At just 23 years old, actor Zendaya Coleman has had such a successful career that she’s joined the ranks of Beyoncé and Cher and is now known just by her first name. Zendaya has successfully made the leap from the Disney Channel to hugely popular shows like HBO‘s Euphoria, and on the way she’s solidified herself as a fashion and beauty icon.
Working with stylist Law Roach, her outfits are always bold and experimental, and Zendaya makes sure her beauty looks match. Unafraid of taking risks, she often does her own makeup and chooses surprising hairstyles. Here are some of Zendaya’s most memorable beauty looks.
Lovely Locs
Back in 2015, Zendaya wore a sleek Vivienne Westwood gown to the Oscars, paired with a loc hairstyle. This soon became the centre of controversy as E! host Giuliana Rancic said Zendaya’s hair made her “feel like she smells like patchouli oil or weed”.
Zendaya won praise for her mature response on social media, saying of the comments: “There is a fine line between funny and disrespectful,” and that there is already enough “harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair”. She added: “To me locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion’s mane.”
The Bold and the Beautiful
To the Met Gala 2017, Zendaya wore an elaborate Dolce & Gabbana gown featuring a parrot motif. Her bold red lip was the star of the show, tying in the vivid elements of the gown and giving an edge to the soft halo of her hair.
Cinderella Magic
For this year’s Met Gala, Zendaya dressed as Cinderella. Not only was her outfit spot-on, but her makeup hit the fairytale brief perfectly as well. She went for full Disney princess, wearing pale blue eyeshadow, iridescent blusher, and a delicate pale pink color on her lips.
Tribute to Redheads
It’s clear that Zendaya isn’t one to shy away from a theme. She plays the character of MJ (Mary-Jane) in the new Spiderman franchise and, during the recent press tour, she paid tribute to the original comic book character of by dyeing her hair red.
Sultry and Slicked-Back
Zendaya is rare for a major celebrity in that she often does her own makeup for the red carpet. One of the most memorable looks she created was for the 2018 GQ Awards. Wearing a purple and yellow Ralph & Russo couture gown, she didn’t shy away from a strong beauty look, creating the perfect smokey eye with a hint of purple eyeshadow to match the dress. This was all made even sexier by slicked-back, wet-look hair.
Iridescent Eyes
One thing that’s consistent about Zendaya’s beauty choices is how carefully she matches them to her outfit – which is no mean feat considering how bold her style is. Take this Marc Jacobs yellow and pink dress from December 2018, which she paired with shimmering iridescent eyeshadow to match her shoes and the pink tones of the dress.
Gilded Lids
One reason Zendaya has become such a fast favorite on the red carpet is that she’s not afraid to try different things. While most of us might shy away from boldly colored yellow eyeshadows, she really leans into the unexpected – and it looks amazing.
Knock-Out Highlighter
Zendaya is a California girl, so you’ll only really see her wearing a full face of makeup on the red carpet. In her downtime, she’s all about the simple look, focusing on glowing skin – with the help of some strategically placed highlighter.
