell even more attractive. Ondine, although looking a lot more civilized than him, most definitely counts as well-she's gorgeous but her hair's messy throughout most of the film.
* ''Film/TheSuicideSquad'' has Ratcatcher 2, who, in spite of being played by the pretty Creator/DanielaMelchior, is never emphasized for looks. She starts [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/23b82f437df3e8048aee1baf4f3c752f/4e4048ade40598ce-35/s640x960/70945900b04f6cbce154a7ec9de31d5d63c5a882.jpg slightly unkempt]], and then the MessyHair [[https://criticalroomhome.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/the-suicide-squad-james-gunn-ratcatcher-daniela-melchior.jpg is complemented by]] [[ThePigPen multiple layers of dirt]] to make her as filthy as expected from someone who spends her time with rats.
** Polka-Dot Man could also qualify, as his costume isn't the most well-cared for and he looks noticeably wan and disheveled, but Creator/DavidDastmalchian is quite a handsome fellow.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* From other characters' dialogue in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', Elanee (being a druid) is constantly rather dirty, has never touched a comb/toothbrush in her life, and smells rather earthy.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Amagami}}'', Kaoru Tanamachi's most distinctive feature is her [[MemeticMutation SEX HAIR]], and many fans believe that she's much more appealing because of it.
* From ''VideoGame/YggdraUnion'', Gulcasa's [[RapunzelHair knee-length hair]] is always rumpled-looking and flyaway--so much so that when character designers wanted to conceal his identity for [[VideoGame/BlazeUnion the prequel]], the most important alteration was his tying it back neatly in a ponytail. General consensus seems to be that he looks more mature (and [[ViewerGenderConfusion more masculine]]) with it loose and messy.
* Heather from ''VideoGame/SilentHill3''.
** Henry and Walter from ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'' qualify as well, the former being a man who hasn't showered, changed clothes, or gotten a good night's sleep in about five days; and the latter being a serial killer.
** The character artist and CGI director for ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'', Sato Takayoshi, invoked this with Maria's overtly sexual design while giving her age spots, [[AuthorAppeal believing a woman with flaws to be more appealing and realistic.]]
* Another male example is the hero from the ''VideoGame/BreathOfFire'' series. Although his later incarnations become slightly less unkempt with each game, the original has long, wild hair and a tattered cape that makes it look like somebody took a potential {{Bishounen}} and left him to be RaisedByWolves. [[http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/18585/950213-bof1_ryu_super.jpg This is how you make an attractive dragon-themed character, people.]]
* [[ActionGirl Alyx Vance]] from ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. Yet despite her patchwork clothes, she does look rather good for living in a CrapsackWorld.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fatal Frame IV|Mask of the Lunar Eclipse}}'' has Sakuya Haibara with long, beautiful hair that is disheveled and sometimes hangs into her face. Given her [[IllGirl illness]], she likely doesn't have the priority to take care of it or her attacks make her too crazy to care. Despite that, several notes (and even Misaki) mention how beautiful Sakuya always looks.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'': Fang's hair is pretty wild, hangs in her face at times, and generally can't be tamed... and she looks just wonderful like that.
* Nami from ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonAWonderfulLife'' wears more modern and casual clothes than most in the game; sneakers, a plaid vest, cargo shorts, and a tee. In the original game, she had straight, combed hair but in all future titles, she has messy hair that looks like she just climbed out of bed. Nami is by far the [[EnsembleDarkhorse most popular]] bachelorette in the Forget-Me-Not Valley games and even appeared in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonMagicalMelody'' as a reporter.
* ''[[VideoGame/AdvancedVariableGeo Advanced V.G.]]'': Satomi's hair is always short and mussy, because [[PerpetualPoverty she lives in poverty]], so [[ImNotPretty she's self-conscious about her looks]] compared to the other waitresses. [[LipstickLesbian Yuuki]] begs to differ, because Satomi's cute regardless of her hair, or even ''[[CharmPoint because]]'' of it. Which is accentuated by the BeautyMark on her left cheek and her natural athleticism. All reasons why Yuuki nurses [[IncompatibleOrientation a one-sided crush]] on her.
* ''VideoGame/AliceMadnessReturns'': In contrast to all of her Wonderland outfits, London Alice's dress is tattered and dirty, while her face is pale, gaunt, and lacks her usual lipstick and eyeshadow. And yet, [[http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/americanmcgeesalice/images/8/8a/Alice%27s_dress_designs.png/revision/latest?cb=20150223114504 she still looks just as lovely.]]
