Unfiltered Pics Of Zooey Deschanel Prove Her Makeup Shouldn't Be Captured Up Close
Zooey Deschanel is a reference when it comes to makeup choices. After she decided to adopt a look that made fans forever associate her with the "twee" trend — an aesthetic choice that plays up cuteness and delicacy — it's hard to think of Deschanel without picturing her doll-like face. But even celebs don't always have the time or skills to put together a perfect look, which is why some unfiltered Deschanel photos prove that good makeup is hard to do.
Deschanel herself has admitted she's always been a fan of the 1960s throwback look when it comes to her makeup. However, even though she has mostly stuck to one style throughout her entire career, she managed to create her own stunning transformation that was never boring to witness. And that includes both good and questionable makeup choices. While the actor is often on point when it comes to her cosmetics, sometimes her look just doesn't hold up in a close-up.
She isn't afraid of minimal makeup, we'll give her that
This photo only underscores that no matter how dedicated you are to your look, you won't always be able to nail it. Taken in 2025, it showcases the time that Zooey Deschanel made the bold choice of not wearing her signature eyeshadow and mascara — which, among other things, helps her eyes pop. However, the lack of eye makeup paired with her big glasses and the understated lipstick made her look a lot older than she actually is.
It's always a brave choice to drop the makeup when you are an actor in the spotlight, but people who feel like doing it should take a page out of the Pamela Anderson makeup-free book to showcase their own natural beauty.
Sometimes she nails it, sometimes she doesn't — and that's life
One charming thing about Zooey Deschanel is that she doesn't seem too obsessed with looking perfect, which sends a message that you don't always have to look like you belong on the cover of a magazine. In this particular 2024 photo, we have to be fair — the angle doesn't help her. But what is clear is that she went a little too hard on the blush to accentuate her cheekbones, and ended up contrasting too much with the rest of her face, which looks pale in comparison. Pale is usually what Deschanel goes for, but there's a delicate balance to achieve a uniform look while highlighting your cheeks.
Deschanel needed to tone down her glam look
In this photo, it's clear that Zooey Deschanel chose the wrong color to accentuate her cheekbones. Granted, the camera flash tends to highlight makeup fails, but it doesn't mean they're not there. In this case, Deschanel's fair skin is overwhelmed by her peachy blush, which makes for a not-so-subtle makeup look. She also chose a darker lip shade and sparkly eye shadow which was just too much for her delicate features.
Zooey Deschanel's skin tone gave away her makeup mistake
In this 2025 photo, Zooey Deschanel managed to get it right: the blush perfectly accentuates her cheeks and her face is not too pale, which makes her look a lot more alive — a great choice for daytime makeup. However, she just didn't factor in that this is a look that exposes her shoulder and chest, so you can clearly see there's a disconnect between her face and her body. While we have seen worse celebrity makeup fails, Deschanel's mismatched skin tones were an obvious mistake.
Zooey Deschanel's concealer wasn't camera-ready
One of the points of wearing makeup is to hide things that otherwise would have people noticing little details on your face, which is what happened in this 2025 photo of Zooey Deschanel. In this lighting, it appears that Deschanel unsuccessfully tried to hide what look like a few blemishes — it happens to the best of us! But her concealer ended up highlighting exactly what she was trying to cover up. Let this be a lesson: don't underestimate a good foundation! On the plus side, she didn't go too hard on the eyeliner, which gave her eyes a rare softer look.