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There’s nothing “traditional” about filmmaker Emerald Fennell’s recent take on Wuthering Heights, the twisted, dark romance authored by Emily Brontë in 1847. The end result? Endless possibilities for the film’s award-winning hair and makeup designer, Sîan Miller, to translate the heartbreaking tale of two haunted lovers from the windy Moors and the film’s titular mansion, to a feverish, dream world fueled by nostalgia and desire. Tear-stained cheeks, muddied hems, and corsets undone by frantic hands might be some of the images that comes to mind when we envision some of the most memorable love stories of the 19th century, but in this bold take on the tale will leave audiences exposed to much more with captivating beauty.
Amongst the sprawling Yorkshire moors of Victorian England, we’re introduced to Wuthering Heights: a dark and brooding home with halls plagued by the secrets and desires of its occupants… perhaps even a ghost sitting or two). While the film’s costumes are already stirring buzz amongst fashion lovers and movie goers, it’s the beauty that intrigues me the most. To learn more about the thought process behind some of the dark romance film’s most memorable makeup and hair moments worn by its star-studded cast, I reached out to Miller for all the nitty-gritty beauty details that helps sets this film adaption of Wuthering Heights apart from all others.
The film, starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw opposite Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, hits theaters on February 13 (and I got an insider’s scoop on all its best beauty moments). Below, Miller shares everything about the movie that single-handedly sparked a renewed public interest in Victorian aesthetics just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Creating Fever Dream Beauty In “Wuthering Heights”
(Image credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment)
The film blends modern and classical references to create visual intrigue, and the result is decadent. How would you describe the film’s unique beauty aesthetic?
We started everything with Emerald’s mood board, which was a combination of imagery from the fine arts, architecture, movies, fashion, and the great outdoors. Then, using a private Pinterest group, I would periodically meet with Emerald, production designer Suzie Davies, and custom designer Jacqueline Durran—all of whom I’ve worked with before. I looked at what they were doing with the tones and color palettes, and knew the film needed to be a fever dream through the imagination of a 14-year-old girl, just as Emerald was when she read the book.
Wuthering Heights is a stylized vision with a contemporary take on a midcentury, old Hollywood soundstage melodrama that draws from a broad elements. It was a smorgasbord of visual references brought together. I liken both of the films I’ve done with Emerald to learning a language—both languages are similar, but this is slightly different. Once I’ve learned the language and I’m in the world, instinct takes over. As my team came on board, it was really a case of trying to get that shared understanding.
How does your creative process for period dramas differ from those from today? What sources did you refer to for inspiration?
The film definitely has a tone of a Hollywood melodrama, and manages to recreate that feeling. It was a combination of the cinematography, the lighting, production, design, costume, hair, and makeup… it just has that feeling about it. Jacqueline was my closest ally in terms of the collaboration, alongside Emerald, and they were my guiding lights. Early on, Emerald laid this story out in three acts, but it wasn’t pinned out and precise. We played around with a lot of ideas and changed things as we went.
Once we knew the motifs and that they were going to suit Margot, so many of the aesthetic choices then became about the necklines, hair, and silhouettes. When it came to the jewelry, I remember constantly wondering what I could do to it that wouldn’t ruin archive and designer pieces to turn them into something for the hair in an unexpected way! It was a constant dialogue between the team.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Warners Bros. Entertainment)
Color plays a massive role in Wuthering Heights to illustrate everything from moments of heartbreaking passion to picturesque dreamscapes. Can you tells us about Catherine’s beauty color palette?
The only colors Catherine wears are black, white, and red. One of the dresses you would have scene photographed when she’s wearing what Emerald and I call “the horns,” which are likened to Victory Rolls, and a black dress that almost looks like a midnight blue. Throughout the Wuthering Heights [home] set, you can see some leaded windows with an odd palette of red in there and black and white floors, so there are echoes of that palette in the product design as well.
In terms of the color palette with the skin, we wanted to start out with Cathy as a child living in a house that’s quite isolated in the moors. Her skin is exposed to the climate, and there are freckles and a wind-burn kind of look. I had scans made of both the younger Cathy (Charlotte Mellington) and Margot which were turned into 3D vaccum forms. We drew freckles on both performers, translated them to the 3d prints, hot-knived through them, and mixed up a bespoke freckle tone that could then be airbrushed on for continuity.
