Zendaya arrived at the New York premiere of The Odyssey in an ivory Matières Fécales gown — sculpted asymmetrical bodice, floor-length feathered wings, the kind of look that needs no competition from the makeup. Makeup artist Ernesto Casillas gave her exactly that: five Prada Beauty products, a skin-first philosophy, and a result described by every editor who covered it as "ethereal," "luminous," and "the best no-makeup makeup of 2026." Here is exactly how it was done — and where to get every product.
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📸 Variety
Zendaya at The Odyssey New York Premiere
the ivory gown, floor-length wings, and the ethereal glow makeup look in full
Skin Prep — The Prada Augmented Skin Ritual
The foundation of the entire look. Casillas started with skincare, not makeup.
Before a single makeup product touched Zendaya's skin, Casillas completed a full Prada Beauty skincare prep — Augmented Skin Cream and Augmented Skin Eye Cream to hydrate and prepare the canvas. The key step was then mixing the Augmented Skin Essence directly into the foundation for a lightweight, skin-like result that couldn't be achieved by applying them separately.
Foundation — Lightweight, Skin-Optimising
The canvas that makes the blush the star
Casillas's technique: Mix the Essence into the foundation on the back of your hand before applying to the face. Start with a small amount — you can always add more, but you can't take away. The goal is a wash of skin-like warmth, not coverage.
Zendaya's skin at the premiere — close-up
The luminous, barely-there foundation finish before blush was applied
Concealer — Only Where Needed
The restraint that makes the look work
The rule Casillas lives by: Concealer last, after foundation, and only on what the foundation couldn't address. If you apply concealer first you'll remove it when you blend foundation over it. Apply foundation first, assess what remains, and spot-conceal only those areas.
The Blush — This Is the Whole Look
Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Blush in Caffè + Cherry, layered
"I layered Prada Beauty's Touch Blush in Caffè and Cherry across the cheeks, nose, temples, forehead and chin, focusing on the areas where the sun would naturally hit. A touch of Prada Balm in Astral Pink brought a soft hint of life to the lips and completed the effortless, radiant finish."— Ernesto Casillas
How to layer them at home: Apply Caffè first with a fluffy brush across your cheekbones, temples, nose bridge, forehead hairline, and chin — anywhere the sun would hit. Then take a smaller brush and dust Cherry on top of the Caffè placement, slightly more concentrated on the cheeks and nose. Blend until you can't see where one shade ends and the other begins. The goal is warmth, not stripes of colour.
Blush placement close-up
Caffè and Cherry layered across cheeks, nose bridge, temples, forehead, and chin — the sun-hit areas
Lips — The Finishing Whisper
Prada Balm in Astral Pink — plus Universal for the high points
The Universal trick: Casillas dabbed the Universal Prada Balm on the highest points of the cheekbones, the cupid's bow, and the inner corner of the eye as the absolute final step. It reads as the skin being radiant rather than as a highlighter product — the key to why the look photographs so well.
Zendaya — the completed look
Full portrait showing the glowing skin, the layered blush flush, and the barely-there lip finish against the ivory gown
The Full Product List — Zendaya's Odyssey Premiere Look
- Prep · Prada Augmented Skin Essence Applied to skin before foundation — and mixed into the foundation
- Foundation · Reveal Skin Optimizing Foundation Shade NW45, mixed with Essence for a diluted, skin-like finish
- Concealer · Blurring + Micro Correcting Concealer Shade LC3, applied only where needed after foundation
- Blush #1 · Touch Cream-to-Powder Blush in Caffè Applied first — warm mocha brown across all sun-hit areas
- Blush #2 · Touch Cream-to-Powder Blush in Cherry Layered on top of Caffè — true red for the flush of life
- Lips · Prada Balm in Astral Pink pH-reactive rosy tint, worn as the only lip product
- Highlights · Prada Balm in Universal Dabbed on the high points — cupid's bow, cheekbones, inner eye
The Mermaid Core Connection
Zendaya's feathered ivory gown + glowing no-makeup skin = the aesthetic that launched a thousand Make Waves searches
Why this look is mermaid core, not just "no-makeup makeup"
The Odyssey premiere look didn't exist in a trend vacuum. Zendaya arrived in floor-length ivory feathered wings — a gown that Law Roach reportedly reserved with the label two years in advance — which places the beauty choice in direct conversation with the mermaid core and ethereal-creature aesthetic that has dominated editorial fashion since late 2025. Dewy, luminous skin with flushed warmth and ghost lashes is the creature-from-the-sea face — it reads as otherworldly rather than heavily made up because there's nothing to distract from the skin itself.
