Sydney Sweeney on Self-Tanning Hacks and Going Strawberry Blonde

Welcome to Zoom Date, our feature series where we get up close and personal via Zoom screen with our favorite celebs. They'll be giving us an honest peek into what their "new normal" looks like—from new self-care rituals, to beauty experiments, to upcoming projects, and more.

Off the heels of the second season of Euphoria and newly minted as a Jergens ambassador, Sydney Sweeney isn't slowing down any time soon. The actress was recently announced to co-star alongside Dakota Johnson in Sony's Madame Web (a Spiderman spin-off) and recently made her first-ever Met Gala debut.

But it isn't all gowns and Euphoria makeup for Sweeney. In her spare time, she likes to slow things down and fix up cars, practice MMA fighting, cuddle up to her rescue dog, Tank, and take some time for self-care (Cassie's infamous 4 a.m. beauty routine was inspired by a few of Sweeney's personal skincare rituals, FYI). Ahead, Sweeney gave me the scoop on her new honey red hair color, self-tanning hacks, and what she'd wear on the first day of Euphoria high school.

I'm sorry, but we're still not over Euphoria. How would you describe Cassie's beauty evolution from the first to the second season?

“Her outer beauty in the new season is definitely heavily influenced by the people around her—the people she wants to be like. So as you can tell, if you watched the second season, Cassie started trying on all of these different characters and looks that she thought Nate would like. So she was trying to emulate Maddie here and sprinkle in hints of Jules there. You might notice her hair is very reminiscent of Jules in season one. So she starts trying to change herself to fit other people because that’s what she thinks Nate wants instead of being herself. I think we definitely started to see a little bit of that envy and desire to emulate in the first season, but season two takes it to a whole new level."

Do you have a favorite Cassie look from season two?

“I know it sounds like the obvious choice, but I just love the Oklahoma look. Her blush-heavy makeup, her big, bouncy hair—it was just a lot of fun to get dressed up and bring that scene to life."

I'm sure you've seen the TikTok videos about what people would wear on the first day of Euphoria high school. What would Sydney Sweeney—not Cassie—wear?

“This is going to be such a disappointing answer but I have to be honest: I’m the person who would just wear leggings and a sweatshirt to school. Being comfy was always my priority so I never really put that much effort into my hair, makeup, or outfits when I was in school. I was just there to learn. So it's really fun—and challenging—for me to get to play dress-up as Cassie."

So your personal style is nothing like Cassie's—what about your beauty routine? Are you someone that loves to wear a full face or do you keep your makeup minimal?

“When I have a Jergens tan I definitely feel more confident to go more minimal. Right now I have on the Sol Water Mousse, so I don’t have any makeup on and I absolutely love that feeling. It’s a nice break for my sensitive, sometimes breakout-prone skin because I do have to wear a lot of makeup when I'm filming. Skincare is a different story though—a lot of the skin tools that Cassie used during her three-hour beauty routine were actually mine that I brought from home. So there’s definitely a piece of me in Cassie’s beauty routine.” 

I love that you incorporated your own personal devices. So when you do have three hours to spend getting ready like Cassie, what are the tools you reach for?

“I love ice rollers and will always use them. Eye gels are another big one for me!"

What about when you don't have a ton of time? What's something super quick you like to do that instantly makes you feel better?

“Beauty-wise, the Jergens Sol Water Mousse is so fast and easy—it's foolproof. The night before a trip or when I just want to do something special for myself, I lather myself with the Sol Water Mousse and go to sleep. It literally works overnight and I wake up perfectly tanned every time. There's no streaking and it doesn't get all over my bedsheets—it's just the easiest formula ever.

"Wellness-wise, a quick run works wonders for me. I’m personally not a treadmill person, but being able to run around the neighborhood or take a run on the beach can give me a lot of clarity. I love to put on a full sweatsuit to sweat as much as I can, it just makes me feel so good.” 

How do you typically like to adjust your routine for spring and summer?

“A good tan is truly everything to me, so spring is typically when I start to use the Sol line. It also depends less on the time of year and a lot more on where I'm filming. For example, I was just in New Mexico filming my most recent project and the climate so dry. So while some people might relax on the moisturizers as it starts to warm up, I've been taking it up a notch and using the Laneige Waterbank line—the moisturizer, the eye cream, and of course the legendary Laneige lip masks."

I couldn't help but notice you mentioned a new project—could that have anything to do with your new strawberry blonde hair?

“I’ve secretly been this hair color for months now. You got it—I dyed my hair for a movie and I couldn’t show the new color to anyone until the movie and character announcement came out. I feel like everyone is dyeing their hair this color now, but I've had it since December!"

Strawberry blonde feels like it will continue to be a huge trend for spring and summer—are you predicting any other trends?

“I really think effortless, beachy hair and natural texture are going to make a huge comeback. I cut bangs for my role and I'm kind of loving my salty waves and messy fringe. I’m personally leaning into lower-maintenance styles so I hope it becomes a bigger trend.”