Saying that Anya Taylor-Joy in Autumn de Wilde’s latest rendition of Jane Austen’s Emma looks like she was taken straight out of a fairy tale is not hyperbole. Though her wide-set eyes, extraordinary complexion, and elegant bone structure already beg for a Regency-era portrait painting, the actress—born in Miami and raised in Argentina and England—underwent an on-screen metamorphosis to play Emma Woodhouse.
Working with De Wilde to create the 12th Emma for the big screen, Emma makeup and hair designer Marese Langan says, “Autumn has a strong visual aesthetic with great attention to detail.” In order to create a picture of each character, we examined their individual personality qualities, conceit, and social status during our initial encounter. We also looked closely at portraits and other pictures from the Regency era. Our aesthetic choices were based on this.
What is the initial stage of crafting the most recent version of Jane Austen’s flamboyant antiheroine? A true dye job for towheads. When I asked Anya if she had ever had lighter hair, she responded by showing Autumn and me a beautiful childhood photo. “When we saw that, we all agreed that Emma’s hair color was ideal.” When it was feasible, Langan had Taylor-Joy use Ouai Treatment Masque, which is enriched with moisturizing tamarind seed extract and color-protective artichoke leaf extract, to maintain her peroxide lengths silky and healthy. Then there were the iconic 19th-century hairstyles to elaborate on, which were distinguished by their simplicity and romance.
Taylor-Joy’s Emma is featured throughout the movie with a mass of curls pulled back into an updo with a gentle center part, and whisper-light corkscrew wisps that lightly brush her cheekbones in an intentionally carefree manner. “I wanted to accentuate the tiny, delicate curls that frame the face for a historically accurate look with a fresh take,” Langan said. She created the tightly wound spirals with small marcel tongs heated in a miniature oven, letting them taper toward the ends for a more defined and structured look, and then set them in place with mists of Living Proof Flex Hairspray. She says, “I wanted to recalibrate the beauty aesthetic toward something new, while also remaining accurate to historical references.” “The original fashion plates and drawings feature a petite, refined, and delicate silhouette that highlights hairstyles that elongate the neck visually.” According to Langan, De Wilde was determined to use fresh flowers in the hair to give the dos a “natural, fresh, and youthful look,” which was appropriate for the setting and historical period. The hairstyle had to be exact when it came to a handmade bonnet. “I would come up with a hairstyle to go with the bonnet shape and neckline of the costume, and [costume designer] Alex Byrne would show me the correct positioning before the shoot day.”
Langan wanted to tackle the remaining cosmetic looks with a “clean and light-handed” style because the hair was making such a powerful statement. According to her, “modern makeup products were used to match the color palette found in the berry and root pigments of Regency cosmetics.” “Anya’s flawless complexion definitely helped me achieve my goal of a youthful, fresh look.” Langan applied a thin layer of Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer to the actress’s face, then twirled Happy, a soft pink shade, onto her cheeks using Chantecaille’s Cheek Gelée, a dewy liquid gel-cream blush. The actress then set the look in place with Chanel’s Poudre Universelle Libre loose powder. A dab of Nuxe Baume Levres Reve De Miel provided luxurious hydration to the lips, which were then highlighted by tracing on Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencils in a range of dusty and rosy pink tones. Taylor-Joy’s rouge is a little bit darker in the ballroom and wedding sequences, thus Langan says, “makeup was heightened for certain scenes.”
Emma is as stunning—and resonant—as ever, her attractiveness a contemporary yet period-appropriate take on dreamy, practical Regency Era beauty. Why Austenites never get tired of seeing her reinterpreted is understandable.