This Is The Real Reason Why Miley Cyrus Always Does Her Own Makeup

Miley Cyrus’ recent transformation from glow-in-the-dark glitter queen to low-key normal girl has arguably been more shocking than the time she showed up onstage wearing prosthetic boobs and a strap-on. She traded in her platinum pixie for grown-out brown roots and her flashing LED lights for an acoustic guitar, but don’t call it a makeunder — Cyrus is a woman changed.

In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the star addressed the popular question of why the hell she stopped sticking her tongue out at awards shows and started spending a lot of downtime at home with her dogs instead. “People were so shocked by some of the things that I did,” Cyrus told the magazine. “It should be more shocking that when I was 11 or 12, I was put in full hair and makeup, a wig, and told what to wear by a group of mostly older men.”

But her wild-child status, she said, had an expiration date. “It became something that was expected of me. I didn’t want to show up to photo shoots and be the girl who would get my tits out and stick out my tongue,” Cyrus explained. “In the beginning, it was kind of like saying, ‘Fuck you. Girls should be able to have this freedom or whatever.’ But it got to a point where I did feel sexualized.”

Now, the Malibu singer says she does her own makeup for shoots, and keeps it minimal. The over-the-top performances and red carpet appearances you wouldn’t want your grandma to see are all in the past. In fact, she thinks her attitude is more badass now than ever. “Even at the Met Gala, everyone had their boobs out, everyone had their ass out,” she said, “so what’s punk about that now?” If Cyrus declares that a healthy, sun-kissed glow paired with a down-to-earth lifestyle is her new idea of punk, then we’re not about to disagree.