This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.Zoe Saldaña Doesn't Wear Makeup—Here's What She Does Instead

Jenna RosensteinMon, April 20, 2026 at 5:39 PM UTC

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Talking Beauty and Music With Zoe SaldañaCourtesy of Lancome

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Zoe Saldaña has conquered every corner of Hollywood with her signature grace and candor. Her roles in the Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Trek franchises earned her the title of highest-grossing actor of all time. Sorry, let me repeat that for dramatic effect: of all time. Her performance as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Pérez earned her an Oscar. She’s also got a Golden Globe, two Critics' Choice awards, and a SAG Award—among others. Behind the camera, she’s also a producer through Cinestar Pictures, which she founded with her sisters Mariel and Cisely in 2013. Now, at age 47, Saldaña is taking on what could be her most glamorous role yet as a global ambassador for Lancôme, joining fellow faces like Julia Roberts, Olivia Rodrigo, Christy Turlington, Isabella Rossellini, Aya Nakamura, and Vanessa Kirby.

“I really feel like this partnership came at the right time, because it came at a time in my life where I was not expecting it,” she tells Bazaar. “I feel beautiful, and I feel like not only am I working with what I have, I'm celebrating it, I'm embracing it, I'm taking care of it—and that comes with experience, and that comes also with knowledge, right? With education.”

Saldaña will front the new Absolue Longevity MD Intercept campaign—a skincare range rooted in cutting-edge longevity science to help preserve healthy skin. “They're listening to women and not just women of a certain time, but all women,” the actress says about the brand. “And I really responded positively to that.”

Ahead, Saldaña tells us about her approach to makeup, wellness philosophies, and dives into her Spotify playlist to share the music that helps her feel her best.

Let’s talk products. What are you using right now, and what are you loving?

I'm not really a heavy product person, but I am loyal. Like, if I find a good product and see results, I get so stoked, and then I'm like, I won't go anywhere else for however long that bond lasts. My night routine cannot be negotiated because my skin really needs me to wash my face and put on something that's very nourishing, because then I'll wake up with just that firmness that I'm fighting to still have. The Absolue Longevity MD Intercept cream has been wonderful. It's not too heavy, but it's definitely very nourishing for me.

I don't wear makeup. I can't remember the last time. When I was younger, the idea of walking out without makeup—I would always do the no-makeup makeup thing. I would spend so much time mastering that. And now it literally is no makeup, except mascara. I'll put on mascara because I do need that little volume. It’s kind of like that French girl twist, right? I've been doing that, and I’m using the Curl Goddess mascara because I like the volume and length it gives me.

What was the first beauty product you remember using, and how did it make you feel?

I think the first product was probably in my grandmother's bathroom, or by her vanity in the bedroom. Her lipsticks—half of them were expired. As a grandma, she wasn't wearing or using half of the things. I would go through her perfumes. I do remember Lancôme Trésor; I would put it on, and I loved it, and her lipsticks, and then just her outfits. She had a lot of late ’70s, early ’80s kind of Working Girl outfits that I thought were so amazing. She would just let me play there, as long as I put everything away.

You’ve had so many memorable film roles. Is there one that sticks out to you as being the most inspiring in terms of beauty or fashion?

Rita in Emilia Pérez, because I got to wear a Saint Laurent red velvet suit for that musical number. It was great seeing how the whole Saint Laurent team collaborated with our costume designer. And when it comes to beauty, I think all the characters. I played them because I found them to be beautiful.

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Was there one role that was the most challenging in terms of your physical transformation?

Oh my gosh, yeah. I think it was like Neytiri and Gamora. Neytiri, because of just having to dehumanize myself to become this sort of humanoid that is the Na’vi, that's a lot of training, which I love. I love always feeling like I'm that forever student. And then with Gamora, because the transformation was physical. It was four hours of makeup every day, heavy makeup and painful makeup, but it looked great. Gamora wouldn’t have come to life if it weren't for that journey, right?

Talking about that level of makeup, does your skincare or wellness routine change when you're on set or doing film promo?