* ''[[VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia Skies of Arcadia: Legends]]'': [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak Aika]] is what you'd get if you re-imagined ''Literature/PippiLongstocking'' as an [[SkyPirate Air Pirate.]] Marco even calls her, "Scarecrow Hair", because [[MegaTwinTails her massive pigtails]] look more like corn stalks and stick out like a pair of handlebars. This didn't stop [[CasanovaWannabe Vigoro]] from getting [[VillainousCrush hot and bothered]] when he first saw her and spends the rest of the game ''[[HopelessSuitor trying]]'' [[LustObject to get her in the sack.]]
* In the Japanese version of ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' one of the Squid Sisters lines has Callie complaining that redoing her make-up after each battle is a bother, to which Marie states Callie doesn't even wear make-up. In both the North American and European translations it instead becomes Marie making a snide comment about how she doesn't wear make-up, unlike Callie, and is naturally pretty.
* [[GenkiGirl Sayori]] in ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub''. She has visibly messy hair and her school uniform is worn somewhat haphazardly. As the protagonist points out, her ribbon is not straight and looks loosely tied, her shirt is slightly unbuttoned, the collar of her shirt is crooked and has a toothpaste stain, and her blazer is fully unbuttoned (in this case, the blazer is a bit too small, and the protagonist tried to button it up before admitting that it feels strange to see it that way). It doesn't harm her cuteness one bit. [[spoiler:However, it is a sign of her finding looking after herself difficult due to her depression]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'':
** Blackwall serves as one. He has long, black hair with an equally long scruffy beard to match for it and is quite dashing. A female protagonist may even have the option of romancing him if she wishes.
** Cassandra is a knight whose boyish haircut, propensity to wear armor as much as she can, and [[GoodScarsEvilScars scar]] do nothing to detract from how attractive she is.
** Sera was probably trying to be a ButchLesbian with her patchwork clothing and terrible haircut (she hacked her hair off with a knife). Since she's an elf, she ends up as a LipstickLesbian with messy hair.
* Ellie from ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs''. Somewhat justified because she is in a post-apocalyptic world where appearance care is far from being a priority. The rest is just her being boyish, but still noticeably pretty. The same can be said for other women seen in the game such as Tess, Marlene, and Maria.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': The nameless protagonist is this ''in spades''. He has a shock of curly, tousled black hair, bad posture, and hands that are perpetually shoved into his pockets, and is loved by many as a very sexy character in the fanbase. His homeroom teacher, Sadayo Kawakami, fits this too.
* Zigzagged with Hellen Gravely in ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion3'' when you finally fight her. On one hand, she's less pretty when her make-up is running. On the other hand, her usual BeehiveHairdo being unkempt isn't too shabby. On the other ''other'' hand, she is [[VillainousBreakdown going through a rough time]] with King Boo losing faith in her. On the [[OverlyLongGag other, other, other hand]], she is quite infuriated at [[SpannerInTheWorks Luigi]] for the whole fight.
* ''VideoGame/Haven2020'': Kay says that Yu, without makeup, is more beautiful than the "Mate" [[ArrangedMarriage chosen for him]], with makeup. Yu claims she actually is wearing makeup but trolls him by leaving him guessing on whether she is or isn't.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'': Debora Briscoletti's hair is a black mass of bristly hair locks which go everywhere. And still she always looks beautiful and sophisticated.
* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'': For a young girl growing up in a zombie apocalypse where showers are rare and where she spends most of her time covered in walker guts to survive, Clementine remains adorable-looking nonetheless. Louis still finds her attractive in ''The Final Season'' despite her unkempt appearance.
* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'': Oka Ruto. She stays up all night studying the paranormal, leaving her with MessyHair and ExhaustedEyeBags. Despite this, she still looks cute and is one of the rivals pinning for Sempai's heart.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* The two unnamed characters in ''Magan&Danai''. When one of the women wakes up her girlfriend is already getting dressed. The woman gets dressed and her girlfriend is ''still'' getting ready.
