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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22:  Eva Mendes attends Create & Cultivate Los Angeles at Rolling Greens Los Angeles on February 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)© Phillip Faraone

Eva Mendes turns 50 - her then-and-now photos will leave you lost for words

Eva Mendes shares two daughters with Ryan Gosling

Bryony Gooch
US Writer
March 5, 2024
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Eva Mendes hit a landmark birthday today, as she turned 50. But if you look at the actress, the long time partner of Ryan Gosling, you might be surprised.

She doesn't look her age at all - in fact, Eva barely looks any different to how she did in her 20s.

Eva looked incredible at Milan Fashion Week© Instagram
Eva looked incredible at Milan Fashion Week

A headshot of Eva from 1999, when she featured in TV Movie The Disciples with rapper Ice-T, saw her looking incredibly stunning. But the only major difference between 25-year-old Eva and her present self was the warm red dye job she rocked back then.

LOS ANGELES - APRIL 1: The Disciples. A UPN television pilot featuring rapper-actor Ice-T. April 1, 1999. Pictured is Eva Mendes (as Maria Serranco). (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)© CBS Photo Archive
Eva Mendes in 1999

Similarly, a 2001 shot of her at a Los Angeles premiere for The Others sees her looking radiant. She wore a simple white top, and her dark brown hair parted down the center in a simple updo. But even then at 27 she didn't look too different to how she does today.

Eva Mendes (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)© Barry King
Eva Mendes in 2001

It seems that the only difference between Eva now and then, is her sense of style has changed as she now opts to wear bold and vibrant colors and patterns. Her hair is a stunning honey blonde color, as opposed to a darker brown or red.

Eva is a proud mom© @evamendes
Eva looks stunning at 50

Eva has often told publications that her beauty routine is deceptively simple. 

"I love using things I can find in my kitchen cabinet", she told Violet Grey. "I use coconut oil as a moisturizer and I combine yogurt and sea salt to exfoliate." 

"If I’m going out and looking tired and puffy (which happens a lot these days), I dip my face into a bucket of ice water. I once worked with a makeup artist who worked briefly with Lucille Ball. She told me that’s what the actresses did back then."

NEW YORK CITY, NY - DECEMBER 1: Eva Mendes attends WARNER BROS. PICTURES Host A Private Screening of THE GOOD GERMAN at One Time Warner Center on December 1, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Matt Carasella/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)© Patrick McMullan
Eva Mendes in 2006

The 50-year-old has had a long and successful career, from her work in comedies like Training Day and Hitch, to thrillers like The Place Beyond the Pines, where she met her partner Ryan Gosling while filming.

In 2014, Eva bowed out of acting and started her own family. While she explains that motherhood in particular wasn't the main thing that kept her from returning to cinema, she did express that her priorities had changed.

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes at a red carpet event© Getty Images
Ryan Gosling Eva Mendes

"I don't really miss it," Eva said about acting to Variety in 2022. "I got tired fighting for the good roles." 

"There just was a point where I thought, 'I'm going to create my own opportunities and become a producer on things and create my own material," but it just didn't feel worth it to me", she added.

While she acknowledged that there were "more opportunities for Latina actresses now", she explained "when I bowed out 10 years ago I wasn't being offered things that weren't specifically Latina".

"It is exciting that things are different now, so who knows what I will do in the future. But right now, I'm keeping it in the home with my kids."

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