A Complete Timeline of Zendaya's Beauty Evolution
Serving beauty inspo is child’s play for the star.
She's a fashion tour de force, an Emmy winner, a Disney Channel darling turned capital-M Movie Star—and Zendaya is just getting started. In honor of The Challengers—the first feature film where the actress is billed in the leading role—Marie Claire is dedicating a week of content to all things Zendaya.
When is Zendaya not on her beauty A-game? Over the years, her makeup and hair looks have spawned endless inspiration. As one of the few Disney stars to have successfully segued into an adult career, she’s come a long way, even snagging a coveted partnership with Lancôme. While her roles in Spider-Man helped her make that shift, her starring role in HBO’s Euphoria cemented the transition. Also helping make her a household name: Zendaya's bold hair and makeup choices.
While the 27-year-old regularly opts for a dominant eye or a bold lip color, she also flawlessly executes haircuts, extensions, wigs, and hair colors in the most refreshing ways. Here, we’ve highlighted Zendaya’s beauty evolution over the last decade.
2014
While she’s known to have naturally light brown hair, Zendaya chose a darker brown wig cut in a playful wavy bob for the 2014 Teen Choice Awards. Her makeup was more subtle, with slightly rosy cheeks, full lashes, and a light pink glossy lip that matched her ensemble.
2014
High-tousled buns and blunt bangs in a light brown hue were in high demand in the '10s beauty era, and Zendaya nailed it. Another sign of the times? All-matte makeup. With minimal blush on her cheeks, there wasn’t much contour or contrast to Zandaya's complexion, but a pop of matte red lips added a defining element.
2015
When Zendaya stepped onto the red carpet at the 87th Annual Academy Awards, she had no idea how much buzz her hair would bring. Her chunky faux locs, styled in with a side part and pulled back, became the subject of red carpet criticism, igniting debates and spawning internet think pieces.
2015
At the 57th Grammy Awards, Zendaya looked completely different, showcasing how transformative hair and makeup can be. Her fringed black pixie cut showed her bone structure and mismatched ear accessories. Her darkly lined lips featured a metallic pop at their center, complementing her sultry smokey eyeshadow and her multi-colored Vivienne Westwood dress. And this was just the beginning of killer Zendaya looks.
2016
Zendaya is one of a handful of people who can successfully pull off the fashionable version of a bowl cut as she did for the Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology-themed Met Gala. Her gold chainmail ensemble was mimicked by her highly bronzed complexion. As for her eyes, they popped with a heavily smokey application of eyeshadow with touches of gold, while her makeup artist kept the rest simple, going for a nude lip.
2016
With an influx of dewy looks trending, it’s easy to forget that matte makeup had a significant moment. Here, Zendaya’s makeup personifies a completely matte application from her overlined lips to her foundation. However, it’s the blonde-tousled pixie that stole the show. Zendaya went from girly to edgy with perfection.
2017
Although the Met Gala is about costumes and clothing, for Zendaya, it was all about hair. Her show-stopping, ethereal, unstructured afro seemed almost weightless and was reminiscent of brushed-out curls. Her tangerine lip offered a pop of color that tied the makeup to her Dolce and Gabbana gown, while her complexion exuded a warm glow aided by a swirl of blush across her cheekbones.
2017
While the actress has a naturally curly hair texture, she chose to define her curls in the summer of 2018. Her head of waves and loose ringlets included curly bangs falling well below her eyebrows and into her eyes, with her makeup only slightly peering through. She sported thick lashes and a touch of highlight to the inner corners of her eyes to open them up, while her pink lip color matched her bejeweled jacket. Adorable!
2017
In 2017, Zendaya explored an old Hollywood hairdo. Her wet-styled finger waves and deep side part proved the staying power of this classic, old-school glamour vibe. Her makeup displayed a bold eyebrow, slightly glossy nude lip, and eyeshadow with flecks of gold shimmer peeking through.
