Going au naturel! Toddlers & Tiaras alum Alana Thompson, best known as Honey Boo Boo, shared a new makeup-free photo and shut down haters after defending her maturing style. 

Alana, 15, ditched her usual false eyelashes and lip gloss for a playful fresh-faced selfie on Tuesday, May 25. “I don’t care, I live MY WAY!” the reality star captioned her latest post via Instagram, showing her sticking her tongue out at the camera.  

Honey Boo Boo Makeup-Free
Courtesy Alana Thompson/Instagram

Her aunt Jo Shannon (a.k.a. Doe Doe) from Mama June: Family Crisis showed support to Alana in the comments by replying with several red heart emojis, adding, “You just be you. Love ya!” And Jo isn’t the only one taking a stand on the teen’s behalf, either. 

Alana’s mom, Mama June Shannon, passionately defended the way her daughter styles herself to In Touch exclusively in March. “I’ve seen that on social media,” June, 41, told In Touch at the time after followers claimed she was too young to wear acrylic nails and lashes. “And what fans don’t realize is when she was 5 years old, she was in the glitz pageant. She was putting on those fake acrylic nails. She was doing the makeup. She was doing the eyelashes.” 

“We’re hitting on 10 years of being in the public eye,” the WE tv personality said about Alana’s rise to fame as a child star. “People gotta realize that she’s 15 … she’s been wearing acrylic nails since she was like eight. These stripper lashes that I like to call [them] … you know, she’s just being Alana, she’s expressing herself.”

Honey Boo Boo Has the Perfect Response to Being Called a Hot Cheeto Girl
Courtesy of Alana Thompson/Instagram

Since last year, Alana has been living with her older sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird, who is now expecting baby No. 2 with husband Joshua Efird. Lauryn took Alana under her wing during June’s rehab stint and journey to recovery. Alana is still staying with her sister at this time, which has been an adjustment for the Efird brood, but they are making it work.

June expressed her gratitude for Lauryn’s help in March as well, revealing her daughter really came through when it counted the most. “Even though she didn’t have to step up [as a mother figure], she did, and you know, in our family … we’ve always stuck together,” June told In Touch

After growing up in the spotlight, Alana has learned how to deal with haters in real life and on social media. Earlier this year, she not only shut down criticism of her own fashion choices, but also shared her utmost appreciation for June and Lauryn. “My mom is now sober [for] almost a year and I couldn’t be prouder of her,” Alana fired back to a social media user, adding, “Yes, I’m being raised by my sister but, hey, I think she’s doing a damn good job at it.”

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