The hair and makeup artists used stills of Marilyn Monroe from a photo shoot to convert Ana de Armas into the famous icon for Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde,” which is on Netflix. Each day ,de Armas received two and a half hours of hair and makeup application from Jaime Leigh McIntosh and Tina Roesler Kerwin respectively.
We were able to determine and experiment what looked better in black and white as opposed to colour because of this, says Kerwin.
Instead of the usual bald cap, it all started with a silicone cap as a normal cap won’t be able to completely conceal De Armas’ thick, dark hair which was important to hide. Since several of Monroe’s most famous scenes would need to be recreated, the shoot session was completed before the main filming started.
A bald head would not last, continues Kerwin, “once we knew what the day and timetable was going to look like.” As a result, de Armas received three specially produced silicone pieces, a side and a top that could withstand the demanding nine-week shooting schedule.
First, the actress’s head was covered with a stocking cap, and three fresh silicone pieces were placed on it every day. We needed something strong that could withstand the glueing and ungluing of wigs, says Kerwin.
Although the pair produced over 100 looks, just 50 or 60 made the cut. De Armas wore blue contact lenses and fake eyelashes for the movie to change the eye shape.
Kerwin used a fuchsia lip with a crimson lip to recreate the song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” “It was blended to give it a little more oomph. Although it seemed excessive when you first saw her in person, it was just right for the camera and the display. However, we also had to coordinate the dancers.
McIntosh intervened in this situation. She had a problem because she lacked the funds to purchase wigs. To recognize them, the grey is painted into their hair.
“It was one more in the enormous number of recreations that we had to bang off rapidly,” McIntosh continues.
