What’s the secret to keeping makeup intact while shooting in very hot, humid weather? For Rebecca Hickey, makeup designer for HBO’s “The White Lotus,” there’s only one answer: fans. And lots of them. “I think we had so many fans, and we don’t even just have a regular handheld fan; these are blow dryers. They’re like $80 blow dryers,” Hickey says. “So everybody had one of those, a lot of umbrellas, and cold towels that we would put on the back of people’s necks.”
Season three of the hit show debuted on February 16, and fans were transported to the stunning backdrop of Thailand. When it came to creating the makeup looks for each of the characters, Hickey wanted to play into the wellness of it all. “During the day, I kept everybody really natural because you’ll see they’re doing a lot of yoga, health tests, and whatnot,” says Hickey. “But then at night, it does become really glamorous.”
Mood boards were made, and she bounced ideas off of costume designer Alex Bovaird to get the looks just right. While the men didn’t get much makeup (“They’re just naturally sweatier,” explains Hickey), the rest of the characters each have their own distinct looks that play into their different personalities and journeys on the show.
Though we are deep into the drama three episodes in, the vibes behind the scenes were fun and easygoing. “We just sit in the makeup room and blast some music. It just feels like we’re just girls chit-chatting; it’s so fun,” says Hickey. “We definitely hung out a little bit more [this season]. They threw us a thank you dinner party for the whole crew, and by the end of the night, we all jumped in the pool without clothes on – the cast, the crew, everybody.”
Below, Hickey breaks down each character’s look and the products she used to transform them for the screen.
Michelle Monaghan as Jaclyn
Michelle Monaghan plays Jaclyn, one member of a friend trio visiting Thailand for a girls’ trip. Hickey says that she’s worked with Monaghan before, so it was easy collaborating with her when trying to figure out the look for her character. But even with the planned mood boards, the final result doesn’t come together until closer to filming. “It really doesn’t come to me until they sit in my chair,” Hickey says. “That’s when I’m there and seeing their face up close.”
To get that natural vacation glow, she kept makeup fairly simple. She used just the Ciele Tint & Protect Serum Foundation SPF 50+ ($44), Blush & Protect SPF 50+ ($34), and Filter & Protect SPF 30+ ($38) powder for Monaghan’s complexion, and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel ($22). She made sure to use sun protection with the EltaMD SPF ($44) and kept her skin moisturized with Lalicious The Oil ($38).
Monaghan also went through a major hair transformation for the role, ditching her signature dark brunette shade for golden blond. Celebrity colorist and Olaplex artist Tracey Cunningham helped Monaghan make the dramatic change. “It’s such a gorgeous color on her,” Cunningham says. “We had so much fun with the transformation.” To keep hair looking vibrant, she used the Olaplex No. 4C Clarifying Shampoo ($32) in between touch-ups and the No. 6 Bond Smoother Frizz Control Styling Hair Cream ($30) and No. 9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum ($30) to smooth flyaways in the humid weather.
Leslie Bibb as Kate
The second member of the friend trio, Kate, is played by Leslie Bibb. This was a character that Hickey says that she put a lot of thought into. “She has such a beautiful face, so it was easy to play with makeup,” says Hickey. “I did a lot of different colors on her eyes, like pinks, purples, greens, and blues. She wears it well.”
She kept Bibb’s face makeup as natural as possible, using the Armani Luminous Silk Perfect Natural Glow Foundation ($69), Merit Bronze Balm ($30), and Ogee Sculpted Face Stick ($48). For sun protection and soothing mist, she used an Epicuren SPF ($58) and Soothe Dermal Repair Spray ($51).
Carrie Coon as Laurie
Laurie, played by Carrie Coon, is another character that Hickey wanted to play up when it came to the eye looks. “[Laurie] wears this powdery blue, kind of lilac color, which is super unexpected,” Hickey says. “[The character] wanted to show she’s on vacation and showing that she’s doing something fun with the ladies.”
Her go-to products included the Merit Flush Balm Cheek Color ($30), Ilia In Frame Brow Gel ($24), and La Mer The Concentrate ($225).
Parker Posey as Victoria Ratliff
Playing the quintessential southern belle, Parker Posey wanted to make her portrayal of Victoria Ratliff feel as real as possible. That includes a methodical look into what lip product she was using. “She always has some kind of lip,” says Hickey. “Her makeup is pretty put together, even though she’s popping pills and whatnot. We still wanted her to have that nod to that southern [woman who] wouldn’t leave the house without lipstick.”
Posey was a great collaborator when creating her character’s look, coming up with strong ideas and products that she really liked. Hickey says the pink, coral red lip we see is actually Possey’s own Chanel lipstick (which is sadly a discontinued color). Other products that were used to finish her overall look include Merit Flush Balm Cheek Color ($30), with face products from Estee Lauder and Vinter’s Daughter.
Natasha Rothwell as Belinda
Belinda, played by Natasha Rothwell, is back and on a journey of healing. For Hickey, she wanted to stay true to the Belinda we’ve come to love when we first met her while also showcasing how much she’s changed in part of her life. “I wanted to really elevate her from the first season, but keep it in the same vein,” says Hickey. “I just wanted her to look like she’s on this new adventure; this is a new journey for her. I wanted her to feel really fresh and just excited about it.”
The theme was warmer and creamy for Belinda’s makeup look, with Hickey using products like the NARS Radiant Creamy Color Corrector ($30), Fenty Beauty Match Stix Contour Skinstick ($32), Beauty Pie Supercheek Cream Blush in French Raspberry ($25), and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dewy Set ($26).
Aimee Lou Wood as Chelsea
Aimee Lou Wood plays Chelsea, the younger girlfriend of another hotel guest, Rick. Hickey wanted to keep makeup during the day natural but play it up at night. “I love Aimee. Her nighttime look was a really cool sixties vibe,” Hickey says. “She just has these really beautiful eyes for a winged liner, and we did a nude lip. It was really fun to create.”
To get skin looking glowing, Hickey used the Eminence Eight Greens Youth Serum ($55), Vie En Rose Love Potion Beauty Oil ($110), and the Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream ($49). For the fun ’60s-inspired looks, Hickey used the Tarte Quick Stick Waterproof Shadow and Liner in Bronze ($26), Make Mascara ($26), and the Tower 28 BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm in After Hours ($20). And an insider scoop: Hickey says to keep an eye out for a really amazing eye look on Aimee in episode four or five.
Lisa as Mook
Though Hickey personally didn’t work on Lisa, who plays hotel staff member Mook, while on set, Hickey said that the team talked about keeping Lisa’s look as authentic as possible. “She had a Thai makeup artist, and she just made everything feel very authentic to Thailand and Thai culture,” says Hickey. “It was fun. She’s really sweet, and obviously, it was a big deal that she was there.”
Audrey Noble is a beauty writer who covers breaking news, writes celebrity profiles, and does deep-dive features about the ways race, gender, sexuality, and other forms of identity impact society via the beauty industry. Previously, she was the beauty reporter at Allure and has held editorial positions at Vanity Fair and Refinery29. Audrey’s work can also be seen in PS, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Bustle, InStyle, WWD, and more.