* Erika from ''WebComic/LivingWithHipsterGirlAndGamerGirl'' ignores her appearance to the point where she's almost [[ThePigPen a walking sanitary hazard,]] but she still looks spectacular enough to be the subject of much FanService.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In ''Series/ShamelessUS'', Fiona skips the makeup, hairstyling, and even neglects to wear a bra on occasion: she still attracts at least half a dozen men over two seasons, even [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer one woman]]. Emmy Rossum has said that she spends five minutes in the make-up trailer, just long enough to rub mascara around her eyes. She still manages to look like [[http://img.poptower.com/pic-39432/emmy-rossum.jpg?d=600 this]]
* In ''{{Series/Firefly}}'', River Tam has long tangly hair, pale, unhealthy skin, bags under her eyes, and minimal makeup; this does not stop the fandom from adoring her, and several characters in-series remark upon her attractiveness. It helps that she's played by Creator/SummerGlau, see below.
** On the same note, ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' usually had Jewel Staite in homey overalls and occasionally [[WrenchWench covered in grease]]. As [[TheMedic Simon]] says, Kaylee looks good ''especially'' covered in engine grease.
* ''Series/{{House}}'': Dr. Gregory House has big bags underneath his eyes, PermaStubble, and bed hair. His rugged, unkempt look is actually ''more'' attractive than the one and only time we see him clean-shaven and smartly dressed. Too bad his [[JerkAss personality flaws]] take away from it. [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys Or not.]] Specifically a patient once said that Ashton Kutcher and House have the "same bedroom eyes."
* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'': Kara "Starbuck" Thrace wears no visible makeup, dresses in military-issue clothing, and is frequently seen bloody-faced, sweaty, and tired, with her golden hair either messed up or in a utilitarian, all-business ponytail.
** SheCleansUpNicely too, but is staggeringly gorgeous in her natural state.
* John Glover as [[Series/{{Smallville}} Lionel Luthor]].
* Misha Collins as the angel Castiel in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. You'd think an angel with stubble, perpetual bedhead, rumpled tie, and hobo trenchcoat wouldn't be that attractive, but he ''is''. In fact, some people have turned every aspect of his ruffled appearance into outright fetish fuel.
* Summer from ''Series/PowerRangersRPM''. In flashbacks to her old life as a RichBitch she looks alright, all dolled up in a party dress and loads of make-up, but many will agree she's much hotter in her biker gear, with her hair loose and a little bit of dirt.
* Most will agree that Kate (Evangeline Lily) from ''Series/{{Lost}}'' looked far, FAR more attractive with scruffy clothes, messy hair, and minimal makeup on the island than she did all done up on the mainland.
* There were four women on ''Series/RobinHood'' and at least three of them looked much nicer when they were "roughed up" a bit. Marian (Creator/LucyGriffiths) looked gorgeous when her hair was loose and her clothes unkempt, Djaq (Anjali Jay) made her SweetPollyOliver a true {{Bifauxnen}} and had [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer many straight females questioning their preferences]], and Isabella (Lara Pulver) was infinitely more beautiful with her hair wild and her GorgeousPeriodDress all askew. The {{aversion}} was Joanna Froggat as Kate, who was given two rather dreadful hairstyles (one which was known as [[FanNickname "the forehead braid"]]), but who looked her best during the only scene in which she had to tie her hair up off her face, showing off her high cheekbones.
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'': Robin qualifies. When trying to convince her not to move in with Ted, Barney asks her how she's going to feel when Ted sees her without makeup. She informs him that she's not wearing makeup right now. His response? "Holy crap, you're beautiful!"
* In an episode of ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', Hilary's boyfriend Trevor comes over, finding her wearing baggy clothes, not wearing makeup, and wearing her hair down. She's horrified that he's seeing her like this, but he's genuinely blown away by how attractive she looks. Then Jazz comes over and tells Hilary she could stand to fix herself up. Fortunately, we are meant to disagree with Jazz.
* Shane from ''Series/TheLWord''. Her hair was always a mess (this despite her being a hairdresser), she never wore makeup and dressed casually at best. And yet she never lacked for [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer appreciation.]]
* In the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' short [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCcJJfhdf_o "Body Care and Grooming"]], we are presented with two versions of the same woman--first with her hair messy, her blouse wrinkled, her socks mismatched, etc.--and then cleaned up, prim and proper, [[TheFifties Fifties]]-style. Although the makers of the short clearly mean the "clean" woman to be more attractive, Joel and the bots (Crow especially) prefer the "sloppy" woman, feeling that the clean version is bland-looking and generic while the sloppy woman has an appealing quirkiness about her. Regardless, the message is lost when it's clear that the actress was incredibly attractive either way.
