Eva Mendes Has Undergone A Head-Turning Face Transformation

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Since the moment she had her breakthrough with "Training Day" in 2001, Eva Mendes has been considered one of the world's most stunning women. In 2005, after the Cuban-American actor gained even more mainstream success with the rom-com "Hitch," she became a bona-fide star, even landing a coveted spot on People's "50 Most Beautiful People" list. There's no denying that the mother of two has acting talent to back up her success, but her natural beauty seems to always dominate the conversation. Like all women in Hollywood, Mendes has had her image dissected under a microscope, and now the focus has shifted to how her looks have changed over her decades in Tinseltown.

While the "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" star has undoubtedly transformed with age — as we all do — she's maintained her radiant beauty through every era, and along with good genes, much of that comes down to good skincare. Speaking to Today in 2025, Mendes revealed that one of her favorite brands in her 50s is Peaches Skincare, whose products are "very on the natural side, no chemicals." In particular, she points to the Squeezed Vitamin C Serum and Renew Facial Oil as making a difference to her face. "Now that my kids are a little older, I'm 51, I just feel like OK, I need to do something differently. What worked for me before isn't going to work the same. So I'm really committed to this like nine-step process ... this is so not me — I'm literally like face wash, moisturizer, out the door!"

As far as cosmetic procedures go, Mendes has confirmed that she's open to certain enhancements. But while social media has accused her of extreme plastic surgery, she's only confirmed minor, non-invasive treatments, and in many cases, she's transformed her look with only makeup and skincare.

Eva Mendes had a few acting roles in the late '90s, but her crossover to mainstream success began with her appearance in 2001's "Training Day," which led to a string of other '00s roles. At the time, she made waves with her gorgeous face, characterized by brown eyes, full lips, and a signature beauty spot, even though she didn't feel beautiful at the time. "Just came across this picture from a movie that was almost 20 years ago," she wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post, referencing her 2003 film "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" (via Grazia). "I remember seeing this photo back then and thinking my face looked 'weird' and that my bone structure was odd. You know all those insecurities that a 26 year old can have."

Fast-forward to 2015, when Mendes was in her early 40s, and she was sporting a more intense makeup look, complete with more dramatic smokey-eye makeup and more glowing blush and bronzer. "It's all about knowing your face shape," she explained to New Beauty of her makeup strategy. "My makeup artist said it's better for my face shape [a long face shape] to apply blush across the face and even go over the nose—not up and down [your cheekbones] like your mom teaches you when you're little but across. It breaks up your face and it gives you fuller cheeks." She shared with Redbook at the time that she was prone to dark circles, but kept them at bay with concealer, and kept her entire face hydrated and youthful with Estée Lauder Hydrationist Moisture Creme worn under her makeup. Additionally, she made her "skin come alive" with bright-pink cheek stain on top of tinted moisturizer.

Your skincare routine might need a few additions after you hit 40, and Eva Mendes was on top of that in the second half of the 2010s. In 2017, she revealed to Shape that looking at wellness as a whole, and including diet and supplements in that equation, helped her to maintain amazing skin in her 40s. "For me, glowing skin comes from the inside," she shared, per New Beauty. "I start to get sallow if I'm not eating well." Along with fish oil supplements, she made sure to drink lots of water. "My skin just looks better when I'm hydrated," the star explained. 

Around this time, she was also exploring more advanced topical beauty treatments to keep her face looking its best. "My secret hack for smooth skin is a mild laser treatment," she told Glamour in 2018. "It helps with smoothness and discoloration." Next, she expressed her love for electrical skincare: "I love the ZIIP Beauty tool for my face." She added that she also loved to exfoliate away dead skin cells with a homemade concoction of sea salt and plain yogurt, and retinol was a must. Obviously, Mendes knows that it's not safe to mix vitamin C and retinol together, but there's space for both of these in any good routine as long as they're separated. 

Comparing her face in the late 2010s to a decade earlier, her cheeks appeared slightly fuller, but again, there's no confirmation as to whether she underwent fillers or perhaps a more invasive cosmetic procedure. Plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Cohen noted in a 2024 Instagram video about the ongoing changes in Mendes' face, "People do get older. People do gain weight. Some of this could be reflected in her facial features." 

