Salma Hayek Pinault Shares the Unexpected Tool That Makes It to All Steps of Her Beauty Routine

The SI Swim cover girl and actress starred in the sweetest ‘Vogue’ beauty secrets video—and it’s all about embracing aging, intuition and family wisdom.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Salma Hayek Pinault’s Vogue Beauty Secrets video is here, and it might be our favorite one yet. The 58-year-old actress, known for her timeless looks, impeccable film history and grounded perspective on aging, walked fans through a full routine that’s less about perfection and more about presence—and yes, she did practically the whole thing without using a brush or beauty blender.

“I do practically all my makeup with my hands,” Hayek said early on. “The warmth of the fingers helps, and I can control better.”

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The SI Swimsuit cover girl, who posed for Ruven Afanador in Mexico for the front of the 2025 issue, began her skin prep with what she calls a “double whammy”: a sheet mask and under-eye patches layered at once for maximum hydration. But the most memorable advice might be the one she inherited.

“My grandmother taught me not to wash my face in the morning because then you take away all of the good oils that your skin worked so hard all night to have,” she shared. “I’m very lucky because she was obsessed with beauty and knew all kinds of tricks. She actually made her own creams.”

Salma Hayek was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

That legacy of self-care, passed down through generations, sets the tone for a routine built on feel and intuition rather than rigid technique. Hayek uses Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin Foundation ($49) and Makeup By Mario’s SurrealSkin Concealer ($29), patting them in gently, followed by a little extra brightening courtesy of the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat ($40) click pen.

“This is naturally darkness in my eyes—I kind of like it,” she added with a smile. “I didn’t have it when I was younger. It’s like natural eyeshadow that the years have gifted me.”

She sculpts with Victoria Beckham Beauty’s contour ($36) and shadow sticks ($34), then reaches for luminous blush ($49) and bronzers ($60) from Gucci and Merit ($30). A swipe of Chanel glow ($55) and a cocktail of two mascaras—Benefit Roller Lash ($29) and Armani Beauty Vertigo Lift ($32)—finish the look. And in a clever trick, she even uses mascara to subtly elevate her hairline. “I do not dye my hair,” she noted, and used a bit of product to blend stray grays at her roots.

The entire episode felt like a love letter to growing older—something Hayek is proudly unafraid to embrace. “Everybody is too overproduced, and they look gorgeous, but that’s not the look I want for myself,” she explained. “You have to change your makeup and beauty routine as you get older. Maybe what worked before isn’t working now.”

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