2018
The "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” themed 2018 Met Gala inspired Zendaya to go full silver chainmail in a custom Versace gown, a modern Joan of Arc. Her wavy red wig, cut into a bob with fringe bangs, added a necessary pop of color to the monochrome attire. Her eyebrows remained dark, while her silver shimmery eyeshadow tied into her silver outfit.
2019
For the L.A premiere of HBO’s Euphoria, Zendaya’s beauty look starkly contrasted her character on the show. Taking a glamorous approach, her high ponytail and long face-framing bangs gave her a sweet appearance. Rosy blush swiped across her cheeks, and pink glossy lips further emphasized this.
2020
At the 25th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, Zendaya's long, flowing braids were swept to the side and pulled back to frame her face. Bronze skin and a light pink-hued high-shine gloss gave way to her eyes, which became the focal point of her makeup. A pop of pink eyeshadow ran across them in a shimmery finish that dramatically encompassed her upper lid and under-eye. Full, thick black lashes rounded out her statement eye, perfectly matching her hot pink breastplate.
2021
At the Spider-Man: No Way Home Los Angeles premiere, Zendaya again played up her eyes. Using black, blue, and white colors, lines were drawn over her upper lid, directly along her lash line, and across her lower lid, creating an intricate, fun, multi-layered style. Her sleek cornrows fell down her back, allowing onlookers to get a closeup of her face.
2021
Here, Zendaya’s makeup and hair displayed the maturation of her beauty choices. Many elements of his look skewed high fashion editorial; her buffed-out, flawless skin, and intensely smoky eye drew you in. Finally, her slicked-back hair fell in tousled waves down her back.
2022
Retro glam was the name of the game when Zendaya stepped out at the 2022 Primetime Emmys. She sported soft, voluminous waves embellished with a black ribbon to complement her matching dress. A peachy nude lipstick in a more satin finish coated her lips for a barely there finish.
2022
The masculine and feminine aspects of this hair, makeup and outfit play well at this 2022 Vanity Fair Oscars party. Her gelled-back hair fell in a deep side part, slicked down on one side and framing her face on the other, falling over her ear. Her skin is finished with a matte foundation and a touch of blush, while her smokey eye is elevated with both black and silver shimmery tones. Deeply lined from the inner corners of her eyes, this technique emphasized the shape of her eyes.
2023
Zendaya exuded red carpet sophistication with a wavy brown bob at the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Pale pink blush lifted her cheeks and meshed well with her warmer pink-toned lip. But there was one special element worth noting: Zendaya's long top lashes with intentionally placed clumps at the bottom of her lid added an unexpected surprise.
2024
Zendaya is among the few people who can pull off a micro bang. The bangs, cut pointedly, almost like a widow’s peak, flawlessly gave off a mix of futuristic chic at the Fendi Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024 show. Her red lip, lined with a darker shade and finished with a brighter red in the center, added a sultry element that worked well with hair and brown dress.
2024
For this year’s Dune: Part Two press tour, Zendaya channeled desert elements with a bright golden look. Waves from her slicked-down hair framed both sides of her face, while golden-orange eyeshadow ran across her eyes, fanning out into a deep bronze at her temples.
2024
The Challengers press tour gave many noteworthy hair and makeup looks. Her sunkissed, dewy skin and flushed cheeks, courtesy of Lancome, were crafted by makeup artist Ernesto Casillas. With a press look this good, it’s hard to decide the best part. Is it the golden skin? Maybe. But it could very well be her shoulder-length voluminous blonde hair parted to the side that screamed '90s glam in all the right ways.
2024
This entire look is a master class in tennis chic. Another makeup look by Lancome and Ernesto Casillas, Zendaya’s skin featured touches of blush and expertly placed highlighter to give off a fresh off-the-court appeal. The bold, classic red lip added the necessary contrast to her all-white ensemble, while her high-slicked-back ponytail was emphasized with a crisp white ribbon.