** The first host segment has the 'bots debating on whether the woman looks better messy (Crow) or clean(Servo). Joel admits they both made good points, but "Crow's right.".
* Jeremy Brett's morning hair is cute in a dorky way in ''[[Series/TheAdventuresOfSherlockHolmes The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle]]''.
* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode ''The Doctor's Wife'' features Idris, a beautiful woman who is a mess due to having fallen through a hole in space-time. [[spoiler: She dies at the beginning of the episode and her body becomes host to the soul of the TARDIS.]]
* In ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' Lorelai and Paris have each said that they envy Rory for being able to wake up in the morning and look great.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
** Faith, in a [[BettyAndVeronica deliberate contrast]] to Buffy's ever-groomed look.
** Even people in-universe seem to think Spike is hotter when his hair is messed up and wavy than when it's super gelled and blonde.
* ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Creator/JossWhedon going for the double: Fred is the UnkemptBeauty to Cordelia's well-groomed look. Eventually, Fred discovers civilization and stops being this though.
* Morgana and Guinevere play this out as part of their HourglassPlot in ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}''. Guinevere starts out as very plain and gradually becomes ProgressivelyPrettier, whilst Morgana is a perfectly groomed lady who eventually ends up living in a hovel with dirty hair and dark makeup. Fan reaction varies wildly.
* In the Canal + series "Borgia"(no, not the ShowTime series ''Series/TheBorgias''), the characters Lucrezia Borgia, Giulia Farnese, and Sancia Squillace(d'Aragona) are played by German/Russian actress Isolda Dychauk, Italian actress Marta Gastini, and Czech actress Eliska Krenkova respectively. Since the series has actresses in costume with either little or no makeup at all, the actresses for these three characters are naturally quite pretty.
* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' has Penny as perfectly willing to chill at home in an oversized college football t-shirt and her hair messily pulled up. It's become a recurring joke that she KNOWS how to dress up and knock it out of the park when she wants to, she just chooses not to. This is more evident in later seasons, as the first few seasons had her mostly in {{fanservice}} heavy tank tops and short shorts. Although it was averted in an episode with [[JustOneMoreLevel her getting addicted to an MMORPG]], as her hair got greasy and frayed and her skin blotchy.
* In one episode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' Elliot runs to the hospital on her day off to get some advice from Turk without J.D. knowing she was there. Turk comments that she looks different and she remarks offhand she didn't bother putting any make-up on. It is subtle but a theme of the episode was that CharacterDevelopment doesn't eliminate ALL of your issues, as while Elliot proved to still be neurotic there were previous episodes that had her obsessing over her appearance despite the fact she obviously didn't have to try so hard.
* Dr Patrick Turner, from ''Series/CallTheMidwife''. The more rumpled and bedheaded he is, the more the fangirls seem to like him. It ''really'' doesn't hurt that Stephen [=McGann=] (yes, [[Creator/PaulMcGann Paul's]] brother) carries off the "world-weary and careworn older gent" look like nobody's business.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** In Season 5, the normally well-dressed and elaborately coiffed Margaery Tyrell [[spoiler: is arrested by the Faith and placed in a dank dark cell and therefore]] is shown dirty, disheveled, and in rags. It's still Creator/NatalieDormer, though, and she still looks gorgeous!
** Though Arya Stark spent the last few seasons dressed in filthy clothes and messy hair, she is quite cute.
* In contrast with the other women on ''Series/GoodGirlsRevolt'', whose hair is usually either done up, curled, or bobbed, Patti wears her long hair down, showing that she's an independent free spirit.
* Claireparker in ''Series/{{Pixelface}}'' is usually dressed in grungy clothes with messy hair and dirt on her face, as she is the player character in the survival horror game ''Return to Zombie City''. She still holds her own against the aristocratic Alexia and GirlyGirl Kiki.
* Oswald Cobblepot from ''Series/{{Gotham}}''. [[EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette Pasty-pale complexion]], SinisterSchnoz, hair that usually looks like a bird nested in it, and scraggly yellow teeth...and yet almost {{Bishonen}} in a weird way, with his wide green eyes and oddly winsome smile. It helps that he's small, kind of a {{Woobie}}, and has an almost musically soft voice. And of course, beneath the unflattering makeup, Robin Lord Taylor is ''very'' pretty in real life. In later seasons, as Penguin becomes more and more powerful, [[SheCleansUpNicely he also cleans himself up]]...and ''heck'' does he clean up nicely.
