What Went into Creating Harry Styles's Retro Look in Don't Worry Darling

Olivia Wilde's highly-anticipated psychological thriller Don't Worry Darling debuted last week, and is still very much the talk of the town. But now, the buzz surrounding the film feels a little different. And it's not just because of the behind-the-scenes drama, alleged feuds, and off-screen antics that have riddled Wilde's second directorial outing. It's because fans have finally gotten to see the visual feast that she created with the help of costume designer Arianne Phillips, makeup department lead Heba Thorisdottir, and hair department lead Jaime Leigh McIntosh. From the very first scene, all the gossip and rumors are instantly forgotten as viewers are transported to an idyllic desert town in the 1950s that looks straight out of a Slim Aarons photo with colorful ensembles and retro beauty looks galore. Only in this case, Harry Styles and Florence Pugh, along with Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, Sydney Chandler, and Kiki Layne, are the subjects in a utopian experimental community called Victory, where life is only seemingly perfect.

Bringing the star-studded cast's hair and makeup looks to life was a project two years in the making, according to Thorisdottir, and a lot of "extensive" mood boards were put into action, says McIntosh. During the planning process, the glam team, as well as Wilde and Phillips, turned to pop culture legends of the era for inspiration. "For [Florence's character] Alice, it was definitely Brigitte Bardot for hair stuff," McIntosh reveals. "For Harry Styles, we had a little bit of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, but more of a relaxed version—maybe after they've had a couple of drinks."

Of course, working on the former One Directioner's mane was an experience, to say the least. After all, it is one of his most prized possessions. "His haircut was the first haircut I'd done after lockdown," says the New Zealander pro, before revealing she didn't know much about the mega pop star beforehand. "I did a quick, little back check on him, and realized that, 'Oh, he is not really a short back and sides kind of guy. This might be a delicate process.'" But much to her surprise, "he was totally willing to lean into it, and get into character. His hair, naturally, is incredibly thick and just wants to create volume through the top."

That, however, didn't make her job totally easy all the time. In later scenes, McIntosh wanted to make Styles look less flattering. "At first, we tried to kind of flatten Harry's hair out a bit to and make it a little more lank, and drab, and lifeless. Honestly, his hair just doesn't want to do it," she recalls. "So, I ended up getting a wig made that I could use in two pieces." That's when Thorisdottir and her team stepped in and helped McIntosh achieve the unraveled appearance. "They applied a scalp piece through the top so I could put the finer hair piece on top," adds McIntosh. "It's quite a different look."

From there, Thorisdottir went forth with the remarkable makeup looks. But this wasn't her first rodeo creating a mid-century glam: She was most famously tasked with transforming Margot Robbie into Sharon Tate for Quentin Tarantino's 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. And Thorisdottir very clearly worked that same magic on Pugh's face. "Mid-century L.A. is my favorite period," Thorisdottir says. "I kind of took their lead on it, just followed with the hair, and what they were wearing."

When doing Pugh's makeup, Thorisdottir set her apart from the other women with muted, peachy and pink, warmer tones. "In Florence's wardrobe, there definitely was a huge contrast to everybody else's wardrobe," explains Thorisdottir. "We kept everybody else a little cooler and paler. We were definitely inspired by the hair and wardrobe with Brigitte Bardot."

As the movie continues on, viewers begin to see Pugh's character taking a dark turn. So in order to depict that unraveling on screen, Thorisdottir opted for a more natural look, using only a bit of foundation and sunscreen and no mascara. "I want you to believe they are in the '50s in the beginning," she explains, "but not make it too much of a change for [later scenes]."

Working on Styles—who has more than 50 tattoos across his arms, torso, and feet—was a whole different beast. Thorisdottir says the actor was typically in the makeup chair from 45 minutes to an hour and a half getting airbrushed. "We had to do him from waist up every day," she quips. "When he comes home from work, and take his jacket off, we could see the tattoos on his chest through the shirt with the studio lighting. There were definitely times when we had to do his feet if he was walking around at home, barefoot and stuff."

Ahead, Thorisdottir and McIntosh spill more behind-the-scenes details on the beauty looks in Don't Worry Darling—and what products they used on set.