Zendaya Debuts Pixie Cut and Channels ’90s Glamour at the Emmys

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Zendaya brought some late-’90s beauty nostalgia to the 2026 Emmys.

The “Euphoria” star hit the carpet at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on Monday night in a crystal-covered custom Prada gown, pairing the high-wattage dress with glowing skin, frosted eyes and a glossy nude lip. Celebrity makeup artist Ernesto Casillas used an entirely Prada Beauty lineup for the look, taking cues from both the embellishment on her dress and the makeup of red carpets past.

“I was inspired by sparkly crystals on her dress to maximize the glow and play with both frosty and satin textures with the makeup,” Casillas said. “It’s a callback to late ’90s makeup on the red carpets.”

Casillas prepped Zendaya’s skin with Prada’s Augmented Skin Essence, Augmented Skin Cream and Augmented Skin Eye Cream before going in with the brand’s Reveal Skin Optimizing Foundation in MW55 and Blurring + Micro-Correcting Concealer in MN5.

For color, he doubled up on Prada’s Touch Cream-to-Powder Blush, layering the shades Tulip and Cherry, then amplified the shine with Light Glowing Highlighting Powder in Pink, Champagne and Champagne Deep. Prada’s Reset Rebalancing Setting Powder kept the complexion polished without taking away the glow.

The ’90s reference came through most clearly around the eyes. Casillas used the Dimensions Holo Nude Eyeshadow in 08 Pansy — a frosty, multidimensional palette — alongside Pradalines Durable Gliding Eye Pencil in Wood and Pradascope Lash Extending Mascara in Nero. Vogue described the finished glam as a mix of glowing skin and late-’90s-inspired eyes and lips, with Casillas calling the overall effect “sexy and sophisticated.”

For the lip, he paired Prada’s Monochrome Soft Matte lipstick in Tiepolo with Reflection Glossy Liquid Balm in Blushware, landing somewhere between the brown-nude lip of the era and the glassier finish that has dominated more recent red carpets.

The beauty look also served as a complement to one of Zendaya’s biggest hair transformations in recent memory. Hairstylist Coree Moreno styled her newly cropped pixie with ghd tools, keeping the perimeter sleek while adding piece-y texture and height at the crown. Moreno described the inspiration as “a classic pixie reimagined through a modern, editorial lens,” with “a little rebellion” worked into the otherwise refined silhouette.

He first shaped the cut with the ghd Speed hair dryer before using the ghd Sculpt flat iron to lift and redirect individual pieces, alternating their direction for a less uniform finish. Fingers, rather than another hot tool, provided the final step: Moreno pinched and separated the crown and fringe to give the cut its airy texture. The look drew immediate comparisons to Halle Berry’s famously cropped early-2000s hair.