Westworld: Artists use makeup magic to transform actors into robots

Westworld may be inhabited by perfect robots that are unfazed by the elements, but in real life, human actors don’t have the luxury of perfection.

On Westworld, the challenge to make actresses such as Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton into hosts that don’t sweat and aren’t affected by wind and dirt was in the hands of the superb makeup team. Dolores and Maeve look pristine despite filming in hot, dry, humid weather in locations like Utah and California.

The Westworld makeup department head Elisa Marsh and makeup artist Rachel Hoke spoke with Refinery 29 about how they created robots out of mortals and how the makeup was as much a part of the story as any other plot device in the story.

The makeup team went for a doll-like aesthetic for Dolores’ overall appearance. Since Dolores was initially positioned in Westworld as the damsel in distress, it makes sense that her look would have some aspect of innocence. But what’s interesting about Dolores’ mannequin-like image, is how it consistently remains angelic even as she evolves into Wyatt and she rages into a full-blown war.

Rachel Hoke, who is the principal cast makeup artist says of Dolores as Wyatt:

"“Part of what makes her character a bit jarring and different is that she appears to look innocent while she is causing destruction and terror.”"

So, how did the makeup artists keep Dolores looking like a perfect Barbie? The process was a combination of long-lasting sunscreen iS Clinical Eclipse SPF 50 Plus and reapplying the makeup from scratch midday after washing Wood’s face with Collosol Eau de Lait milk cleanser.

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Hoke’s original approach was to use a liquid sunscreen, but it oxidized with Wood’s makeup giving her face a yellow glow that didn’t work for the character. This blunder led Hoke to seek out the winning sunscreen and cleanser combination. Also, the dust that would settle onto the actresses’ lashes and faces was frequently brushed off with a large powder brush.

Maeve’s makeup routine functioned more like a costume accessory than a beautifying technique. The makeup team creatively chose colors that would emphasize the different phases of Maeve’s evolution this season.

Maeve’s madam persona at the Mariposa warranted a dark smokey eye for the theatrics. However, when she decided she would leave Westworld for the real human world and changed into her little black dress, her makeup was altered to be more natural to blend in with the humans.

Marshal says of the process:

"“For Maeve’s ‘human look,’ we ditched the Mariposa madam’s heavy smokey eye and went with a more natural makeup look since she’s attempting to blend in with humans who are leaving the park and doesn’t want to be recognized. Here, I use the Kevyn Aucoin The Legacy Palette which has a mustard shade that’s so beautiful on Thandie’s brown eyes and caramel skin. For her eyeshadow, I used wheat, caramel, and a touch of cocoa shades, for depth.”"

Maeve’s wardrobe and makeup change yet again when she enters Shogun World. Marsh says they used the same eyeliner but a darker combination with an added flair at the end.

But the real Geisha inspired tie-in was the red shade used from the Chanel Palette Essentielle in Caramel Intense that was used for her lipstick and blush. The final touch and the source of her lip hydration was Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Colour in 444 Gabrielle.

But the makeup transitions in Westworld aren’t all glam and gloss. They had two separate makeup teams one of which mainly focused on conjuring beauty while the other focused on special effects, like Maeve’s gore intense wound.

The hosts were flawless most of the time, but as is customary to happen on Westworld, some would end up injured or temporarily dead. Depending on the situation, even the beauty-focused artists had to dabble in blood.

Hoke says of the blood applications:

"“A lot of the cuts and gashes were applied using transfers, then hand-painted with color and fake blood to complete the illusion. We use a fake blood from a company called Red Drum because it washes out of clothing and hair, and if removed properly, doesn’t stain the skin.”"

The outstanding work of the makeup teams on Westworld helped create believable robots that are undeniably enviable. Unsurprisingly, Westworld won the Creative Emmy for Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series. Congratulations to the team!