Kerry Washington Looks Flawless--and Like Herself--on 'Marie Claire' Cover

Finally, a magazine gets it right!

Following several controversial magazine covers, Kerry Washington looks absolutely stunning in the new issue of Marie Claire.

Framed with headlines that read “Smart, Sexy, Chic” and “Why We All Want to Be Kerry Washington,” the 38-year-old actress showcases her natural beauty, which was nearly photoshopped away by other publications.

Last month, InStyle came under fire for what appeared to be a heavily photoshopped cover of Washington, whose skin looked digitally lightened and her features altered. The magazine later apologized, blaming poor lighting. “We understand that this has resulted in disappointment and hurt,” InStyle said in a statement.

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But sadly that wasn’t the first time something like that happened. The Scandal actress was almost unrecognizable on the cover of Lucky’s December 2013/January 2014 issue. Most of her facial features were airbrushed away.

Luckily, those horrid memories have been erased by Marie Claire, in which Washington tells Lena Dunham how she struggled with body image growing up.

"I didn't grow up thinking I was pretty; there was always a prettier girl than me,” Washington says. “So I learned to be smart and tried to be funny and develop the inside of me, because I felt like that's what I had."

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And now that she’s embraced it, Washington has become something of a fashion icon -- even if she had a learning curve to make up for.

"I just put myself in a boot camp of figuring it out--and realized that I really loved it,” she reveals. “I guess because I came to it later in life, I realized, 'Oh, going to a fashion show is like going to the opening of Degas at the Met or going to see Swan Lake.'"