If watching episode five of The White Lotus season 3, you were mesmerized by the glittery eyeshadow worn by Aimee Lou Wood's character Chelsea during the yacht scene, you are not alone. That's why we tapped The White Lotus makeup designer Rebecca Lynn to share all her secrets.
Though there's admittedly a lot going on in episode five of The White Lotus season 3, nothing else mattered — to me, at least — when we got a closeup of Chelsea's silvery purple eyeshadow reflecting the moonlight as the sky blues announcing dawn took over the scene's lighting. Though Chelsea has been wearing the look for some time in the episode, it isn't until that particular scene that you go, “Ok, how can I recreate this?” And, well, we have the answers.
Lynn tells Teen Vogue that she wanted the look “to feel girly and fun," sharing that this was actually her favorite makeup look from the season, even though she actually "just winged it." “I'm always looking to throw in a look so the makeup can have a ‘moment,’” she says, and Chelsea and Chloe's glitter and rhinestones party was the perfect chance.
Lynn shares that the team actually did this makeup look in situ while filming on the yacht while out in the middle of the sea. “It was a beautiful backdrop, but I had to be particular about what I could bring as it was a quick change from her usual day look to this bumped up party look,” Lynn shares. “Aimee and I picked the color together and I had about 15 mins to execute it, and she loved it.”
For the day to night transition, Lynn kept Wood's skin base the same, but added a purple eyeshadow from the Viseart Editorial Brights Palette as the base of the eyelid. “I then packed on the glitter in Violet Hour from the Lemonhead Spacecase PRO-Palette,” she says. (Pro tip: Instead of getting the full palette for almost $250, which is meant for industry pros, you can get one specific shade on its own on the Lemonhead website for as little as $14!)
As far as Chelsea's cheekbones, Lynn used Saie's dewy cheek in ‘Rosy.’ To add the finishing touches, she added “lots of MAKE Beauty Black mascara.” And for nostalgia's sake, she stuck to Maybelline Baby Lips chapstick on the actor's lips.
“Glitter is such a fun medium to play with but also gets tricky on camera,” Lynn shares. “Lemonhead is my favorite [to use for glitter looks] because you do thin layers and they dry so they don’t flake off. You might see a few glitter specks here and there but that’s what keeps it real! I also carried a roll of scotch tape around for an easy fix. I think the lighting was super favorable as well to really magnify the sparkle!”
All the actors have been talking about how humid it was while filming in Thailand, so it's only natural to wonder how Lynn and the makeup team ensure the looks stay on. “It’s not only about the sweat, but there is a lot of SPF and bug spray that gets applied over the makeup,” she says, “so it’s just quite a few touch ups throughout the day to keep everything intact. We shoot for about 12 hours, so it’s a lot of little things like fans, umbrellas and cold towels to keep everyone cool.”
.jpg)
"Mike White has given us the gift of a lifetime: To travel to the most beautiful places and live there for half a year," Lynn shared about her experience working on The White Lotus across its seasons. “We get immersed in the cultures and it’s the most insane and magical experience one can ask for.”
“I feel so loved and honored [that] people care about the makeup,” Lynn says, especially as this season's characters get multiple product breakdowns. “I used to always pride myself on natural looks, and I've really found my place as an artist on this show. I love beauty and I love making people feel and look their best. I put so much of my heart into this show and it feels pretty special for it to be recognized!”