As the new decade was approaching, Eva Mendes' face was still looking as beautiful as ever. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in 2019, she revealed that she was more than willing to try new skincare treatments, and this may be one of the reasons why she remained radiant. "I'm a sucker for any kind of peel, a radiofrequency treatment," she explained. "I like that stuff." Confirming that the latter was painful, she told the outlet her theory: "If it hurts, it's going to have better results." She also revealed that as she continues to age, she can "take advantage of technology and all the fun stuff" to keep her skin looking divine.

Any work that the "Last Night" actor had done during this time was subtle and conservative, as her look stayed much the same. While she hadn't confirmed any surgery or even cosmetic injectables at this time, she did confirm that she had never denied them. "My friend sent me this," she captioned a since-deleted February 2021 Instagram post (via E! News), which featured an article accusing her of denying plastic surgery rumors that social media users had discussed on a previous post. 

The rumors came about after Mendes had taken an Instagram sabbatical, which users of the platform put down to her hiding due to cosmetic work gone wrong. "Ummm... Kinda. Sorta. But not really," she confirmed. "Never 'denied plastic surgery.' All I did was reply to a specific comment on [social media]. Would never deny that stuff. I'm all for it. All. For. It." She went on to establish that she would be getting work done "whenever I please," but botched results had not been the reason for her previous hiatus from social media.

Despite Eva Mendes making it clear in 2021 that she hadn't denied getting plastic surgery, and was open to certain procedures, rumors surrounding her looks persisted. Naturally, her face was continuing to evolve through the early 2020s, with fullness being maintained in her cheeks. Her eyes seemed to change shape depending on the makeup techniques she used, too, forming either more of an almond silhouette or a round shape based on her eyeliner and mascara placement. Her eyes are naturally almond, which is considered to be the most attractive eye shape, but it's nice to have variety through makeup.

When she appeared in an Instagram video in May 2022 to promote Skura Style Sponges — which she co-owns — netizens took to the comment section to speculate about possible work she'd had done, including Botox and filler injections. One of the most noticeable changes around this time was her makeup style, which amped up the black liner, creating a dramatic look that almost rivaled one of Mendes' '60s icons, Sophia Loren. She continued experimenting with more intense eyeliner through 2023, and this shaped her eyes to look less round without any surgery.

That year, she also opened up about dermaplaning, posting a video of herself undergoing the procedure to Instagram. "Shaving my face!" she captioned the post. "I received a lot of comments on yesterday's post from women who've been shaving their face for years — ok I guess 'dermaplaning' is the preferred word but it is what it is and I LOVE it!" Marketed as a non-invasive exercise in intense exfoliation, dermaplaning can be good for your skin as it removes dead cells, leaving behind a smooth complexion. Clearly, it's working for Mendes!

By March 2024, Eva Mendes had settled upon her go-to heavy eyeliner, while her cheeks and the lower half of her face were looking a little fuller. This prompted more plastic surgery accusations, which is when plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Cohen weighed in with his Instagram video. "Could she have had fat grafting? Yes, possibly," he said, though he explicitly clarified that he hadn't treated Mendes. "Could she have had a brow lift? She's always had high-arch brows that are a little higher. That could be a Botox effect, that could be a brow lift." As to whether she'd had these procedures or a lip lift, he simply said, "Maybe yes, maybe no," noting that it's "very hard to discern on her because she kind of looks like a little older version of herself."

In October 2024, Eva Mendes sat down with The Times and explained that she had regrets about some of her cosmetic procedures. "I'm not afraid to try things that are safe," she explained. "Most of these little treatments, let's say, are reversible. If you get Botox, it goes away if you don't like it." Luckily, she just had to "wait it out" for her skin to return to normal. At 50, she also clarified that there were still treatments she wanted to try in the coming years, including getting her jaw lasered. 

Whatever she did or didn't do to her face, the "Girl in Progress" actor continued looking like a vision with her go-to vintage makeup through the mid-2020s. In 2026, she posted a makeup-free snap to Instagram in which her gorgeous complexion was on full display as clear proof that her years of skincare and treatments have paid off.