Rap superstar Nicki Minaj recently posed for an ELLE magazine cover shoot and surprised fans by revealing a stripped-back look.

Speaking about the photoshoot, Minaj explained that it was strange having her picture taken without her dramatic make-up and she almost felt 'naked':

"When I saw myself with barely any makeup at all, it was such a… like, I’m so, so attached to my pink lipstick, it’s hard. I feel that it’s become a part of me."

"To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol’ crazy lashes- you know, nothing – I felt naked. It was scary! So this photo shoot was a real accomplishment in my eyes.”

As well as baring her face for the feature, she also bared her soul and opened up about the ordeal of getting bullied as a youngster: "I went through a lot of bullying early on. Girls made my life a living hell. We had come to America from a different country. My brother and I had accents. It was very tough."

Watch French Montana's video for 'Freaks', which features Minaj, here: