Flawless. That’s the best way to describe Zoe Saldana, whether she’s eliciting double-takes on the red carpet or just running around being one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actresses (and getting snapped by paps wherever she goes). Vera Steimberg, a proud argentina, is not only Zoe’s trusted makeup artist but her close friend, so you know she has her best beauty interests at heart! I called Vera up to learn how to get Zoe’s look. De nada.

Keep it clean

“Zoe is very good about washing her face every morning and night,” Vera shares, “so every time I do her makeup I don’t have to do very much to prep her skin.” And why break the bank when you don’t have to? One of Zoe’s favorite cleansers is Cetaphil, available at most drugstores.

Know the story you want to tell

“Whenever I work with Zoe, we have a conversation about the overall look we’re trying to achieve and we work as a team with her hair person and her stylist. If it’s for a magazine photo shoot, she may want to be more playful or dramatic. If it’s for a red carpet, we look at the dress and make sure there’s some continuity there.” At the Oscars this year, Zoe landed on everyone’s best-dressed list, and her hair and make-up were equally responsible as her romantic Alexis Mabille gown. That night, Vera used the Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum, which hydrates thanks to its Camellia flower extract, as the base of Zoe’s look, and then built from there, using mostly Chanel products.

Be adventurous

“The great thing about her is she’s not afraid to try anything,” says Vera of her superstar friend. Zoe loves her red lips, and on the night of the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party, Vera used Chanel’s Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour in No. 19/Gabrielle, which is creamy in texture and provides some moisture.  Talk about a statement pout!

Vera working her magic on Zoe the night of the Oscars. 

Fake it, baby

Vera likes to use Ardell individual lashes on Zoe: “They photograph so beautifully, you would never know she’s wearing them!” To fill in Zoe’s brows, which are on the thinner side, Vera prefers powder to pencil, which tends to look harsh. Her usual pick: Senna’s Form-a-Brow kit, which has three different shades.

Say meow!

If you watched the Star Trek remake in 2009, then you know Zoe is the queen of the cat-eye. In the J.J. Abrams-directed sequel, out May 17, we’ll be seeing more of that, thanks to Vera, who did her makeup for the movie. Her technique to achieve the perfect cat-eye is actually a layered one (more on that later). On Oscar night, she used both the Ecriture de Chanel Automatic Liquid Eyeliner in black and the Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 85/Mirifique, which doubles as a shadow and liner and has a gel texture to it. “For a cat-eye, you definitely want to use a liquid liner rather than a pencil one, because it lasts longer and won’t smear,” she says. She did use a Chanel pencil liner on the lower rim of Zoe’s eyes on Oscar night (Le Crayon Khol in black): “She has such beautiful almond-shaped eyes, I wanted to contour them.”

Neutralize before you hide

“A lot of people don’t know that they need to go to the beauty counter and say they need a neutralizer in addition to a concealer, otherwise the blue will show through from under their eyes,” Vera says. If you’re like Zoe, who has yellow undertones, something with mustard or orange will cover most imperfections. Vera likes to use Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-6, which is a neutralizer/concealer duo. As for foundation, she likes to use Make Up For Ever Face & Body Liquid Make-Up on Zoe, and blends shades 18/Camel and 34/Honey Beige: “It’s one of my favorites because you find the right color for pretty much everybody.”

A look at the Chanel goodies Vera used on Zoe on Oscar night. 

This story was originally posted on GlamLatina.com.