Victorian Sketches, "Street Goth," and Dior—the Beauty References You Shouldn't Ignore in Wednesday Part 2
We know Wednesday Addams has some tricks up her sleeve, but we would have never suspected that television’s favorite pigtailed sadist happened to be a beauty girl. The highly anticipated second half of the sophomore season of Netflix’s Wednesday just aired, and we’re screaming at the gloriously dramatic look Jenna Ortega’s character sports to the Nevermore Academy gala. In episode five, the titular character swaps her usual hollow-eyed and berry-stained lip look for something more grandiose (and teeming with hidden messages, head makeup artist Nirvana Jalalvand tells Who What Wear).
The season’s second part is full of surprises: Lady Gaga’s shocking guest appearance (in very American Horror Story Countess–coded glam, if you ask us), Gwendoline Christie’s thrilling return, and Wednesday’s second dress-up moment. (Lest we ever forget the iconic dance scene that inspired hundreds of thousands of “Bloody Mary” fan edits, resulting in Gaga’s eventual involvement with the show.) “It’s always such a fun moment for me when I see in the script that there’s going to be a look that requires something more than [Wednesday’s] usual everyday hair and makeup,” says Jalalvand. Though the MUA dismisses the gala as a “means to an end” for the cunning antihero, the deviation from her trademark look suggests immense importance behind it—and we’re unraveling the silks in this web of secrets.
Phrases like “soft goth” and “Victorian influence” decorate the mood boards inside Jalalvand’s makeup trailer, where the makeup artist used all Pat McGrath products to shape Ortega’s angular eye look. “It’s always a collaborative process creating any looks with Jenna,” Jalalvand says, stating that the makeup’s performance-enhancing powers are paramount. For this particular look, Ortega and the MUA shared a collaborative photo album where they’d drop references and inspiration for the scenes ahead, keeping the “hollowed socket” Tim Burton look top of mind.
“I had pulled lots of street goth makeup references, and she had some brilliant Siouxsie Sioux images,” says Jalalvand, the rock artist serving as subtle inspiration for Wednesday’s jagged double liner—painted in expert strokes with Pat McGrath Labs Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner.
PAT McGRATH LABS
Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner
However, even the most eagle-eyed fans might not connect the dots between Wednesday’s feathered double liner and her “Raven” psychic abilities. “I knew I wanted to create a graphic, goth-inspired eye ,” she explains, confirming the “feathered wings” under the character’s lash line to be an acknowledgement of her gift. Stacked high with the Dark Star Volumizing Mascara, this fluttery eye is practically ready to take flight.
PAT McGRATH LABS
Dark Star Volumizing Mascara
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that this avian look can also be traced to the couture world—which is all too fitting considering Ortega’s place as a fashion It girl and Dame Pat McGrath’s legendary runway portfolio. “Anyone who is a true fan of Pat’s work knows she loves bold eye makeup for a runway show, and this look is certainly that,” she muses.
To match Wednesday’s graveyard-chic gala gown, designed by costume designers Colleen Atwood and Mark Sutherland, Jalalvand crafted a deeply historical low ’do woven with intricate plaits. “The hair design from this look was inspired by a combination of the Dior Couture F/W 24 in Paris and old sketches of Victorian women I have collected over the years,” she explains. Both elements play with looped, meticulously woven braids that feel true to the character’s preference of dated things—her taste not quite suited for the living.