We see a flush on Heathcliff, Cathy, and Nelly as children that, as they become older, transform into a natural flush in a deeper tone. It was all about what suits them and looks natural. When we get to the Grange in the film, we used blush not just for cosmetic purposes, but as a tool for displaying emotions (like exasperation, nerves, arousal, and anxiety). It helped performers create their characters and tell the story in a subliminal way that can be woven through the narrative. For the rest of it, the goal was to have the look of nude skin.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment)
Catherine’s character undergoes notable personality changes as she matures and her relationship with Heathcliff undergoes evolves? How is this reflected in her hair?
Initially we wanted Cathy to have a windblown, natural short of mess that’s raw and real. Then, she goes to the Grainge and is transformed. For this scene, we wanted an updo created by Isabella. For a time, Cathy reverts back to a “business as usual” Weathering Heights look, but after she returns to the Grainge, we see her wedding style. Emerald had an image on her mood board of a chained, diamond over the top of her hair (kind of like a cage, which is symbolic of this chapter for Cathy). We decided to create that with hair as a decorative, lattice design and little diamond jewels to be seen through the veil.
Could you break down some more of the hair looks we’ll see in the film? How did braids with ribbon and jewel detailing come to mind when establishing a look for Catherine?
The pivotal moment when we start to see the narrative of hairstyles is when Cathy is shown the new life Isabella has made for her. Isabella introduces Cathy to the collection of dolls that she’s braided and plaited the hair of. We see her in a doll braid or lattice plait, and Isabella opens up a doll house. Isabella has designed and created this world where she can dress Cathy up, just how she treats her dolls that look just like Cathy. The way the doll house scene is filmed is amazing!
We can also spot some jewels on her skin to create the look of teardrops or silver leaves in the promotional imagery. Why were you drawn to these delicate details?
All the skin ornamentations stem from references on Emerald’s mood board. It had Galliano and Pat McGrath 2007, as well as Vivienne Westwood’s 2009 Fall/Winter Campaign where there’s silver leaf and silver lashes. Pinterest was fantastic for all this, and we had a plethora of images that we all added to. We didn’t know when to use the looks and how wanted to go about it until we got Margot in the chair, but Emerald knew that she wanted to use makeup as a vehicle to show the passage of time in montages.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment)
The jewels on the face were inspired by walls in the [Wuthering Heights] dining room from production design. In the early stages of the set, the walls were silver and decorated with an ornate, silver jewels with a hemispherical kind of effect. We wanted to echo it in makeup, and found some online to use on Margot. Emerald is such a great visionary and has great ideas to feed from. We took a very organic approach that helped the narrative move along.
What can you tell us about the beauty approach you took for the other female characters in the film (namely, Isabella and Nelly?)
It was kind of a case of, “we’ll do what suits!” We knew that with Hong Chau and Vy Nguyen (playing the older and younger versions of Nelly), that Nelly is poised and minimal, so we kept the makeup quite contained. She’s essentially a servant, and that is made cruelly clear to her. Nelly has a more Victorian style that doesn’t change until the end.
For Alison as Isabella, it was all about the fabulous head of hair! She has a girly, doll-like look using headdresses with ribbons and bows and a pale pink blush on her cheeks that shows she’s quite young for her age. There has not been an awakening yet. There’s such a great contrast between Nelly, Isabella, and Catherine that is so interesting.
What were your go-to products on set to create these memorable movie looks?
There’s a product that’s not so readily available, Le Maquillage Professionnel’s Fard Creme I love because it’s made for natural waxes and is really sheer on the skin. For blushes, the one that worked well for the cast were were the N°1 De Chanel Cheek and Lip Balm in Berry Boost (which is also what Pati Dubroff is using on Margot for the press tour).
Equally, I liked Merit’s Flush Balm and ones from Rare Beauty and Pixi Beauty. So much of the looks for Cathy’s exasperated moments were all her! The natural-looking makeup didn’t create masks on anyone, and worked hand-in-hand with the actors’ skin to help harness emotions.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment)
Discover Wuthering Heights Beauty Essentials
Merit
Flush Balm in Postmodern
Merit’s Flush Balm uses microfine pigments to deliver soft color without covering up natural skin texture. Postmodern is a deep, pink brown shade for adding a warm flush to the cheeks.
Merit
Flush Balm in Apres
Miller also used the Flush Balm in Apres: a warm berry shade with red undertones. This one melts into the skin for lit-from-within color with vitamin E for all-day nourishment.
Chanel
N°1 De Chanel Cheek and Lip Balm in Berry Boost
Chanel’s multi-use lip and cheek balm was used on set for a flushed, just-pinched look. It has a unique, buttery formula that melts into the skin and leaves lips vibrant and plump.
Charlotte Tilbury
Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
According to Miller, makeup was kept minimal to allow the skin to take center-stage. However, she did reach for the Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk.
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