Zendaya has long mastered the art of the press tour, but her beauty looks for The Odyssey have been particularly captivating. Ethereal yet understated, each appearance channels a modern Grecian muse through luminous skin, softly flushed cheeks, icy eyes, and braided updos framed by wispy tendrils. Rather than relying on dramatic contour or bold color, the glam is all about enhancing her natural features with a sun-kissed glow.
Fortunately for beauty enthusiasts, makeup artist Ernesto Casillas broke down the entire look on Instagram, revealing not just every Prada Beauty product he used, but also the techniques that make the makeup feel so effortless. While the products certainly help, it’s Casillas’ approach to skin and color that makes the look easy to recreate with similar formulas already in your makeup bag.
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The Glow Before the Makeup
“The makeup was intentionally minimal, with glowing skin at the heart of the look and soft warmth placed where the sun would naturally hit,” Casillas shared in the caption.
That radiant complexion begins long before foundation. He prepped Zendaya’s skin with hydrating skincare suited to her complexion, allowing each layer to fully absorb before moving on to makeup. The result is skin that already looks healthy and luminous before any complexion products are applied.
To keep the base looking fresh rather than full coverage, Casillas mixed a few drops of serum into the foundation to sheer out the formula, creating a more skin-like finish. Instead of swiping it on, he pressed the mixture into the skin with a sponge, concentrating coverage only where it was needed.
Rather than masking the entire complexion, Casillas brightened only key areas of the face. Concealer was applied beneath the eyes, around the sides of the nose, and between the brows to subtly lift and illuminate without flattening the skin.
“The trick is not to bring it all the way to the lash line,” he explained, a technique that helps minimize creasing while keeping the under-eyes looking natural.
The result is a complexion that feels lightweight and dimensional instead of overly perfected.
Let Blush Do the Heavy Lifting
According to Casillas, blush is what truly transforms the look.
Instead of placing it high on the cheeks, he reached for a terracotta-brown shade and swept it lower than usual—a placement similar to the “boyfriend blush” trend, which mimics the naturally flushed effect of spending time outdoors. He also blended the color above the brows, across the temples, over the bridge of the nose, and along the hairline to recreate where the sun naturally kisses the face.
To bring even more life to the complexion, he layered a brighter red blush sparingly onto the highest points of the cheeks and the bridge of the nose. “If you feel like you went overboard with the blush, just take your sponge and sheer it out,” Casillas advised.
A Glowy Finish
For the lips, Casillas reached for Prada Beauty’s Astral Pink, a pH-reactive balm that adjusts to the wearer’s natural lip tone for a personalized rosy tint. He then tapped a touch of both blush shades onto the lips with his fingertips to create a softly stained finish that ties the entire look together.
The final step wasn’t another layer of makeup—it was skincare. Casillas returned to serum, noting that a cream or liquid highlighter can achieve a similar effect, and gently pressed it over the high points of the cheeks.
“This is also going to help sheer out your base so it looks even more natural,” he explained.
Instead of chasing trends, Casillas leaned into radiant skin, natural warmth, and soft definition—creating a modern goddess aesthetic that’s equal parts cinematic and surprisingly wearable. The best part? Recreating the look doesn’t require an entirely new makeup bag. While Casillas relied on Prada Beauty, his techniques can easily be adapted using products you already own.
Featured Image and Photos: ERNESTO CASILLAS (via Instagram)
Art by RAKI LUCAS
Frequently Asked Questions
Casillas used Prada Beauty products throughout, including a sheered-out foundation mixed with serum, concealer for targeted brightening, terracotta-brown and red blush shades, and the Astral Pink pH-reactive lip balm.
Casillas prepped Zendaya’s skin with hydrating skincare before makeup, then mixed serum into her foundation and pressed it in with a sponge for a sheer, skin-like finish rather than full coverage.
Casillas placed a terracotta-brown blush lower on the cheeks than usual, blending it across the temples, bridge of the nose, and hairline to mimic a naturally sun-kissed effect, a technique known as “boyfriend blush.”
Yes, according to Casillas, the techniques he used, such as mixing serum into foundation and layering blush shades, can be adapted using similar formulas already in most people’s makeup bags, regardless of brand.
Casillas used Prada Beauty’s Astral Pink, a pH-reactive lip balm that adjusts to the wearer’s natural lip tone, finished with a touch of blush tapped onto the lips for a softly stained effect.
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