Zoe Saldana's 'natural' date night makeup look is understated glam at its finest - and it's so easy to recreate with her tips and tricks
With a muted lip tint and generous swiping of blusher and bronzer, Zoe created a minimal yet impactful makeup look we can't wait to recreate


Zoe Salanda's fresh and refined 'natural' makeup look is the perfect elevated everyday style that will work whether you're off for lunch with friends or out on a sultry date night.
We've learnt so many beauty tips and tricks from celebrities over the years. Whether it's been sneaky product recommendations meticulously picked out from dressing room mirror selfies - yes, we've spend hours zooming into the backgrounds to know what our favourite celebs use - or we've picked up on the makeup tips professional MUAs rely on when working with celebrity clients, we're always ready to incorporate new techniques into our routines.
But it's always best when the insight comes from the celeb themselves, isn't it? So when Zoe Salanda revealed how she gets her stunning, natural-looking date night makeup look in a video with Vogue India, we were all ears.
Shop Zoe Salanda's Makeup Routine
With a unique two-shade compact, this concealer allows you to get exactly the right shade and undertone that matches your skin tone perfectly. Called a 'miracle worker,' it camouflages dark circles, blemishes, spots, scars, capillaries, discolourations, redness and age spots - and stays all day too.
Zoe's routine begins with skincare. "I am really into toners," she said. "I was never before into toners, but sometimes, it really freshens up my skin. So I like to start out with that, preferably while I'm not talking so I won't inhale it all" she joked while spraying a generous amount across her skin.
After gently tapping her finger tips across her skin to pat in the toner, she applies her The Method: Nourish Face Cream by Lancer which is formulated with Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid to help firm and lift the skin while also boosting hydration.
"It keeps my skin from breaking out, from over-drying my skin, but also it keeps my skin from becoming too dewy as well," she said of the moisturiser. Adding an extra swiping of cream to her face, she added, "It's really good to decompress with a nice little face-moisturising massage.
"I do this twice a day. I think it's important. I've always had a deep appreciation for a skin routine, and it's sort of like, it's always been my time. Even when I was in my twenties and I was just coming home from partying, I always made time to do this."
Sign up for the woman&home newsletter
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
After making sure to moisturise her neck, she goes into her makeup look - though, she says, "I don't know how to put on makeup that's just not basic, so I tend to like a very natural look."
With an eyeshadow look featuring a stunning golden plum shimmer across her lids and a volumising mascara on her lashes already done earlier in the day by her make up artist, Zoe added what she calls 'the essentials' to her skin to get a fresh and refined look.
"Because I'm looking a little tired today, I'm going to go a little heavy on the concealer. If I don't like it, I can always take some off," she said applying a generous amount of stick concealer across her skin. She focuses on her under eyes, cheeks and chin, applying it a bit like a foundation before blending out the product with her fingers. If all over concealer like this doesn't appeal to you, to get a similar look you can use a good cream foundation instead for a high coverage, natural finish.
"I'm a finger person," she said as she blended out the concealer. "I really like using my fingers and working things around on my face."
Her next step is spot concealing, which she does to create a more flawless-looking complexion. "Sometimes if my skin isn't looking super great, I like to use the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage - but very lightly," she explained because, "I tend to feel that a natural kind of look is better on my face."
For blusher, she uses Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush in the shade Truth to get a warm flushed-looking colour on her cheeks. "I have the kind of skin that absorbs all the makeup I put on it so this is always in my bag," she said of the product.
She applies a lot of the colour to her cheeks, joking as she does that her sister always says her cheeks are 'flaming hot' and asks, "Can you please tone it down on the blush?" But she doesn't care, "Because I'm a blushy girl," she said.
The next step is bronzer, which she applied to her chin and her nose, purely, she says, because she's 'seen people on Instagram do it.'
"I've always been a tip of the nose type of girl," she said of her choice of placement and added, "I like hitting it up here," as she applied the bronzer to her temples. "I tend to feel like it opens up and brightens up my eyes."
Last but not least, she moves onto lips. "I'm very simple when it comes to my lips. It’s either a red lipstick that screams bam, in your face, or a little tint." She goes for a tint this time, using the Clarins Lip Comfort Oil that she says reminds her of the 'early 2000s.'
"It just warms up your lip," she said of the oil before applying the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask as a lip balm over the top to get a shining hit of moisture.
"To finish it off [I add] a great moisturiser. I just like the sensation of my lips feeling really moisturised. And there you have it; this is my date night look."
Fans of Zoe's loved the simple and natural makeup look, and took to the comments to praise not only her makeup skills, but also her loving personality.
"I love how good she made me feel while doing her make up," one said. "I felt like, 'yes finally somebody who doesn't do the 100 step make up routine.' Just simple and effective. And the personality is the cherry on top!"
Another added, "I've been trying to go minimum for more of a natural look. I really love what you have done and I plan on incorporating your tips in my daily routine. Thanks Zoe!"

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a freelance royal news, entertainment and fashion writer. She began her journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with Good To, BBC Good Food, The Independent, The Big Issue and The Metro.
-
Uniqlo's viral crossbody bag is now under £13 – here's why I'm snapping one up before summer begins
Sleek, functional, and surprisingly spacious – this bag is the ultimate travel companion
By Molly Smith Published
-
Gardening experts reveal how often you should water grass seed for a luscious lawn this summer
Want your lawn to be looking its best by the time summer rolls around? You'll need to make sure you're watering it the perfect amount
By Emily Smith Published
-
Balancing minimalism with spring themes, pastel French tip nails are a must this season
From butter-yellow to the classic milky white, these are the eight pastel Frenchies you can rotate for spring - and beyond
By Naomi Jamieson Published
-
The £8 'miracle in a bottle' hair serum Trinny describes as 'utterly brilliant'
Restoring the health of your strands, this clever fuss-free serum works its magic as you sleep
By Sennen Prickett Published
-
Whenever I wear this lipstick, I'm asked what shade it is - I think I've found the perfect nude
After years of searching, our beauty writer reveals the butter-soft pink-brown lipstick she wears every single day
By Annie Milroy Published
-
Ruth Langsford's clever £8 trick for covering root regrowth between appointments
Both mess-free and fuss-free, Ruth Langsford's go-to haircare buy refreshes her colour in seconds
By Sennen Prickett Published
-
The White Lotus' Michelle Monaghan never leaves the house without this concealer - and we get why
The staying power of Michelle Monaghan's concealer in just her makeup bag alone is reason enough to invest...
By Naomi Jamieson Published
-
Michelle Monaghan is a 'longtime fan' of this shampoo and conditioner for glossy, healthy-looking strands
With a hydrating, strengthening and shine-boosting formula, it's no surprise the actress' hair always looks on point
By Sennen Prickett Published
-
We've discovered Amanda Holden's favourite shampoo for maintaining her caramel blonde strands
Boasting a violet hue, this affordable shampoo banishes yellow tones and unlocks brighter, healthier-looking hair
By Sennen Prickett Published
-
The 'iconic' lip liner Jennifer Aniston wore in Friends is the 'perfect pinky nude' to see you through spring
If you've always wondered what Jennifer Aniston wore on her lips in Friends, you'll be thrilled to know it's available to buy.
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published