* ''Series/ControlZ'': Sofia rarely seems to comb her hair nor otherwise care about her appearance. Nonetheless, she's very beautiful.
* ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'': Deet wears her hair in loose, messy braids and is implied not to bathe much (if ever), but she's still very pretty and charming. Hup and Rian, at least, always think she's beautiful.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', the Whistler sisters are mentioned to be exceptionally beautiful, and all they do for their looks is keep their hair short, in a military fashion. It's pretty much the same with all good-looking women, as make-up isn't really worn by women. (Only by whores, who all pretend to be male, due to male GenderRarityValue and the resulting demand)
* ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew'': When Aslan summons Helen to Narnia to make her its first Queen, the narrator notes that if she'd known in advance what was about to happen, she'd have put on fancy dress and makeup, which would have made her look remarkably tacky. However, since she was summoned in the middle of washing dishes, she is wearing one of her regular dresses and her natural appearance and is quite pretty.
* Marianne Engel from ''Literature/TheGargoyle'' is this in her worst times, when she is either in asylum or frantically carving her gargoyles.
* Fuschia Groan of ''Literature/{{Gormenghast}}'' is almost the definition of this trope: when we first meet her, she wears ill-fitting clothes, hates washing her face or brushing her hair, and slouches and sulks so much that it's very easy to overlook her natural beauty. Her grooming improves as she grows older.
* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', [[CuteMute Ciarra]] runs around with uncombed hair and bare feet, much to the chagrin of her lady in waiting. Her cousin Beckram apparently still thinks that her hair is lovely.
* ''Literature/DragonBlood'' has [[spoiler: Tisala]], whom Ward remarks is very attractive ... even after having barely survived a fight against bandits, and looking like it. As he admired her toughness more than her beauty in the first place, that was to be expected.
* Lyanna Stark from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' [[{{Tomboy}} preferred swordplay and horseback riding to needlework]] and fittingly had a beauty that was described as "wild," in contrast to the more conventionally lovely women of her time, such as Cersei Lannister.
* In the ''Literature/{{Fearless}}'' books, Gaia Moore is often described as beautiful, despite the fact that she usually just wears whatever clean thing she can pull out from under her bed.
** In one book, a male character rates females on the "Firehose Scale," which measures how attractive a girl would be immediately after being blasted by a firehose.
* In the ''Literature/SymphonyOfAges'' Rhapsody gains an unearthly beauty after traveling through the pure flame at the center of the world. Virtually every man she encounters after that is dumbstruck by her beauty, even though she's usually wearing highly practical clothing. Even when she was clad in rags, mud, and various pieces of debris from bushes, her beauty was enough that many locals mistook her for a nature spirit.
* Piper from Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus is described as looking beautiful to Jason, even though her hair is cut choppily, she's wearing jeans and a parka, and her t-shirt is all torn up.
** Percy himself might qualify as a male variation. He suffers from a perpetual case of bedhead, can't afford to be a SharpDressedMan, and frequently "looks like death", in his own words, due to his...[[ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne exciting lifestyle.]] Still, he's never exactly hurting for female attention, or [[ClosetKey even male]].
* Eponine from ''Literature/LesMiserables''. We're told that a life of poverty has been horrible to her, and now she's skin and bones with stringy hair, probably smudges of dirt, [[TheOphelia an unhealthy mind]], even missing teeth. Despite all of this, she still looks good enough to be described with a star metaphor at one point.
* In Zilpha Keatley Snyder's ''Literature/TheChangeling'', Ivy Carson is repeatedly described in these terms. She is actually called "unkempt" and "pitiful looking" by adults who see only her huge mass of impossibly curly black hair and her scroungy clothes. Her friend Martha thinks she is beautiful. At thirteen, she looks worse than ever by normal standards; she can sit on her long thick braid, wears no makeup, and cannot afford to dress stylishly, nor does she particularly want to. Martha still sees Ivy as beautiful, and so did illustrator Alton Raible, [[http://www.dreamshore.net/images/raible/newmagic.jpg who portrayed her as fairylike]] -- half-shoujo, half-[[Film/BigEyes Keane Painting]].
