How To Do Your Hair Like Wanda

A new haircut or shade of lipstick has the ability to elevator one'south mood, but Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) takes the makeover to superhero heights in WandaVision. Marvel'due south Disney+ series has sent fans down a theory rabbit hole regarding the idyllic sitcom suburbia Wanda constructed as a happily-ever-after with Vision (Paul Bettany). From blackness-and-white hits similar I Love Lucy, Bugged, and The Dick Van Dyke Testify to the recent pop culture entries like The Office and Modern Family, Wanda's journey explores multiple era-defining Idiot box favorites in a bid to suppress her grief.

Rewatching sometime episodes of these classics was office of the preparation process, and Olsen told ELLE.com she did this to "understand the tones of each era." The creative teams also needed a business firm grasp of specific cultural moments (many of which were dictated by the producers and directors) and drew on personal experiences for boosted research. "I used to sentry a lot of these shows with my mom after school so I felt similar I knew them; they were a comfort to me," WandaVision makeup department head Tricia Sawyer tells ELLE.com. The pleasure derived from a family comedy is akin to a warm hug, which helps explain Wanda's choice of genre for this fantasy globe.

Talking from London (where they are currently shooting another Marvel project), Sawyer and pilus section caput Karen Bartek recount WandaVision's fast-paced production and their role "overseeing the look of all of the actors and keeping it in the continuity of the Marvel Universe," says Sawyer. Neither are strangers to the superhero world or Wanda Maximoff, having both worked on Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame (Bartek was as well a hairstylist on Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel). However, WandaVision is unlike whatsoever previous MCU project and worked on a shooting schedule that felt "like a tiny movie shot in one twenty-four hours," Bartek adds. The pair discuss techniques used for different decades, working with Elizabeth Olsen, and spill behind-the-scenes secrets—simply their lips are sealed about the last two episodes.

WandaVision in Black and White

Chuck Zlotnick

WandaVision isn't just borrowing its looks from television'due south Golden Historic period; techniques ranging from floating objects on wires to the presence of a live audition add authenticity to the 1950s-set pilot,"Filmed Earlier A Live Studio Audition." "We were at that place the whole time, running in really fast when nosotros had a infinitesimal to touch them up—but like a sitcom," recalls Bartek. She and Sawyer relished this challenge and soaked up the free energy levels, which Bartek likened to alive theater. Inside Wanda's white-spotter-argue utopia (shot on Warner Bros. Blondie Street, aka the dwelling house of Bewitched), the superhero is the moving-picture show-perfect vision (no pun intended) of the 1950s housewife platonic, with perfectly curled locks and flawless makeup.

Details down to eyebrow and smash shapes had to exist considered, equally well as how certain colors interpret into blackness and white. This includes every product from foundation to eye makeup. "Her eyeshadow, to look natural, was a robin-egg blue colour," Sawyer explains of Olsen's look. "She had a stake, pinky-ruddy nail color." For her lips, she wore a darker pink shade "to look natural." Camera tests were required for Olsen, besides every bit dinner guest Mrs. Hart (Deborah Jo Rupp), just the biggest change for the black-and-white world belongs to Vision. His signature red was replaced past blue to convey the required tone. "Nosotros shot a lot of photographic camera tests to get the right shade of blue to look right on camera when he was Vision," says Sawyer.

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Wigs in the '60s

Not simply are Bartek and Sawyer seasoned in the earth of Marvel, but they as well drew on their own experiences working on a diversity of TV genres. Sawyer's fourth dimension on the 1960s-set Mad Men proved a valuable resource from the makeup minutia to larger elements of WandaVision: "The nails, the shapes, organizing the groundwork, all of that comes into play whenever yous do a catamenia slice," she says. Meanwhile, Bartek chosen on her own experience with "a lot of sitcoms… that was an easy affair for me to become back to." The hair department head adds, "Every job nosotros work on, we bring into the next job. You're always learning from other people."

Chuck Zlotnick

Bartek likewise worked on the spy series Alias, in which Jennifer Garner wore a lot of wigs during covert missions as Sydney Bristow. Subterfuge is an ongoing thread in WandaVision —though most of the Westview residents have no thought they're in disguise—and the rapidly changing hairstyles required an all-encompassing wig collection. Switching from retro curls to poker-straight locks followed by a tight perm is time-consuming (and potentially damaging) for any grapheme. "I remember every chief actor had wigs from the '50s to the '80s. We actually couldn't use anybody'south hair considering shot a lot out of order," Bartek says. "If nosotros needed to do 2 eras in one mean solar day, that wouldn't work fourth dimension-wise. We could just pop a wig on and off." The 2nd episode, "Don't Touch That Punch" gets an injection of color in the concluding moments, and this reinforces a Wanda constant—her carmine hair. "Her styles were so different from era to era, merely we kept the color the aforementioned," says Bartek. "Nosotros wanted it to stay the MCU original color."

