Our stay at The White Lotus may have just started, but we’re already entranced by the lush vegetation, rich floral fabrics, and beachy beauty looks in Thailand—a sure distraction from the sinister plotline simmering below the surface, but a welcome one at that.
As avid cinephiles, we know that when it comes to Mike White’s award-winning vacation drama series, there are no stones left unturned—especially regarding specific (and intentional) beauty choices. From the painted lips on season two’s Harper Spiller (Aubrey Plaza)—serving as a physical manifestation of her rigid marriage—to the heavy contour and strip lashes decorating Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge)—possibly a commentary on her “wrong” choices in men, time, and place—there is always a message tied to makeup.
To peel back the gauzy curtain on this wellness-focused season, the show’s lead makeup artist Rebecca Hickey takes us behind the scenes—and into the future—as we watch these on-screen looks before they’re summer beauty trends.
“This season is all about spirituality and wellness, so I wanted to make sure everyone’s skin especially felt hydrated and fresh during the day,” Hickey tells Who What Wear. “Nighttime was playtime, so that’s where the sexy and sultry looks came into play.”
Season 3 of TWL is filled with strong characters, including Parker Posey’s Victoria Ratliff and the gaggle of well-to-do blondes (Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, and Michelle Monaghan), each with their hidden agendas. From vivid “orchid” lips to glowy vacation skin, Hickey dives headfirst into a swirl of facial mists, colorful eye shadows, and rosy lips to detail the looks from this season that will inspire summer’s impending beauty trends.
(Image credit: Fabio Lovino/HBO)
Though glowy, fresh skin is nothing new for summer beauty, Hickey approached skincare with utmost care this season. Her motto? Nix the foundation if you can—and the same rules applied in the glam chair (for the most part). “I pride myself on ‘less is more’ when it comes to foundation,” notes Hickey. “I love to see the authenticity of the skin, and that stays the same at work, so I’m diligent about where I’m concealing and powdering. I think that’s how we get the skin to look fresh but still elevated.”
Hickey utilized a combination of facial sprays (Eminence, Osea, Vie en Rose!), luminous skin serums (“Merit Instant Glow for that dew”), and cream blush dabbed onto the apples of the actors’ cheeks and their noses (“Beauty Pie has nice ones”) in the makeup chair for an effortless vacation complexion—though skincare was, admittedly, one of the most imperative parts of the process.
Glowing skin prep included a cocktail of Lyma lasers ($2695 for a starter kit!), ice rollers (nab one for $8), LED masks, and eye patches (111Skin for Leslie Bibb) all before touching serums—and was always finished with a generous use of sunscreen, with Vacation and Dr. Jart being two of Hickey’s go-to sources of SPF.
That said, the cast’s glowy “vacation skin” require a camera touch-up, and Hickey leaned on a few celebrity-worn products to defy the thick Thai humidity as much as humanly possible.
“The weather was a bit challenging, but I wouldn’t let that stop me from creating a beautiful makeup look,” Hickey muses. “It is more damage control, but on The White Lotus, we have high standards, and I needed to uphold that, no matter the humidity!”
A primer from Iconic London created a base for one of the lightweight, yet long-wearing foundations from Haus Labs, Ciele, and Basma Beauty that Hickey preferred, with a cream blush decorating the cheeks with a dewy flush (Tower 28 and Ogee made some of her favorites, and Merit was a season regular on Parker Posey).
Shop “Vacation Skin”
Osea
Sea Minerals Hydrating Toner Face Mist
Merit Beauty
Great Skin Instant Glow Serum
Ciele
Tint & Protect Serum Foundation with SPF 50+
Merit Beauty
Great Skin Instant Glow Serum
Dr. Jart
Every Sun Day Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 50+
(Image credit: Fabio Lovino/HBO)
Not only are orchids one of the most popular flowers found in Thailand, but their bright, floral essence also seeps into the makeup looks of almost every actress on season 3. “Parker (Victoria) always had a lip on, which ranged from pinks to reds,” Hickey explains, an intentional nod to the character’s Southern roots.
The Merit Beauty Shade Slick Lip Oil was a staple for Posey (and a hydrating option for the heat), but Hickey often found herself reaching for stick balms and pigment-packed compacts to get the pops of color she craved on other actors.
“Everything from Hourglass and Fara Homidi lips were top players,” she notes, amping up the color at night with an extra wash of color or a touch of a darker shade. Hickey detailed the beauty breakdown for stress management counselor Amrita (Shalini Peiris) in an Instagram post, which included Glossier’s buzzy Ultralip Lipstick for a sheer wash of color. That said, the makeup artist recommends fans try this floral-inspired trend with a layer of Tower 28’s LipSoftie Balm “for that ‘orchid’ lip.”
Shop “Orchid Lips”
Merit Beauty
Shade Slick Classic Hydrating Tinted Lip Oil
Tower 28
LipSoftie Hydrating Tinted Lip Treatment Balm
Glossier
Ultralip High Shine Lipstick
Fara Homidi
Essential Lip Refillable Compact
Hourglass
Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm
(Image credit: Fabio Lovino/HBO)
“I see people playing with colorful eyes again,” Hickey muses, throwing a forecasting line out into the summer. With a rainbow of shades dancing across the cinematic frames of each episode, we can see why fans might be inspired to add more animated makeup shades into their beauty routines, and Hickey knows just which ones will rise to the top.
Last season saw a slew of jewel-toned eyes on the likes of Mia and Lucia, a nod towards their bold and raucous storylines, but Hickey leaned into the softer versions of these shades for the more “peaceful” environment of season three. “I think we all know I love a dewy cheek and a gem-colored eye, but this season, I played a lot with Leslie [Bibb]’s makeup and chose to match it to each of her outfits,” Hickey coyly explains. “So think purples, pinks, blues and greens.”
Want to create “paradise eyes” of your own, but intimidated by these shades? The MUA has you covered. “Swipes of shiny purples and greens are stunning and really give a pop to your eyes without being too overwhelming,” she suggests. A few applications of a colorful, creamy shadow (“think Ilia Beauty’s Liquid Powder Eye Shadow or Armani Beauty’s Lid Tints”) is one of her favorite ways to achieve this look, with clean skin and dewy cheeks to match. “Always my MO,” she muses.
“I love a sparkly eye too and think it’s so playful (and easier to pull off than most think),” Hickey adds. “Maybe you’ll get a taste of that in the episodes to come!”
Shop “Paradise Eyes”
Ilia Beauty
Liquid Powder Eye Shadow Tint in Hatch
Armani Beauty
Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow in Frost
Make Beauty
Lash Prototype Volumizing Mascara
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Brow Wiz Ultra-Slim Precision Eyebrow Pencil
Make Beauty
Liquid Line Waterproof Felt Tip Eyeliner
Shop More of The White Lotus “Vacation Look”
Eminence Organic Skin Care
Stone Crop Hydrating Mist
Beauty Pie
Supercheek Cream Blush
Vacation
Super Spritz SPF 50
Mother Science
Hero Serum
UBeauty
Lip The Plasma Lip Compound