* Jam the [[TheJeeves butler]] from the ''Literature/ErecRex'' series. When he's done up in his usual fashion, with his hair slicked back and in fine clothes, he looks stiff and unapproachable. But when his hair gets mussed up and he loses some of the fancier parts of his uniform (like his jacket and bow tie), he not only looks more handsome but much friendlier as well.
* In ''Literature/ParadiseLost,'' Eve is introduced with this sort of appearance.
* Katniss in ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' looks quite nice before she gets prettied up for the games. As the books portray the decadence of the Capitol as something negative, it is likely intended that the reader view her as an unkempt beauty who actually looks better without all those beauty treatments she's given prior to the games.
* ''[[Literature/HonorHarrington Mission of Honor]]'' explicitly points out that, even dragged out of bed after midnight in a bathrobe and nightgown with bedhead and absolutely no makeup on, President Eloise Pritchart is ''still'' the most beautiful person in any given room, and probably the city. If not the continent. Even if everyone else ''in'' said room (or city, or continent) is dressed up to the nines.
* ''Literature/MyYearOfRestAndRelaxation'': Despite not giving a damn about her physical appearance and sleeping for extended periods of time, the narrator describes herself as looking like an off-duty model.
* ''Literature/TellMeHowYouReallyFeel'': Rachel never pays much attention to her looks; she's described as just wearing ordinary pants and shirts, with unruly hair. Nonetheless, she's also quite attractive to Sana, who finds her beautiful.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* The women in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', as a result of being soldiers. They don't have time for (or presumably access to) cosmetics, and most simply wear their hair short or put it up in a [[TomboyishPonytail messy ponytail]] to keep it out of the way. This doesn't stop them from being attractive, in particular [[DudeMagnet Krista]].
* [[LadyOfWar Casca]] from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' is often noted as one. Being a mercenary, she keeps her hair short and wears men's clothing and non-{{Stripperiffic}} armor. While people comment on the way she dresses, she is often considered to be very beautiful.
** [[spoiler: After [[GoMadFromTheRevelation losing her sanity after the Eclipse]], Casca retains this trope in a very different way. While her hair grows out and she switches to simple dresses, she still appears disheveled as TheOphelia. This does not stop people from finding her SoBeautifulItsACurse.]]
* L from ''Manga/DeathNote'' looks like he just crawled out from under the bed with hair that he probably never brushes, solid black eyes, extreme bags under said eyes, wears the same plain, baggy clothing every single day, is extremely pale/thin, and DoesNotLikeShoes. That doesn't stop him from having a legion of fangirls.
** In the ''Manga/DeathNote'' vein, right after being released from fifty or so days of captivity, [[GenkiGirl Misa]] [[PerkyGoth Amane]] spends the entirety of the next scene [[LettingHerHairDown without her hair]] in her customary GirlishPigtails, not wearing a bit of makeup, and dressed in what looked like baggy, plain white pyjamas. [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/17DNNormalMisa_1688.jpg More or less like this]].
* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'':
** [[NationsAsPeople Greece]] says in one strip that he doesn't want Japan to see his hair getting frizzy in the rain, but Japan honestly doesn't see any difference from the way his hair looks normally. And him having 'bed hair' all the time doesn't stop Japan from [[ShipTease implicitly finding him attractive enough to sleep with]].
** England is scrawny, has messy, frizzy hair (well, as [[GenericCuteness frizzy as the series allows]]) and has bushy eyebrows. It wouldn't be a stretch to say he's got ''the'' most fangirls. However, WordOfGod did say that his eyebrows are plucked.
** Lithuania has long [[HotBloodedSideburns messy hair]] in the earlier strips, with his [[{{Workaholic}} busy and hard-working nature]] causing him to probably not care much about his looks, his features are [[HollywoodHomely "plain"]], and...at least, Russia [[StalkerWithACrush seems to]] [[{{Yandere}} have a thing]] for him. [[ArtEvolution Later strips]] give Lithuania much prettier hair.
* ''Anime/LesMiserablesShojoCosette'': Gavrooche, Eponine and Azelma fulfill this trope. All the three face poverty and become disheveled as a consequence, but that does not stop any of them to be either adorable (Gavroche and Azelma) or outright beautiful (Eponine). That happens even if their parents, the Thénardiers, are not very good-looking.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
** Rei Ayanami is often considered this by fans. Not that she would need a makeover to look nice...
** Whenever Asuka gets rid of those signature hair clips of hers, but especially near the end, when she just stops caring, manages to look infinitely more mature. Arguably, this was done on purpose to emphasize that, at her core, she is still just a child despite all her efforts to not appear to be.
