Jenna Ortega's Unique Lip Color Used on the hit Netflix show 'Wednesday'
Some people might be perplexed as to why Wednesday, the brand-new Netflix original series from Tim Burton, debuted closer to Thanksgiving than Halloween. The Addams have long been a frightening, weird, and sarcastic look at a family unit, making them perfect for All Hallows' Eve costume ideas.
But there are other connections between Thanksgiving and The Addams Family's legacy: The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, the first two pictures from the 1990s, both had their world premieres around the middle of November in the year of their respective releases. Pilgrim World is held in the town of Jericho in the 2022 television series, and Wednesday informs her fellow campers about how disrespectful the celebration was to Native Americans in the 1993 movie.
But it's obvious that spectators didn't require a connection to anything ominous in the calendar to appreciate the show: The new program recently defeated Stranger Things 4 to earn the greatest platform debut of any English-language series. (According to Social Blade, the Instagram following of the series' star Jenna Ortega increased by more than 3300% over the Thanksgiving weekend.)
The show has received accolades from both reviewers and Jenna Ortega fans, although much of its success can be attributed to social media buzz: a video of Ortega dancing to The Clash's Goo Goo Muck has had over 11 million views on the Netflix TikTok account. (Ortega personally choreographed the song, as she disclosed in a video with over 66 million views as of this writing.) The representation of Latinos in the program has received praise for being "refreshing" and "genuine."
People also compulsively stalk the hair and makeup teams' social media profiles for any tidbits of information, such as Wednesday's go-to mascara (Ilia's Limitless Lash) and Morticia's trademark lip color, in an effort to replicate the show's looks (Tom Ford Beauty in Bruised Plum, which was discontinued earlier this year). "There's something about Wednesday, the performance, and the makeup every time I turn on my computer. It's incredibly thrilling, "We learned this from Tara McDonald, the show's head makeup and hair artist. Sadly for her, Allure spoke with McDonald to discover more about the making of Wednesday and to learn more about each product that was applied on the actor.
The Hair
The TV show is a contemporary interpretation of the Wednesday Addams character, who is now a teenager, rather than a continuation of the previous films or IP. Wednesday is now being introduced to a completely new audience, said McDonald. "Like a hip adolescent, [we're making it] a little bit more contemporary and modern. I had a lengthy conversation with Tim Burton about this. [He] was really anxious to keep her natural-looking and avoid overdoing the cosmetics."
For a teenage Wednesday, braids were a must, but her hair almost wasn't black. We almost didn't make it black, which makes this ridiculous, added McDonald. The switches, which were put to Ortega's natural hair to extend and thicken the braids, were shade-wise not working the day before the first day of filming. They matched Ortega's natural tone because they were a dark brown. "It was getting close to closing time, so we decided to make it darker. It simply isn't working. The night before filming, we dyed her hair a fairly dark hue and matched the switches' color. Despite how last-minute it was, it was clearly the appropriate choice because it was so powerful and complemented her skin tone.
After filming the piranha scene for episode one, McDonald eventually decided to do away with the switches altogether and instead clipped three hair wefts to each side of the head to make the braids appear more natural. McDonald pointed out that Ortega's fringe was shortened the day before filming because she arrived with lengthy bangs. According to McDonald, "[We] maintained the size a bit long, like that type of French style." To emphasize [Ortega's] gorgeous high pointed cheekbones, it was crucial to have those two side parts curled over on top of the cheeks.
The Makeup
For Wednesday's Rave'N look, McDonald drew inspiration from high-end photographs of hair and cosmetics, such as Chanel's Spring 2013 Couture show. To achieve Ortega's natural freckles and a sheer finish for her daily makeup, Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation in Porcelain was applied with a Beautyblender. Her lashes were coated with the Best of Beauty-winning Ilia Limitless Lash in Soft Black, and the lips were given a special blend of MAC's Nightmoth Lip Pencil and Dr. PawPaw Balm.
For her Rave'N look, Ortega's skin was washed with Koh Gen Doh Spa Water and moisturized with Weleda Skin Food Light. Wednesday performs her now-iconic dance number in a black gown that sets her apart among a sea of students wearing white. Elizabeth Arden's 8-Hour Cream was used to prepare the lips by combining it with sugar for a mild exfoliation.
For this scene, a heavier-than-usual DHC Foundation was applied with a damp blender, then Make Up For Ever Translucent Powder was put all over the skin to make it look utterly matte. The Lime Crime Freckle Pen in Mocha was used to highlight Ortega's freckles (because the set lighting washed them out), however McDonald noticed that they were still almost perceptible. MAC Sculpt and MAC Shadowy Lady were used to sculpt out the hollows on her cheeks.
Using a Dior Lash Curler, Ortega's eyelashes were curled, and to assist avoid fallout, Urban Decay Primer Potion was applied to the lids. A warm light beige shade called MAC Brule Eyeshadow served as the foundation, and Urban Decay Cowboy Rick, a peach shade with a sparkle effect from the Naked Wild West Mini Palette, was applied on top. Chanel Splendeur et Audace #3 and Chanel Quiet Revolution #4 from the 306 and 312 palettes, respectively, were blended into the lid for a grunge-inspired black smoky eye. For definition, Nightmoth was once more placed on the outer corners of the lips, and Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream was utilized as a gloss. Ortega's right ear piercing was covered with micropore surgical tape.
At the Rave'N, McDonald preserved Wednesday's distinctive braids and wore them milkmaid-style on top of her head, as seen in an image of Alexa Chung she discovered. During Ortega's blowout, a Shu Uemura serum was applied to the bangs, Ecogel was used to tame flyaways from the three wefts of hair extensions placed to her hair, and got2b hairspray was used to set everything.
I had that image in my head, so I was over the moon when they let me put [Ortega's] hair up for the dance, said McDonald. "The dress needed to be up when I saw it. The gown's creator, Colleen Atwood, was overjoyed that the neckline could now be seen. It was flawless."