Zo Kravitz's Beauty Routine Looks Different During the Pandemic

Publish date: 2024-05-09

You, too, can smell like Zoë Kravitz thanks to YSL Beauty's latest launch: Black Opium Extreme Eau de Parfum. This glitzy black bottle carries an aromatic scent spiked with notes of black coffee accord, vanilla bourbon, and jasmine.

The actress and musician counts the new fragrance as one of her favorites: "I love that it's not too sweet or too musky with the jasmine and the coffee notes," she tells InStyle. "It's a beautiful balance of masculine and feminine."

Even while at home throughout the pandemic, wearing a scent was a staple in her morning routine. "Fragrance is so importance to me in general, not only in terms of my perfumes, but everything, even the way my house smells and the products I put on my face," she says. "I am very sensitive to scents, which are connected to memories. Like when someone smells your sweater when you're not around — it is just a super personal thing."

Ahead, Kravitz opens up about the biggest lesson she's learned over the last year about her mental health, beauty advice passed down from parents Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, and the inspiration behind her ever-evolving tattoo collection.

InStyle: Has your routine changed a lot in the past year?

Zoë Kravitz: I am still figuring out how to wear clothes again. [laughs] During the pandemic, I definitely took a bit more time to mask, steam, and ice my face. Little things like that to get my skin feeling healthy, because I wasn't able to get facials, but I was still working and wearing a lot of makeup. I remembered how much I love getting ready to go out — doing your makeup, listening to music, drinking a glass of wine — and it was kind of taken away from us. It's been fun being able to get back into the world and enjoy that process again. It's such a sweet, personal time, and it's important that we take those moments to love on ourselves.

Courtesy Zoe Kravitz

Did you still wear fragrance while at home?

I did — not every day, but I just put it on without even thinking in the morning since it's part of my routine and makes me feel like myself. Fragrance is so important to me in general, not only in terms of my perfumes, but even in the way my house smells and the products I put on my face. I am very sensitive to scents, which are connected to memories. Like when someone smells your sweater when you're not around, it is just a super personal thing. YSL's Black Opium is absolutely one of my favorites. I love that it's not too sweet or too musky with the jasmine and the coffee notes. It's a beautiful balance of masculine and feminine.

Zoë Kravitz

I think life is like a game of dress-up in a lot of ways.

— Zoë Kravitz

What were some of the things you learned about yourself during the pandemic?

I realized how much my mental health is affected by not being able to do little things that make me feel good. Some things become routine; we put makeup on because we're supposed to. But doing that can boost your confidence and make you feel like a different person. You get to access and highlight different parts of your personality based on how you're dressing and what your makeup is like. I think life is really a game of dress-up in a lot of ways. Fashion and beauty are self-expression. It should be playful and fun.

What are some of the beauty lessons your parents [Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz] have shared with you over the years?

It has always been about health, using organic products, eating well, exercising, drinking lots of water, and getting enough sleep. When you feel good and your body is happy, healthy, and balanced, your skin looks good. When we're not feeling good, our skin is dehydrated and we start breaking out; then we tend to use makeup to cover ourselves up more and hide. I believe that beauty starts with what's on the inside and how we take care of ourselves.

I read that you might be totaling 56 tattoos. Do you view your ink collection as an extended expression of beauty?

I think tattoos are a beautiful form of adornment, just like makeup or jewelry. It's funny because I don't even know how many I have. [laughs] I hardly see them anymore because I am so used to them. There are some I like more than others. I have gotten a few removed, but I plan on getting more tattoos. Once you're into it, it's hard to stop.

Zoë's Must-Haves

Retrouvé Revitalizing Eye Concentrate

Courtesy Retrouv

$415/30 ml; retrouve.com.

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50

Courtesy Biologique Recherche

biologique-recherche.com.

YSL Beauty Black Opium Eau de Parfum Extreme

Courtesy YSL Beauty

$130/ 90 ml; yslbeautyus.com.

Kopari Coconut Cleansing Oil

Courtesy Kopari

$32; koparibeauty.com.

For more stories like this, pick up the September 2021 issue of InStyle, available on newsstands, on Amazon, and for digital download Aug. 13th.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qrrSrbClnV6YvK57wZ6YrqypZMewsYykqZqumanHbq7EmqytsV2eu7Wx0a%2Bgnq9dZ31zfQ%3D%3D