If there’s one celebrity who never misses, it’s Zendaya. Whether she’s attending a press tour or an awards show, she has completely mastered the art of method dressing. Alongside her longtime stylist Law Roach, she transforms every appearance into a curated moment, using fashion to bring the world of each project she’s promoting to life.
But her beauty moments deserve just as much attention as her fashion ones do. From iconic braids to graphic eyeliner, Zendaya consistently delivers beauty inspiration worth saving. And in 2026, we’re especially spoiled: The actress is set to star in five films this year, giving us plenty of opportunities to see her next makeup transformation. So, I’m taking a look back at Zendaya’s most memorable glam moments throughout the years.
Ahead, Zendaya’s best beauty looks of all time.
The Odyssey Press Tour
Her ethereal beauty looks from The Odyssey press tour, where she plays the Greek goddess Athena, are just the latest additions to her long list of iconic glam moments. Between the glowing, celestial eye makeup by her MUA Ernesto Castillas and intricate braided headpieces (by hairstylist Coree Moreno) worthy of a goddess, she's been feeding us nonstop over the last week.
The Drama Press Tour
Zendaya plays bride-to-be Emma in The Drama, and the film's press tour beauty looks did not disappoint. Two standouts? A sleek wet bob, created by her longtime hairstylist Ursula Stephen, paired with a subtle "something blue" eye makeup moment, and a chic bridal bob complemented by flushed cheeks and a smoky double-winged liner.
2025 Golden Globes
Possibly my favorite award show beauty look of hers ever, Zendaya channeled Old Hollywood at the Golden Globes with a voluminous curled bob and smoky eye. She wore the glamorous look while nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor for Challengers.
2024 Met Gala
Zendaya somehow managed to serve not one, but two of the best beauty looks at the Met Gala: Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion in a single night. She first stepped onto the carpet with a moody, vampy glam moment featuring ultrathin brows, sanguine smoky shadow, and a deep glossy lip. Then, she debuted a completely different yet equally stunning look with pastel shimmer eyeshadow, bleached brows, a pink lip, and an entire head of roses.
Challengers Press Tour
Zendaya fully embraced her sporty-chic era for the Challengers press tour, serving tennis-inspired beauty looks at every stop. The blonde hair might just be my favorite transformation of hers yet, especially when paired with that bow headband and banged ponytail.
2024 Oscars
At the 2024 Oscars, Zendaya proved that a classic beauty look can still feel completely fresh. Her bouncy lob, deep side part, and sharp cat eye delivered a chic red carpet moment that was nothing short of iconic.
2023 SAG Awards
Another voluminous lob moment at the 2023 SAG Awards, Zendaya paired the retro-inspired style with a bright inner-corner eyeshadow, intentionally clumped lashes, and muted blush.
Dune: Part One Press Tour
For the Dune: Part One press tour, Zendaya embraced bold beauty moments with colorful eyeshadow looks paired with intentionally wet hair. Her futuristic-inspired glam perfectly matched the film’s otherworldly aesthetic.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Press Tour
She began leaning into method dressing during her 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home press tour. And her smoky eye and intricate web-inspired graphic liner subtly nodded to the film.
2020 Critics Choice Awards
The actress wore waist-grazing box braids to the 2020 Critics' Choice Awards, pairing the protective style with metallic pink eyeshadow and a glossy lip. The look marked one of Zendaya’s most memorable braid moments.
2019 Met Gala
Zendaya’s Cinderella-inspired look leaned into the camp theme through the transformation element, arriving in a glowing fairy-tale gown, with her stylist Law Roach acting as her “fairy godmother.” Her blonde pixie cut, padded headband, and blue eyeshadow completed the Disney princess-inspired moment perfectly.
2015 Oscars
Zendaya wore long locs styled with a deep side part to the 2015 Oscars, pairing the statement hairstyle with a classic mid-2010s makeup look: defined brows and a smoky eye.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
