Zendaya literally glowed from head to toe at the 2026 Emmys, wearing a plunging custom Prada gown covered in shimmering crystals. The Euphoria star completed the look with a pixie cut inspired by Halle Berry and a late-’90s-inspired makeup look created by celebrity makeup artist Ernesto Casillas.

While her hair paid homage to Berry, her makeup complemented the sparkle of the dress. An icy, light-reflective wash of color covered her lids, while luminous cheeks and glossy lips gave the entire look a soft sheen.

The Inspiration Behind Zendaya’s Frosted Makeup

The inspiration behind Zendaya’s makeup started with the dress. Casillas looked to the sparkle of the crystals and used it as a jumping-off point for the makeup, playing with both satin and frosty finishes.

“I was inspired by the sparkle of Z’s dress,” Casillas wrote on Instagram, explaining that he wanted to play with satin and frosty textures while boosting her complexion glow and emphasizing the eyes and lips “late 90’s style.”

Using Prada Beauty, Casillas created the eye look with the Dimensions Holo Nude Eyeshadow palette in 08 Pansy. The pale lavender tones created a cool, pearlescent wash across Zendaya’s lids that caught the light without the chunky sparkle of glitter.

For her cheeks, Casillas combined Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Blush in Tulip and Cherry, then used Light Glowing Highlighting Powder in Pink, Champagne and Deep. Rather than making the entire complexion appear frosted, the highlighting powders added light and dimension to the high points of her face.

But the late-’90s inspiration makes the Halle Berry reference even more interesting.

Frosted eyes and lips were part of the beauty language of the era, and Berry herself wore the trend. At the 1997 Fire & Ice Ball, for example, Berry wore frosted lavender eyeshadow paired with metallic pink lips.

What Is Frosted Makeup?

Frosted makeup is characterized by a pearly, light-reflective finish. Unlike glitter, where individual sparkling particles are more noticeable, frost creates a smoother sheen across the surface of the eyes, lips or face.

The finish became especially popular during the late ’90s and early 2000s. Icy whites, silvers, pale blues, lavenders and other light-reflective metallic shades appeared across the lids, while frosted and pearlescent lipsticks gave lips their own almost metallic sheen.

Zendaya’s version, however, doesn’t look like a copy-and-paste recreation of ’90s makeup.

Instead of covering the entire face in frost, Casillas balanced the cooler, light-reflective eye with satin textures and glowing skin. Her complexion remained luminous rather than overly shimmery, while the warmer blush added dimension against the cooler tones around her eyes.

The Prada Beauty Products Behind the Look

Casillas used Prada Beauty from skin prep through the finishing touches.

He prepped Zendaya’s skin with Augmented Skin Cream, Augmented Skin Essence and Augmented Skin Eye Cream before applying Reveal Skin Optimizing Foundation in MW55 and Blurring + Micro-Correcting Concealer in MN5.

For the cheeks, Casillas layered Touch Cream-to-Powder Blush in Tulip and Cherry and Light Glowing Highlighting Powder in Pink, Champagne and Deep.

The eyes were defined with Dimensions Holo Nude Eyeshadow in 08 Pansy, Pradalines Durable Gliding Eye Pencil in Wood and Pradascope Lash Extending Mascara in Nero. Using a brown liner rather than an intense black helped give definition around the eyes without overpowering the pale, frosted shadow.

Casillas carried the mix of finishes onto Zendaya’s lips, pairing Prada Monochrome Soft Matte lipstick in Tiepolo with Reflection Glossy Liquid Balm in Blushware. The neutral lip grounds the cooler eye while the glossy finish brings another light-reflective element into the look.

How to Wear Frosted Makeup in 2026

You don’t need to recreate Zendaya’s entire Prada Beauty routine to try frosted makeup yourself. The key is choosing where you want the frost to be the focus.

For the eyes, look for a finely milled pearlescent or frosted shadow rather than chunky glitter. Icy lavender gives you a look similar to Zendaya’s, but silver, pale pink, champagne or icy blue can create the same late-’90s effect.

And you don’t necessarily need frost everywhere. Pairing a frosted eye with a more natural complexion allows the reflective finish to stand out without making the makeup feel like a costume. A satin or matte base, strategic highlight and glossy lip can also introduce different textures while keeping the eye as the focal point.

If Zendaya’s Emmys look is any indication, frosted makeup is ready for another moment. But this time around, it’s less about recreating the ’90s exactly and more about taking the pearly, light-reflective finishes that defined the decade and making them feel modern.