"Peeking in the makeup bags of my favorite celebrities has been a dream of mine for quite a while. Luckily, others share the same goal, meaning there is a plethora of articles about what celebrities love and use. But what about the products they don’t talk about? The ones that are just sitting in their makeup bags dying to be understood? I feel for them, which is what ultimately led me to the vision of dreaming up Meghan Markle’s makeup bag. And if you read that story, you should know the next person on my list is Zendaya.
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She stole my heart in Spider-Man: Homecoming and then again as Rue in Euphoria (I stand by that she was robbed an Emmy, but whatever), and her makeup is top-tier. Zendaya has been described as a chameleon on the red carpet because she often molds to various looks, from Cinderella and Joan of Arc at the Met Gala to smokey eyes and red lips for magazine covers and photoshoots. And when she’s not on the red carpet, she does her own makeup a lot of the time, so we figured she would be a perfect addition to this celebrity makeup bag series.
Zendaya is big on keeping her skin protected from the sun with SPF. She likes to use a light moisturizer with SPF 30 every morning, and this is the one I’d recommend to her if she ever asked me for a skincare recommendation (haha, in my dreams). It’s made specifically for deep skin tones, so it doesn’t have that white cast most sunscreens do. Plus, it’s hydrating with shea butter and such a good price that you don’t have to worry about using it up when you slather it on every day.
In multiple videos, Zendaya uses concealer and translucent powder and skips foundation. It wouldn’t be a celebrity makeup bag without NARS’s iconic Radiant Creamy Concealer, as this product is a favorite amongst celebs, beauty editors, makeup artists, and more (including our editors… not that you asked or anything). It’s perfect for spot-concealing and using under the eyes because it blends right in and has a satin/cream finish that looks just like a slightly better version than your skin. The shade range is also impeccable, so Zendaya is bound to have a few of these floating around.
Zendaya has said one of her biggest secret weapon products is good ‘ole Aquaphor. Obviously, she loves it as a lip balm, but in a video with Teen Vogue, she also used it on the tops of her cheekbones to make her highlighter even more beaming. To say I’m obsessed with Zendaya and her ingenious makeup skills is truly an understatement.
Sheika Daly, Zendaya’s makeup artist, used this powder for the Cinderella Met Gala look of 2019 to keep her makeup locked in place throughout the entire evening. For days when Zendaya needs her makeup to stay on for hours, this powder is probably a go-to. Zendaya even loves the Tik Tok trend (that used to be a major makeup artist and drag hack!) of using powder to set down your face first and then going in with your base products after, following with another light dusting of powder. This keeps your skin looking pore-free and absolutely flawless for hours and hours.
Zendaya is one of the coolest people in the world right now (you’re welcome, Z), so I bet she has quite a few cool, under-the-radar brands in her bag. Rituel de Fille is known for its ultra-cool, editorial clean beauty products. In Zendaya’s “73 Questions” with “Vogue,” she explained that she loves going bold with her eyes more than lips (as she pointed to an absolutely gorgeous blue and green eye look that I’m still swooning over). So, Z probably has some cool, bold eye products lying around, including this one that her previous MUA Alan Avendano loves. It’s a cream-to-powder finish available in tons of bold shades for a swipe-and-go look.
Zendaya’s a Global Ambassador for Lancôme and her makeup artist, Sheika Daley, uses their products in all of her shoots. I’m willing to bet this mascara is high on the list of Z’s favorites, as it’s also mine too! It’s perfect for those who want big lashes that still look natural enough for every day. It doesn’t get clumpy and is good for both volume and length.
As a Virgo, Zendaya is a bit of a perfectionist, and she’s explained that she’s so good at putting on her liquid eyeliner at this point that it feels like second nature. She doesn’t even close her eyes; she just applies and goes! This Stila one is a cult-favorite for anyone who loves a classic winged liner. It lasts all day long with no smudging, and the application is easy as all heck (and that’s coming from someone with absolutely zero liner skills whatsoever).
As much as Zendaya loves a strong eye, she’s rarely seen without a red lip these days. As a Lancôme Global Ambassador, she’s stated that this is her go-to red in many interviews, and we can’t blame her. It’s the perfect crimson red.
Avendano recommended this Covergirl lipstick on Zendaya’s website, calling this a great shade for fair and light skin tones. While this might not be Z’s every day go-to, I could see her packing it along for nights when she wants a brighter, more neutral-toned red.
I wasn’t kidding when I said Zendaya loves red! Avendano recommended this as a red that’s great for every single skin tone. This is likely Zendaya’s “out on the town” red that she can quickly apply without having to spend too much time in a mirror. OK, I promise, I’m done with the reds.
I can’t talk about her makeup bag without talking about the very perfume Zendaya reps. This floral perfume is unique but still pretty and feminine. She probably carries the rollerball with her everywhere she goes (I mean, if you were the face of a perfume, wouldn’t you?!).
Zendaya’s eyebrows truly could not be more flawless. I’ve read she likes to lightly fill them in with a pencil, and obviously, her favorite is likely everyone else’s: Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Brow Wiz.
Zendaya LOVES highlighter. From her earliest interviews to her most recent ones, she swears by using highlighter on her cheekbones. When asked if she preferred blush or bronzer, yeah, her answer was highlight. This one from Pat McGrath basically covers all the bases: a gold, a duochrome pink (like the one she wore at the 2019 Met Gala), and a deeper bronze. This formula is shimmery without looking powdery on the face and looks especially glowy when placed on top of really hydrated skin.