Bold Bluish in the '70s

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Collaborating with costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo was an important step in crafting a color palette that matched the prove'due south overall aesthetic. When Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is under the control of the Hex as Geraldine, she assists with the nascency of Wanda'south twins—earlier Wanda expels her from Westview. The '70s-themed episode, "Now in Color" embraces the bold trends of the decade, such equally a pair of fish-print cobalt flares that we subsequently learn are made of Kevlar. "Those pants were everything!" Sawyer exclaims. "We went up to the costume department and [Rubeo] showed us the textile considering the pants weren't made withal. I talked to [Parris'south] makeup artist [Regina Piddling] and suggested a blue. She came upwardly with that vibrant fantastic blue and it was perfect. I want to drink information technology—such a great color." Little achieved this striking shade by layering "Jada" from the Jacylyn Loma Palette by Morphe and "Nile" from the discontinued Kat Von D Serpentina Palette. (Sawyer suggests "Rush Blueish" by Pat McGrath Labs every bit a nigh-identical culling to Niggling's combination).

Chuck Zlotnick

While Bartek and Sawyer both relished the chance to pattern for different eras, they favored the older styles. "I find that when actors are in catamenia, they tend to permit you become there a little more than than when they're contemporary," Sawyer says. "They take more fun with it [and] let you play more." Both say the '50s episode was their highlight, only Bartek notes Olsen's favorite wig was the unrestrained '80s curls.

Aerobics Chic

At least one villain has been unveiled, and Kathryn Hahn'southward quintessential nosy neighbor Agnes is really the witch Agatha Harkness. A triple-threat, Hahn sings her own theme vocal and came to the makeup trailer with an thought for an out-there makeup expect for episode 4'south '80s theme. Sawyer'south co-department head Vasilios Tanis—"He is like my right arm"—worked with Hahn on the vibrant pink lipstick and heavy majestic eyeliner look. "It was like those old aerobics videos, I can flash them in my encephalon right now," Sawyer says. "That was her inspiration. Kathryn'south then fun and so game, it merely fit her so much."

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Even a prove with roots in a larger franchise leaves room for experimentation and collaboration with dissimilar departments. "I retrieve actors always come with ideas," Sawyer says. "They always accept certain things they know work and don't—they take thought almost it. Karen and I have talked about this besides. Nosotros take in everything: the director'southward inspiration, costumes and what they've designed, and what the actors want. Nosotros try to meld them all together with what is actually flow."

A Nod to the Comics in the '90s

Chuck Zlotnick

Episode vi, "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!" offers the adventure to reference the comic book illustrations—which definitely don't fit the look of the MCU aesthetic. "We pulled all the images from the comic when she was in that traditional costume and went off that," says Sawyer. "And and then found a crimson ["Forbidden Honey" lipstick by Pat McGrath] that would work with that look and likewise with Lizzie'due south skin tones." Riffing on the ultra-revealing Wanda costume (with a suburban mom twist) keeps one pes in the source cloth and another in sitcom-land, which historically loves a sexy (for network) costume moment. The classic cerise lip is bolder than Wanda's fresh-faced makeup and dials up the stylized element.

Marvel Studios

Layered nods to the comics and sitcoms are viewed as potential clues, but having worked on Marvel movies earlier, Sawyer and Bartek deftly avoid discussing any spoilers—including the movie they are currently working on. "A lot of people want to find out when it happens," Bartek reveals when asked if friends and family try to go intel ahead of time. Even though the pair know everything nigh forthcoming storylines, they've turned WandaVision'southward weekly installments into "engagement dark" while shooting in London. Joking that they "don't run across each other enough," Sawyer and Bartek lookout man the episodes together on their mean solar day off. "I can't imagine doing this journey with anybody else besides Lizzie and Karen because information technology was hard. I think the showtime 4 episodes Karen and I never left set up," says Sawyer. "It was one of the hardest jobs I've done, and information technology was too 1 of the most pleasurable."

Agatha All Along

The theme song that's been playing on a loop in our heads since last week features a shift from colour to black and white to accompany the witchy Agatha Harkness reveal. A collaboration betwixt the makeup department and cinematographer Jess Hall was required to pull this transition off. "I worked with the DP pretty closely [for] that switch, and nosotros took her a lot more vibrant, a picayune more pinky," says Sawyer of Hahn's lip color. "He was going to alter it a flake in post, so I needed to know how he was going to do it to know what colors to use." While costume elements take pointed to Agatha's existent identity—a brooch worn each calendar week and a classic witch costume for Halloween—don't expect into the perms and lipstick for more than hints. "In that location weren't any Easter egg-type references," Bartek says.

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While Sawyer and Bartek don't possess Wanda- and Agatha-style powers, they do have tricks, techniques, products, and years of experience for those ready-it-in-a-wink moments on set. "A big comb and actually proficient hairspray" are Bartek essentials, and Alterna's Caviar Working Spray is her become-to option "considering information technology holds and it'south low-cal at the same time. I really can't do a chore without that." Sawyer adds, "I, unfortunately, don't travel that light. I've been teased nearly information technology my entire life. The one secret weapon? I don't know. How about this…I call up information technology'due south me."

Emma Fraser Emma Fraser is a freelance civilisation writer with a focus on TV, movies, and costume blueprint.