Here's What The Leading Ladies Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Look Like Today

We often wonder what the stars of our favorite TV shows of the past are up to today. If these characters also live rent-free in your brain, you may have thought about what the stars of "Desperate Housewives" look like now, or, if your tastes lean towards campy horror, you've probably thought more about "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and its iconic leading ladies. Arguably one of the most beloved teen TV shows, even today, 23 years after it concluded, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" featured a cast of strong women and had something for everyone — romance, horror, comedy, and your run-of-the-mill juicy teen drama.

Our heroine, Buffy Summers, and her kick-butt personality sparked countless think pieces and fan groups over the years, but her posse of supernatural crime-fighters included other amazing female characters that, unsurprisingly, have all had a glow up over the years. If you've wondered about what these ladies look like now, prepare to be dazzled.

The titular character Buffy Summers was played by none other than Sarah Michelle Gellar. While Gellar has always been gorgeous, she's as radiant as ever at 49 years old. She began filming "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" when she was just 19 years old — a baby in our eyes! As Buffy, she slayed in iconic fashion, and photos of young Michelle Gellar also give us serious nostalgia for '90s makeup. That vibrant energy definitely hasn't left her either, and refreshingly, Gellar isn't interested in returning to her youth. She's, of course, grateful for her time on the show, but doesn't feel the need to hop in a time machine any time soon. "It's only with time that you can really appreciate the effect that [Buffy] had," she told Allure in January 2026. "I don't want to be 20 again. I wouldn't mind having that plump, juicy skin of a 20-year-old, but I don't want to be that anymore. And I do believe that a lot of it does come from the inside." 

Buffy was arguably Gellar's most iconic role, and she now embraces the lessons she learned from the character. "Buffy was a hero because she wasn't like everybody else, but she was herself, and she was okay with that," the actor added. "And I'm me, and I've learned that I like me. I'm okay with what I look like and who I am." Gellar also recently partnered with Olay and said that one of her skincare favorites includes the brand's Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. She also loves hair products from Rōz, a line from her longtime hairstylist, Mara Rozak.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer's" resident witch, Willow, was played by actor Alyson Hannigan. On the show, Willow's hair length ranged from mid-back to a shorter bob and later, a lob. It seems the bob haircut really stuck with Hannigan, considering she still rocks it today. Her hair color hasn't changed much either; her locks are still a stunning deep shade of auburn.

Hannigan's beauty routine is also clearly working for her because her skin is plump and glowing these days. For the most part, she doesn't go into much detail about the products she uses, but she has said she's a big fan of Clinique's Chubby Stick for dry lips. She also revealed to Us Weekly in 2011 that she tends to err on the side of low maintenance when it comes to her beauty routine because she's a busy mom. "As both a time- and money-saver I use 2-in-1 products like Head & Shoulders," she said. "My hair goes through a lot on-set, but I've relied on their formulas for years to keep my hair and scalp healthy. Also, I've swapped liquid foundation for powder (less messy!) and use lipstick as both a lip color and a blush."

Cordelia Chase was, at first, a queen bee cheerleader-type on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which didn't immediately make her a fan-favorite. But later, her character was praised for her personal evolution throughout the show. While Cordelia later left "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to star in its spin-off show "Angel," the character continued her growth arc long after leaving. Played by actor Charisma Carpenter, we also consider Cordelia's fashion moments to be some of the most memorable throughout the show. Now, Carpenter is still incredibly chic and bold enough to wear a bowler hat and vest on a red carpet. Much like the rest of the leading ladies of "Buffy," Carpenter also looks largely the same. Again, these women must have some serious skincare secrets they're not sharing because they've barely aged a day.

Carpenter opened up to Complex in 2019 in a 20th anniversary interview for "Angel" about the depth gained by her character. "I think Cordelia became lovable and then in the first season, episode 9, when she got the visions, she became vulnerable," she explained. "I think then we got to see her fleshed out a little bit more and find her less annoying and more endearing. ... And in her own charming ways ... she was able to maybe warm her way into the hearts of audience members."

Michelle Trachtenberg portrayed Buffy's little sister Dawn Summers on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Although she wasn't *technically* her biological sister, she was still an important part of the gang. During her time on the show, Trachtenberg's hair was more of a chestnut brown, while her natural color was dirty blond. However, in later years, she sported a much darker shade that suited her beautifully. When she rocked her deep brown hair with a sparkly, rose-gold gown at an event in 2020, the actor looked so sophisticated, and the hue really brought out her eyes.

Trachtenberg revealed that her megawatt glow was courtesy of her facialist Kate Somerville, whose sunscreen serum she swore by. Over the years, the actor revealed other brands and products she favored, like Essie nail polish, Armani foundation, Stila lip glosses, and everything Laura Mercier. Michelle Trachtenberg had a stunning beauty transition throughout her life, but tragically, the actor passed away in February 2025 at the age of 39 due to complications from diabetes.

Formerly a vengeance demon, Anya Jenkins started as a recurring character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but later (to our delight) became a series regular and full-time member of the Scoobies. Played by actor Emma Caulfield Ford, Anya was often the comedic relief as she navigated the human world. Ford's overall appearance hasn't changed much since her "Buffy" days. The actor still sports the same classic golden-blond hair she did back then, and whoever her facialist is, they're doing something right. Like her former co-stars, Ford's skin is out-of-this-world vibrant, and it's got us wondering what was in the water they were all drinking on set. It seems that all of the show's leading ladies are largely untouched by time.

It's also almost unthinkable that once upon a time, Ford never even considered acting professionally. If she hadn't gone that route, we never would have experienced one of her most iconic characters to date. "It was fun to perform. Though I don't know how good I was at it," she told People in 2010 when discussing her early life. "I acted for fun as a hobby. At that point, I had a whole different life planned out for myself; acting was not my absolute dream thing."