素す顔がお

〈人ひと〉に素す顔がおを見みせるto show someone one's true face/self
彼かの女じょは親しん友ゆうにしか素す顔がおを見みせない。
She only shows her true self to her closest friend.
素す顔がおのまま〈動どう詞し〉to do something with no makeup on
休きゅう日じつは素す顔がおのまま買かい物ものに行いく。
On my days off, I go shopping with no makeup on.
〈人ひと〉の素す顔がおに迫せまるto get close to revealing someone's true nature (esp. in media)
この番ばん組ぐみは有ゆう名めい人じんの素す顔がおに迫せまるドキュメンタリーだ。
This program is a documentary that gets close to revealing celebrities' true selves.

Kanji

素elementary, principle, naked
顔face, expression

Related words

すっぴん sense 1
すっぴん is a casual, colloquial word for a face without makeup, while 素顔 is more neutral and can also mean one's true, hidden self.
本ほん性しょう sense 2
本性 means one's true nature and often carries a negative or exposing nuance, while 素顔 is softer and simply means the real self behind a public image.

Opposites

仮か面めんN1sense 2
仮面 is a figurative 'mask' hiding one's true self, the opposite of 素顔, the true face behind such a mask.
ペルソナ
素顔 means one's true, unadorned self or face, the opposite of the constructed social image conveyed by ペルソナ.
覆ふく面めんN1
素顔 means one's bare, true face, the opposite of 覆面, which hides the face or identity.
化け粧しょうN3
素顔 means a bare, unmade-up face, the direct opposite of wearing 化粧.

Don't confuse with

シラフ sense 3
素面 is the standard modern word for being sober, whereas 素顔 only rarely carries that meaning and normally means a bare or true face.
真ま顔がお
素顔 means one's bare face without makeup or a mask, while 真顔 is about a serious facial expression, not the state of the skin.

Built from

素す+顔かお

Written forms

素す顔がおUsage99%
Standard kanji spelling; this is the only written form, with high-priority frequency tags.
すがおUsage1%

Etymology

Compound of 素, associated with being plain or unadorned, and 顔, 'face.' This transparently supports the literal sense 'unmade-up face'; the figurative 'true face' sense extends from that idea.