“Poor Things” swept the Oscars’ artistic awards, not only meticulous in costume design, but also impressive with the quirky and unique makeup and hair styling designs of the characters. Among them, hair and makeup designer Nadia Stacey definitely deserves credit, as her team ultimately won “Best Makeup and Hair Styling” through careful consideration. Let’s uncover the makeup and hair secrets of the main characters in the film together!
In terms of styling, Nadia Stacey referenced a large amount of historical data from the Victorian era, infused with innovative elements, to design a uniquely symbolic hairstyle for the female lead, Bella. It turns out that during the Victorian era, men believed that women with long straight hair were the most feminine, but women would only let their hair down at home. Therefore, Nadia Stacey decided that Bella would never tie up her hair. Her hair, unlike women at the time, was not pinned up, but left long and straight wherever she went, expressing her unconstrained nature to highlight the character’s unique and natural style.
Nadia Stacey also stated in an interview with “Wallpaper”: “Her hair is deliberately left down as a symbol of her non-conformity to society, because we see all the women around her with hairstyles full of era-specific features.”
Surprisingly, Bella’s extremely dark long hair style turned out to be a “mistake” by the hairstylist. Originally, the production team wanted to dye Emma Stone’s red hair a deep brown color, but the hairstylist accidentally dyed it black, which actually made the character’s image more fitting for the story. Nadia Stacey revealed, “Black hair was not the initial plan, but it was a pleasant surprise because Bella was meant to be like this, making her stand out in the colorful world she enters and making her appear almost otherworldly.”
As the story progresses, her hair also grows longer, symbolizing the speed at which the character absorbs new knowledge. By the end of the story, her hair reaches a length of 110 centimeters! Additionally, you can see Bella’s makeup transition from a natural look at birth to a colorful expression of life, showcasing her evolution into “becoming human.”
It is worth mentioning that, if you look closely at the first public poster design of “The Favourite”, you will easily notice the subtle details hidden in Olivia Colman’s makeup. Designed by director Yorgos Lanthimos’ official poster designer Vasilis Marmatakis, the nearly bare face, with its complex and innocent gaze, features Bella’s eyelids and lips painted in a way that reveals the silhouettes of the three main male characters in the film, with rich and messy colors blending together, creating a strong visual impact!
Further reading:
- Oscar 2024! A Review of the Gorgeous Red Carpet Looks of Various Female Stars
- 5 Major Makeup Trends for the 2024 Fall/Winter Fashion Week: Bright Eye Makeup, Red Smokey Eyes, Blush Under the Eyes
- February Movie Characters, Plot Highlights: Highly Anticipated “Dune 2”, Emma Stone’s First Full Nude Scene
The most painstaking part for Nadia Stacey is the design of a stitched face for the eccentric scientist played by Willem Dafoe, with his appearance inspired by the paintings of Francis Bacon. The reason for Gevin’s strange and terrifying face is because he was treated as an experiment by his father since childhood. Nadia Stacey: “Although his appearance is frightening, he is a complex and compassionate person inside.” Despite Willem Dafoe having to undergo special effects makeup early every morning, this new face will definitely help him fully embody the character.
To present a sad but not terrifying appearance, the makeup artist layered fake skin together, even referencing Francis Bacon’s paintings, Nadia Stacey: “You don’t want to completely cover William Defoe’s face, through the scars on his face, we tell the story of Dr. Grewenbest, and what his father did to him, which is also very important.” Although William Defoe claims to spend 6 hours on makeup every day, that is just his “perceived time”, actually taking about 3 hours each time.
