Sydney Sweeney Is in Her Winning Era, and It Started With Skin

If there was a world record for juggling projects, Sydney Sweeney might just take the cake. After winning us over as Cassie on the hit TV show "Euphoria," she's continued to raise the bar — most recently, with her performances in "Anyone But You" and "Madame Web." It's clear that she's the textbook definition of "booked and busy," and as if she wasn't busy enough, she recently popped up on our TV screens for her SNL debut.

"I have stage fright," she tells PS. "I know it doesn't make sense, but when I'm on set, I'm a character. I'm someone else, and people are watching and judging someone else. But when I'm on a 30-second segment, it's different." Still, she rose to the occasion and pushed through, garnering rave reviews for the appearance, as she always does.

Ahead, Sweeney shares more about her unique role in "Anyone But You," her partnership with Laneige as its global ambassador, and her journey with cystic acne.

Throughout her 12-year career (and counting), Sweeney has already become adept at tackling various challenges. "I like challenging myself, pushing myself to new limits, and taking myself out of my comfort zone," she says. She had to do just that for her romantic comedy, "Anyone But You," with Glen Powell. "I had [the script] a year before we started talking it out, and I helped develop the character and the whole story," Sweeney says. "I put the whole project together, which really took me to new levels."

Apart from her acting career and a possible film director debut in the hopeful near future, she serves as the global ambassador for the skin-care brand Laneige. This is a step up from her previous role from 2022 to 2024 as the brand's sole US Ambassador. While many might view being the face of a popular beauty company as a dream role, for the actor, it's more than that — it's a reflection of her personal affinity for beauty and her own skin-care journey.

"Being a part of the Laneige family now for my third year, I love being surrounded by what feels like family and also being able to support and promote products that I actually use," she says, which is paramount, as she knows she has millions of fans who look up to her and run to try any of the products and treatments she uses. She spent several years searching for the right products to aid her acne-prone skin, going through trial and error phases of countless formulations, before landing at her final stop: Laneige.

The brand's new Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask ($36) has quickly become her go-to while on set for extra hydration. "I actually bring my at-home skin-care routine to my trailers on set because it works so well," Sweeney says. "I get really nervous when trying new products; my skin doesn't like it."

Sweeney has been open about her experience with cystic acne over the years. "I was super insecure about my acne in high school," she says. "We didn't really have Instagram or TikTok so there was really no way to see what other people were using." Without the ability to look to SkinTok for dermatologist-approved products as many people do now, she used whatever her mom brought home from CVS. "I thought was fine, but I have such sensitive skin that things would break me out horribly."

Many years later, Sweeney admits that having access to quality products, a good dermatologist, and the trial and error efforts from her younger days have built her up to be a better skin-care and beauty user. However, that's not to say that she doesn't have any bad habits. One that she'd like to resolve in 2024 is to stop picking at her skin. "I need to stop popping and picking," Sweeney says. "That's my resolution for this year."

Stixx Mathews is a New York City-based freelance beauty writer with 11 years of experience who is passionate about telling stories that merge beauty and pop culture. He enjoys sharing his expert insights about the latest trends and must-have products, with a particular focus on lipstick and fragrance.