Between her ankle-grazing strands and light-handed makeup application, Hailee Steinfeld’s February Cover is a visual feast for anyone who loves a romantic beauty look with a bit of a plot twist. While the actress’s minimalist makeup subtly enhances her lips, cheekbones, and brows, her Rapunzel-esque hair majestically transforms from a milky platinum to a velvety espresso, imparting simultaneous visions of mythical sirens, lush Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and 1990s-inspired grittiness. Below, Steinfeld’s hairstylist Jake Gallagher and makeup artist Kristine Studden take us behind the scenes, step by step.
With Steinfeld’s hair as the focal point, Studden emphasizes that collaboration and communication were paramount in approaching the actress’s makeup. “The hair on this shoot was a really big moment—my goal with the makeup was to complement rather than take away or distract,” she explains. “Less was really more.” To create her take on a no-makeup makeup look for Steinfeld, Studden focused on building a fresh, lightly contoured complexion that highlighted the actress’s radiant skin while enhancing her and Steinfeld’s favorite features. “Hailee has such stunning lips and gorgeous, full brows, so I always lean into both as much as I can.”
Studden kept the skin prep simple, opting for Neutrogena’s Collagen Bank Daily Moisturizer ($30) for long-lasting hydration, followed by an ultra-blended layer of Patrick Ta’s Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Skin Perfecting Foundation ($58). Next came a natural contour and pop of lashes, courtesy of Makeup by Mario’s SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer ($32) and Benefit’s BadGal Bang! Volumizing Mascara ($20). For Steinfeld’s cheeks, Studden dabbed on Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks Lip + Blush Cream Blush Stick ($48) before blending it almost completely off of the skin for a soft and diffused look. Last but not least: lips and brows. “I lined Hailee’s lips with a classic, Make Up For Ever’s Artist Color Pencil Longwear Lip Liner in Wherever Walnut ($24), and then used my ring finger to tap on Armani Beauty’s Lip Power Long Lasting Lipstick in shade 111 True ($45),” says Studden. “I finished up with Kosas’s Air Brow Clear + Clean Lifting Treatment Eyebrow gel ($25).”
“It was really fun to do something so fun and different with Hailee,” Studden shares. “We really got to play in a fresh and new space. It felt high-fashion and boundary-pushing while still being very her. I’m thrilled I got to be a part of it.”
Unsurprisingly, conceptualizing Steinfeld’s hair for the shoot was a lengthy (no pun intended) and meticulous process. “I had a call with Jeanie Mordukhay, the creative director, about a week before the shoot,” Gallagher says. “We discussed all of our options like what was physically possible within our timeframe and the various ways we could make the hair as long as possible.” Then came more research. Gallagher shares that he was particularly inspired by the women depicted in renaissance and Pre-Raphaelite paintings, where long hair often symbolized transformation and rebirth.
As one might guess, working with wigs on set is much different than working with the talent’s natural hair or extensions, and our February cover was no exception. “It was definitely a collaborative effort,” agrees Gallagher. “Since the wigs were so long and heavy, I had to remove them between every outfit change—almost treating them more like a headpiece or hat rather than traditional wigs.”
To prep the wig itself, Gallagher used Oribe’s Curl Shaping Mousse ($42) when the hair was damp, as the goal was to create soft, natural waves throughout. To produce that undone texture, he braided the wig in large, random sections and let it air dry overnight. On the day of the shoot, Gallagher applied Oribe’s Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil ($59) throughout the hair and used a Mason Pearson Boar Bristle Brush ($160) to break up the waves. He finished with a layer of Oribe’s Superfine Hair Spray ($46) around the face and part to smooth any flyaways.
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