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'':
** As shown in episode 17, Kyouya still looks good even when he's literally dragged out of bed in frumpy clothes and bed hair.
** Haruhi often looks her most adorable in clothes that don't look like they cost a small fortune.
* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Misty considers herself a great beauty despite not wearing any sort of makeup, pretty hairstyles, or fancy clothes. Of course, this didn't stop her from ''trying'' for a makeover in the episode "Pokemon Fashion Flash." [[CosmeticCatastrophe Big]] [[HumiliationConga mistake]], [[WhatAnIdiot Misty.]]
** Episode 63 of [=XY=] is a [[VillainEpisode Team Rocket themed episode]]. Jessie usually wears makeup however due to circumstances she spends the entire episode in a cardigan with no makeup and a slightly [[MessyHair messy ponytail]]. It's one of the extremely few episodes with her and no makeup; she had it on even in her SickEpisode. Jessie looks just as pretty as ever and catches the eye of a doctor. She ponders leaving Team Rocket to be with him but decides against it in the end.
* Mika of ''Manga/SeraphOfTheEnd'' has MessyHair that does nothing to detract from his {{Bishonen}} looks.
* Oft-mentioned novelist Takatsuki Sen turns out to be one in ''Manga/TokyoGhoul''. Just prior to seeing her for the first time, Kaneki describes her as so beautiful that she has fans only interested in her looks. However, we've never seen her without MessyHair and quirky outfits suggesting part of her appeal is that she's a natural beauty. [[spoiler: And she also happens as the BigBad. And many chapters later at the sequel, she cut her hair neatly short before she publicly announced herself as a ghoul alongside announcing her retirement and the release of her final book.]]
* ''Anime/VariableGeo'': Satomi has [[BoyishShortHair short, mussy hair]], along with BeautyMark just beneath the corner of her left eye, and has a naturally athletic figure from years of martial arts training. All of which caused [[LipstickLesbian Yuuki]] to become infatuated with her at first sight, though Satomi [[DudeNotFunny didn't appreciate]] Yuuki [[DepravedHomosexual coming onto her.]]
* ''Manga/WanderingSon'':
** Yuki used to wear ''a lot'' of makeup and wore a wig whenever she was outside. In later volumes, she ditched the makeup and grew her hair out after being inspired by Nitori's sixth grade teacher. Her hair is apparently not all that combed either, and she's switches between casual and feminine attire often.
** Takatsuki's hair is often unkempt and [[ExpressiveHair expressive]], though he does also tend to comb it into a very tidy look.
* Cher from ''Anime/WolfsRain'' usually has disheveled hair because of her hectic working conditions.
* Souta's novelist sister [[MostWritersAreWriters Izu]][[{{Hikikomori}} mi]] from ''Manga/{{Working}}'' doesn't wear makeup, constantly has ink smudges on her face, has moderately messy hair, and just has a bedraggled appearance in general. Still, she is no less beautiful because of this but is possibly ''more'' beautiful ''because'' of it.
* Played with in ''Manhua/GoddessCreationSystem''. Xiaxi's image is that she's wearing little to no makeup or cosmetics to let her natural beauty shine, which Mingluan notices with approval. However, it's not actually true: She's actually going through quite a lot of effort to maintain her appearance and just makes it ''look'' natural.
* This is a plot point in ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' where Shirogane comments on Kaguya's beauty while she's soaking wet, covered in mud, and scratched up after she saved the Mass Media Club president from drowning in a garbage-filled swamp. [[spoiler:In fact, it was the very moment he first fell in love with her.]]
* Sousuke of ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' is noted to be quite attractive despite his disheveled, haphazardly cut hair, prominent facial scar, complete fashion blindness, and intimidating demeanor. Though his IdenticalStranger's [[TeenIdol career]] implies he could be even moreso if he [[SheCleansUpNicely cleaned up a bit]] [[WhenSheSmiles and smiled]], he already draws more admirers (both [[ChickMagnet female]] [[EvenTheGuysWantHim and male]]) than he's comfortable with just rolling out of bed.
* ''Manga/TheQuintessentialQuintuplets'': The five titular quintuplets are all considered very beautiful, but in one of their arguments, Nino (the second) accuses Miku (the third) of not caring about her appearance, wearing simple and cheap older clothes. Miku's response is to imply that Nino is shallow for her manicures.