It definitely changes what I'm doing, because I have very little time to repair. You know, it's almost like you're hitting a city a day, sometimes a country a day, and that can exhaust you physically. It's very draining. I just have to eat very clean, and any chance I get, I have to sleep. Working hard and playing hard—I'm so sorry that's not for me anymore. If I played just as hard as I work, the next day, I wouldn't show up to work.

Are there any people who inspire you in terms of beauty?

I really love it when women work with what they have. There’s something really beautiful and alluring about a woman who truly sees herself in the mirror, likes it, and just complements it, complements her appearance, but doesn't try to change it or transform it dramatically. I consider natural beauties like Sienna Miller, Whoopi Goldberg—an absolute natural beauty. Less is always more for women like them. You know who else? Michelle Pfeiffer. What a painful beauty, piercing. I love that Jessica Alba always shares her skin routine, and it's similar to her spiritual routine. It's always about cleaning toxins. It's always about welcoming things that are healthy and clean into your life. And I love that. Even the women who know how to put makeup on and know how to fucking look great in it. I love, I love it. I’m inspired by women, no matter how we want to be and look.

And speaking of routines and rituals, do you have any getting-ready rituals? How do you psych yourself up? Is there music? What's the vibe?

There's always a glass of wine. But now, if I drink a glass of wine, I won't be able to put my heels on. They hurt. Hydration, water, and a great playlist—putting on what I love versus what everybody's putting on. I've always been a last-season kind of girl. I'm always slow to catch up to the trends. Like my phones will always be like three to four models old, and my music as well. So I feel like my fashion is about finding those staple pieces that can live in your wardrobe forever and that you can match with anything. As a New Yorker, I will always go to black, neutral colors, you know, beiges, whites, blacks, creams, red.

Courtesy of LancomeIs there anything from your playlist you can share with us?

Oh god, I pulled up my wallet, not my Spotify. Okay, here we go. I've been revisiting Pearl Jam a lot. And playing the Red Hot Chili Peppers for my boys. I love old-school music, from the Shirelles to Madonna. But also, I'm listening to a lot of Sombr, because the boys are loving Sombr. There's a singer from Spain. His name is Guitarricadelafuente, and I love his music. Olivia Dean is my go-to girl. She got my back. There's this group of singers, I don't know; it's called Good Vibes Tribe 11:11, okay? I just heard it on social, this song, “I'm Not What Happened to Me.” It's really beautiful. The Ebinum Brothers. Celeste is this woman from the U.K.; she sings “Woman of Faces,” which is great. Obviously, there's always Robyn’s “Dancing on my Own.” There's this U.K. singer called Bakar, and he sings a song called “Alive!” which I like. Gigi Perez, “Sailor Song.” My sons are very much into their own music. So I love when they share their playlist. Thanks to my boys, who are only 11 and nine, I know who Black Coffee is. I rediscovered Skrillex. I'm like, Jesus Christ, these boys are listening to DJs.

My son's four, but I try to play music for him every morning on the way to day care—some kind of important throwback.

You know what you gotta do at that age? You gotta do A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?” Can I kick it? Yes I can!

Courtesy of LancomeLet's wrap this on a beauty question. What is the best piece of beauty advice that you’ve received? And do you remember who said it to you?

I think it was like my grandma, and my mom too. It's just hygiene, good hygiene. To have a clean mind, a clean heart, and a clean body are all imperative things to living a good life. My dad was a very clean man, he always smelled good and flossed all the time. For my family, true beauty and elegance have to do with cleanliness, and that's basically it; it's not even a piece of advice. It's just, it's a lifestyle for us. Caribbean peoples, you know, it's so hot in the Caribbean, so you're constantly taking showers.

My mom did not believe in overwhelming our bodies and our systems with too many products. So for her, it was as natural as possible. But also, there was that one thing that worked. Let's just stick to that one thing, and let's not overstimulate our senses.

And that's your philosophy now. You have your one great night cream, and there you go.

If it works, why fix it?

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