For Ernesto Casillas, Everything's Coming Up Roses

Ernesto Casillas has just come up for air. The celebrity makeup artist blinks onto my computer screen from his home in L.A. during a rare pocket of downtime—a "mini staycation," he calls it, before the hamster wheel of commitments cranks up once again for fashion week. Aside from a select few jobs and interviews (present company included), he's filling his calendar with little else besides daily workouts and rejuvenating facial treatments. "Excuse the redness," he says, angling toward the camera.

It's a well-deserved recharge, to say the least. For the past 10 weeks, Casillas has been globe-trotting with Zendaya through an escalating run of web-shattering press stops. First, the Odyssey premiere in London, where the actress sported "light, mesmerizing eyes" and a Schiaparelli gown hot off the haute couture runway. Then Paris, with a milkmaid braid, rosy cheeks, and frosted blue eye shadow. Next, New York, where Zendaya's windswept skin and bare lashes sparked a no-mascara movement. Over to Mexico City and back to London to promote Spider-Man: Brand New Day with romantic, rosy beats, then L.A. a week later, where Casillas pivoted to a smoldering smoky eye. Our interview happens to fall just days after Zendaya's rumored wedding celebration at the Beaverbrook estate, so I do wonder if he made one last, unlisted stop in Surrey. (Casillas doesn't mention it, and I know better than to ask directly, but given how long they've worked together, it's hard to imagine he wasn't involved in some capacity.)

"I've been enjoying seeing people re-create the looks online," he tells me. "I wasn't expecting the extent that the actual makeup looks went viral and how much of that attention was diverted toward me. That was a very pleasant surprise."

Of all the viral creations, none has captured the masses quite like the aforementioned no-mascara look at the Odyssey New York premiere. He's too humble to say it, so I will: Casillas knew he knocked that glam out of the park. "When we were done with the hair and makeup, we all looked around and were like, 'Honestly? Yes,'" he reveals. Fans swiftly responded with just as much fervor; at present, there are over 13.7 million TikTok videos related to "Zendaya Odyssey Makeup." Of course, Casillas's own BTS photos caused a frenzy on Instagram, where you'll find an endless scroll of praise from fellow industry bigwigs and celebrities alike. Even Donni Davy, who worked with the actress for years as the head makeup artist for Euphoria, chimed in on the conversation, saying the look "made [her] totally emotional."

"That was a very beautiful sentiment coming from Donni," Casillas tells me, "because she's very familiar with Zendaya's character as Rue. The show ending in her death was very devastating. Seeing this beautiful glowing angel… seeing her look super ethereal just does something to people."

Despite the buzz, Casillas tells me the London Odyssey glam was actually the hardest to get right given all the tiny details—spidery lashes (via individual Lashify clusters), luminous inner eye corners, naturally lifted contour. "I really took my time with the lashes," Casillas says. "It took time to sculpt the face and make sure everything looked pretty, blended, and seamless. … It's all the little details that you don't notice right away that add up."

But that's exactly Casillas's speciality: tiny, painstaking tweaks that culminate in a harmonious masterpiece. Like gazing a Georges Seurat painting, you step back and marvel at how it all came together. "I'm not always doing a super-creative eye shadow, but I will make sure that the lashes and the brows pop," he adds. In fact, halfway through the Odyssey press tour, he switched up Zendaya's brow pencil to a slightly warmer shade of brown to soften the contrast and help her eyes stand out—a super-small adjustment but one that he says made all the difference for the final beat.

"You'll see beautiful skin, and then you'll see the features," he says regarding his execution. I want you to see the woman before you see the makeup." A luminous baked powder (he's quick to call out Hourglass and Kosas) does just the trick to diffuse any sharp lines, until you can't tell where the bronzer ends and highlight begins. "After I've done the face, the highlight, contour, blush, I'll take a big fluffy brush, load it up with some of that powder, and buff everything together. Then meld it down with some [setting] spray." Again, simple, but it does a lot of the legwork on camera. "I went to college for photography and art. I think that helped me hone in on being a better makeup artist. You know, color theory, lighting, photography," he says.

Don't get him wrong, though: Casillas adores a striking, bold beat. An L.A. native with "Hollywood in [his] backyard," he has dramatic, pop star–inspired glamour essentially baked into his DNA. "I found a mentor who taught me, 'If you like this makeup that Christina Aguilera is wearing, try to find out who did her makeup, and study their work,'" he recounts. "That really shaped the way I view beauty. Some of those artists were Kristofer Buckle, Sam Fine, Francesca Tolot, and Billy B., and I had a few friends who really, really inspired me. Their talent was innate. The end result was always so beautiful. I didn't feel as talented as they were, but I knew that I was passionate and I could work hard to get to that level."

It's almost disorienting, Casillas's humility. This is a man who won two Emmy Awards for his work on CBS's The Talk, whose A-list roster reads like a red carpet call sheet, yet he speaks about his own talent like it's somehow up for debate. I would argue that you're wildly talented, I tell him. After all, you don't land clients like Queen Latifah and Ashanti when you're still in college without some serious technique. A smile. A soft "Thank you." Then, "I think what ultimately led to getting more celebrity clients is trust, right? There are so many of us who are talented, but the women in this industry want to feel safe with you."

Casillas knows how to read the room: He can be playful when the moment calls for levity ("I dance on set," his Instagram bio reads) or steady when someone is looking for a soft place to land. "It's easier to get to the top in the industry than it is to stay there. Your talent will get you up there, but what's going to keep you there is your energy," he continues. "That's something I pride myself in. Maybe I'm not the most talented, but I love what I do, and I love making sure my clients feel taken care of."

Is there a dream client he has yet to work with? Casillas keeps his manifestations close to his chest—I'm unable to draw a specific name out of him—but he does offer an open call. "My parents are Mexican immigrants, and my Mexican culture has definitely impacted the way that I perceive beauty," he shares. "I would love to have more Latinas in my roster. All my Latina baddies: I would like to work on y'all."

By the time this profile goes live, Casillas's staycation will be nearly over. He's staring down a jam-packed September—fashion month, the Emmys—still riding high off the press circuit he's currently proudest of. While he doesn't have an exact turning point in his career (he defines success as a "series of moments"), he recognizes that The Odyssey set the bar high, both in terms of virality and his own visibility. "I worked really hard over the past two years on self-love and my mental health, so now, I'm more comfortable putting myself out there," he shares. Expect to see a lot more of Casillas—the artist and the art—as he dives headfirst into fall/winter projects, such as Dune: Part Three, which premieres in December. Yes, as Casillas catches his breath from all the buzz, another Zendaya blockbuster awaits.

"I would like to play with specific colors on the eyes, for sure," he says of what's next. "That [press tour] is going to have a lot more looks that are super out-there." He lights up, precious downtime long forgotten as I can practically see the creative gears spinning. Pressed for specifics, he grins. "I would tell you, but I want to keep it a secret."