* Satou, the succubus math teacher in ''Manga/InterviewsWithMonsterGirls'', dresses in bland gym clothes, keeps her hair slicked down in an unflattering way, and wears unfashionable glasses. She's still very pretty, and everyone can tell she'd be drop-dead gorgeous if she tried. Of course, she does this intentionally so that she doesn't seduce anyone by accident.
[[/folder]]

* ''ComicStrip/LilAbner'''s pursuer (and later wife) Daisy Mae Scragg, like most of the other Dogpatchers, generally wore rough, tattered clothing, but she seems to have at least combed her hair and washed her face regularly. Moonbeam [=McSwine=], who provides the page image, is a purer example ... despite the tattered clothing and general inattention to hygiene she's still one of the prettiest women in the Dogpatch area (after Stupefyin' Jones, whose beauty is, well, look at the name).

!!Examples:

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': Vi is younger than her [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends game counterpart]], and bare-faced with limited access to conventional grooming. She's still good looking, but it's toned down since she's usually dirty and/or beaten up.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': Vi is younger than her [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends game counterpart]], and bare-faced with limited access to conventional grooming. She's still good looking, but it's toned down since she's usually dirty and/or beaten up.

* ''Film/TheSuicideSquad'' has Ratcatcher 2, who in spite of being played by the fairly pretty Creator/DanielaMelchior is never emphasized for looks. She starts [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/23b82f437df3e8048aee1baf4f3c752f/4e4048ade40598ce-35/s640x960/70945900b04f6cbce154a7ec9de31d5d63c5a882.jpg slightly unkempt]], and then the MessyHair [[https://criticalroomhome.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/the-suicide-squad-james-gunn-ratcatcher-daniela-melchior.jpg is complemented by]] [[ThePigPen multiple layers of dirt]] to make her as filthy as expected from someone who spends her time with rats.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': There's a reason many fans of the series have declared themselves "Korra-sexual". It's because she combines [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Korra_The_Legend_of_Korra.jpg this trope]] with AmazonianBeauty. This becomes even more pronounced in season 4 when she gives herself an ImportantHaircut and spend several episodes wandering in the wilderness with a visible black eye, averting BeautyIsNeverTarnished.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Some fans consider Zuko to be attractive even with the huge scar and the more casual clothing he wears after the end of Book 1.

* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'': Oka Ruto. She stays up all night studying the paranormal, leaving her with MessyHair and ExhaustedEyeBags. Despite this, she still looks cute and is one of the rivals pinning for Sempai's heart.

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': The nameless protagonist is this ''in spades''. He has a shock of curly, tousled black hair, bad posture, and hands that are perpetually shoved into his pockets, but is loved by many as a very sexy character in the game. His homeroom teacher, Sadayo Kawakami, fits this too.

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': The nameless protagonist is this ''in spades''. He has a shock of curly, tousled black hair, bad posture, and hands that are perpetually shoved into his pockets, but he's easily the sexiest character in the game, and just as easily the sexiest lead from the series as a whole.

* ''Film/TheSuicideSquad'' has Ratcatcher 2, who in spite of being played by the fairly pretty Creator/DanielaMelchior is never emphasized for looks. She starts [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/23b82f437df3e8048aee1baf4f3c752f/4e4048ade40598ce-35/s640x960/70945900b04f6cbce154a7ec9de31d5d63c5a882.jpg slightly unkempt]], and then the MessyHair [[https://criticalroomhome.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/the-suicide-squad-james-gunn-ratcatcher-daniela-melchior.jpg is complemented by]] [[ThePigPen she's multiple layers of dirt]] to make her as filthy as expected from someone who spends her time with rats.

->''"Go upstairs, take off your makeup''
->''Fold your clothes neatly away."''
-->-- '''Music/JethroTull''', "Fire At Midnight"

A SisterTrope to SexySpectacles, {{Meganekko}}, UglyCute and NerdsAreSexy. Contrast with CurlyHairIsUgly for a hair-specific variant. SOME BITCHES ARE JUST FAT AND UGLY

A SisterTrope to SexySpectacles, {{Meganekko}}, UglyCute and NerdsAreSexy. Contrast with CurlyHairIsUgly for a hair-specific variant.