The combination of glowing base, blush placed everywhere rather than just the cheeks, no mascara, and a barely-there lip is the same aesthetic logic as mermaid makeup: skin that looks alive and radiant, eyes that are open rather than dramatised, and colour that suggests warmth rather than performing it. The Make Waves shimmer body treatment is the product that bridges the gap between the makeup and the aesthetic — applied to the shoulders, décolleté, and arms, it gives the skin a light-catching, slightly iridescent finish that is the literal definition of mermaid core.
How to use it for the Zendaya effect: After your skincare and before dressing, apply Make Waves to your shoulders, collarbones, upper chest, and the front of your shins and calves if wearing something with a slit. Press in gently with your palms rather than rubbing to preserve the shimmer particles. Then do your face makeup as normal — the body glow and the face glow become one continuous luminous finish.
The No-Mascara Trend — "Ghost Lashes"
Why Zendaya skipping mascara was a deliberate, directional beauty choice in 2026
Ghost lashes: the trend that made mascara optional
Casillas's Odyssey premiere look includes no mascara — and in 2026, that is a very specific, intentional choice rather than an oversight. The "ghost lashes" trend — bare, natural lashes worn without mascara — has moved from runway to red carpet to mainstream beauty conversation this year. On the Burberry Spring 2026 runway, smouldering eyeliner replaced mascara entirely. At Chloé, models wore only bubble-gum-pink lipstick. At Dior ready-to-wear and couture, the only lash treatment was a curler.
Peter Philips, creative director of Dior Makeup, explained why: "No mascara is the glorification of natural beauty — enjoying the glow, luminosity, and radiance and ready for a new chapter." Makeup artist Mary Phillips (speaking to Harper's Bazaar US) noted "a broader movement toward eyes that look lighter, softer, and more natural." Zendaya and Hailey Bieber were both spotted embracing the look. Lorde wore it at the 2025 Met Gala. At New York Fashion Week, editors began noticing it everywhere.
On Zendaya specifically, skipping mascara does two things: it keeps the focus entirely on the skin and the blush (which is the whole point of this look), and it creates the open, soft-eyed quality that is the opposite of a dramatic lash line. Her natural lashes, slightly curled, frame the eye without competing. The ghost lashes effect is what makes the look read as ethereal rather than made-up.
How to get the ghost lashes effect at home
Step 1 — Curl, don't coat. Use an eyelash curler on your natural lashes before any eye makeup. This gives the open, awake quality without length or volume from mascara.
Step 2 — Lash serum. If you're going to make mascara optional, you want your natural lashes to look as good as possible. A daily lash serum gives them thickness and length over time.
Step 3 — Clean brows. Without mascara to frame the eye, your brows do more of the lifting work. Keep them groomed and lightly filled if needed.
Step 4 — Skin, skin, skin. The ghost lashes effect works because the attention goes to your complexion instead — which is exactly what the Prada Augmented Skin prep and the Caffè + Cherry blush combination achieves in this look.
"No mascara is the glorification of natural beauty — enjoying the glow, luminosity, and radiance and ready for a new chapter."— Peter Philips, Creative & Image Director of Dior Makeup
"There is a broader movement toward eyes that look lighter, softer, and more natural. Ditching mascara is one of the simplest ways to maintain a fresh, modern appearance while putting the focus on beautiful, healthy skin instead."— Mary Phillips, Makeup Artist, via Harper's Bazaar US
Shop the Prada Beauty Blush
Available at Prada, Sephora, Macy's, and Nordstrom — all the same product, shop wherever works for you
