Beauty
10 Times Zendaya Channeled Early 2000s Beauty Trends
Including white eyeshadow, heavy eyeliner, and more
It’s typical for a celebrity to experience both hits and misses on the red carpet. But if there’s one star who continually shows up in one noteworthy beauty (and fashion) look after another, it’s Zendaya. The actor and singer — who grew up in the spotlight — seems to have a prescient understanding of style. Though she’s experimented with plenty of different makeup and hair trends, Zendaya’s nod to 2000s-era beauty looks have been particularly chic.
Zendaya is a beauty chameleon in every sense of the word: While you can count on some actors to stick with one overall makeup or hairstyle throughout their careers, the Euphoria star is constantly wowing fans with transformations. One such example? At the 2019 Met Gala — which had the theme “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” — Zendaya stepped onto the red carpet with red hair in a Joan of Arc-inspired blunt bob with baby bangs. There was also the time she matched her fuchsia Tom Ford breastplate to her hot pink eyeshadow. I could go on, really.
Since she’s naturally savvy on beauty trends, it’s no surprise the star has a penchant for channeling trends of previous decades. For some major inspo, take a look at Zendaya’s best 2000s-style beauty looks.
1Heavy Eyeliner
At a Bulgari event in February 2020, the star rocked a smoky eye with black liner on both the top and bottom waterlines — a beauty look reminiscent of Avril Lavigne circa 2002.
2Glossy Lips
Zendaya posted a selfie showcasing her fresh, lightly sunkissed glow, which she accentuated with an ultra-shiny lip gloss — arguably one of the most popular makeup products of the early 2000s.
3Blue Eyeshadow
The early 2000s were all about pastel lids — especially in light blue and lavender shades. At the 2019 Met Gala, which had a “Camp” theme, Zendaya’s periwinkle eyeshadow matched her Cinderella-esque gown.
4Frosted Makeup
Another dominant beauty trend of the Y2K era was frosted everything — a vibe Zendaya wore with a blush rose lace dress. The actor went with a shimmery light purple shadow, highlighter on the cheekbones, and gloss on her pout for an all-over sheen.
5White Lids
Another eye makeup look that was big in the early 2000s? White eyeshadow. Despite being an unexpected pigment, Zendaya flawlessly wore it to an event in 2013.
6High Pony
If you think back to the pop stars of the early 2000s, one particular hairstyle graced many a music video: the ultra-high ponytail. Beauty chameleon Zendaya brought it back at a New York Film Festival screening in 2017 — and made it look chicer than ever.
7Spiky Pixie Cut
Not one to keep one hairstyle for an extended period of time, Zendaya traded her signature lengths for a piecey pixie cut at the Grammys in 2015. The look is reminiscent of the early aughts, when stars like Halle Berry and Rihanna wore the short, spikey style.
8Pin-Straight Hair
If you don’t remember the flatiron phase, did you even grow up in the 2000s? At the CFDA Fashion Fund Awards in 2016, Zendaya sported pin-straight lengths without a stray hair in sight.
9Colorful Shadow
Zendaya turned heads in her fuchsia breastplate and skirt combo at the 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards, partially due to her stunning makeup. The star matched her ’fit with hot pink eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and a pink lip — a bold beauty look that was big in the early 2000s.
10Bold Bronzer
In the early 2000s, subtlety didn’t come into play with bronzer. Zendaya’s golden-bronze cheeks (accentuated by her brown-gold eyeshadow) at a Spiderman: Homecoming screening were a nod to the nostalgic trend.
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