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If you’re a lover of ’70s glamour and a good dose of drama, chances are you’ll like Apple TV’s new original series, “Palm Royale.” The show follows the main character Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (played by Kristen Wiig), as she tries her best to infiltrate Florida’s high society by way of an exclusive club of the same name.
Throughout the season, viewers can follow along with Maxine’s journey as she navigates Palm Beach’s guild in style. The eventful plot aside, the show is also a feast for the eyes. “It was a very specific look that we wanted to pay homage to,” Tricia Sawyer, makeup department lead on the shows, tells PS.
Ahead, Sawyer and hair department head Karen Bartek go into a bit more detail on all of the looks, share tips that they used to ensure that their work withstood scorching heat, and dish on their must-have products on set.
The Inspiration Behind the Hair and Makeup Looks on “Palm Royale”
As you’ve likely guessed, the beauty inspiration for the show was over-the-top glamour. “If I could describe the mood board for the show I’d use the words: tanned, colorful, and fabulous,” Sawyer says. The makeup artist says that she and Bartek worked closely with the show’s creator Abe Silva, its costume designer Alex Friedberg, and the production designer John Carlos. “Between the three of them, there was such a clear vision of the palette of the show,” she says. One of Sawyer and Bartek’s main sources of inspiration was Slim Aarons’s photographs. “They were all such beautiful works that were also so specific — it’s different than what you see during that era in Palm Springs or even in New York,” Sawyer says.
“Maxine’s hair was almost a little comedic,” Bartek says. “She was consistently trying to fit in and got into these little hijinks, like having to jump fences or fall into bodies of water, that we had to account for when it came to her hair. It was a more-is-more approach for her.”
The Message Behind Maxine’s Signature Beauty Style
Though Maxine wasn’t born into high society, you’d never be able to tell based on her looks — and it was intended to be that way. “Maxine’s beauty regimen didn’t change throughout the season,” Sawyer says. “She knew exactly who she wanted to be and where she wanted to go; she had been working on that beauty regime for a long time.”
Her signature look included perfect face-framing curls that she often accessorized with scarves or hats, tanned skin, and perfectly shaped almond nails that were always painted a frosted pink. Though she never quite fit the part of Palm Beach high society due to her social class, Maxine was never going to have a hair out of place. Very Anna Delvey of her, isn’t it?
The Hair and Makeup Products Used on the Set of “Palm Royale”
One of the biggest elements that both Sawyer and Bartek had to contend with was weather. “It could get as hot as 110 degrees,” Sawyer says. “It was so hot, we had to make sure that we kept [the actors] looking normal and not like they were dying of heat exhaustion while filming.”
To do so, they employed some tried-and-true products. “We used quite a bit of this gel called Hard Up ($18) from the brand Sexy Hair,” Bartek says. “We used it for a lot of the wig applications because it kept the actors’ natural hair down and out of the way.”
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She also used the Alterna Styling Working Hairspray ($28) and the Shu Uemara Nourishing Protective Hair Oil ($42). “The latter product was a staple for men’s wigs on the show,” Bartek says. “It made them look expensive.”
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As for Sawyer, there was one product that saved all of her looks in the heat. “Lash glue was my best friend,” she says. “The Duo Line It, Lash It Adhesive ($6) was my holy grail and I also used the same lashes. After a while the more you use them, the more they form to your eye shape — you can get a full week out of your lashes with proper maintenance.”
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Both Sawyer and Bartek want people to know that one of the best parts of this show is the people behind the scenes. “This job was a lot of fun and it was lovely to be on something where we could work hard and see the results on screen,” Bartek says. “So many people came out to help bring it together, we wouldn’t have gotten the results that we did without them.”
Ariel Baker is the associate editor for PS Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.