We’ll have to wait to find out who’s checked out of life in the new series of The White Lotus, but in the meantime, there’s one secret we can reveal. The show’s paradise hotel setting may be super-luxe, but the makeup kit used to create the cast’s glossy, elite look included the odd bargain that’s more high street than high society.
The show’s makeup designer, Rebecca Hickey, has kindly opened up her beauty bag and shared the skincare, suncare and makeup products she relied on for her leading ladies. While many are prestigious brands that you’d expect to find in a six-star hotel – think Victoria Beckham Beauty, La Mer, Clé de Peau Beauté – we noticed an affordable Amazon buy had snuck into her carry-on.
Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood)
The new season has turned British actress Aimee Lou Wood and her gorgeous, quirky smile into a global sensation – and it’s right there, on those famous lips, that you’ll find this budget buy.
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There’s a budget lip product behind Chelsea’s makeup look
‘For her makeup, I really wanted to create a natural look,’ says Rebecca of Aimee Lou's character, Chelsea. ‘For her lips, we alternated between Merit Lip Oil and Maybelline Baby Lips. I wanted to keep her really fresh and really effortless for the day, then at night we’d polish her up a little bit more.’ And as Rebecca’s Maybelline pick proves, you don’t have to spend a fortune to look expensive.
Baby Lips is a cult fave in the US (and one GH is a huge fan of for its magical lip softening abilities), but while the balm seems to have disappeared from both Boots and Superdrug on the high street, you can still stock up at Amazon for a bargain price. FYI, Rebecca seems to be a fan of Maybelline in general, as she shared that she also used one of the brand’s mascaras on set for Chelsea's evening look. Our money is on Maybelline Sky High Waterproof mascara for beating the sticky humidity in Thailand – it’s officially one of GHI’s best waterproof mascaras.
Primer was another must-have for Chelsea, and Rebecca chose the blurring formula from Iconic London, a brand spotlighted by the GHI for producing the planet’s best highlighter. Having a flawless skin canvas was vital when filming in such a sweaty location, and Rebecca mixed Iconic London’s makeup fixer with Indie Lee SPF50 Primer to beat the heat and boost sun protection.
Hourglass was one of the top performers in the GHI Hall of Fame awards and it was a winner on the White Lotus set, too. This beautiful illuminated base was also used on Aimee Lou’s ‘free spirited, bohemian’ Chelsea.
Belinda (Natasha Rothwell)
Long-term fans of the series like us are also delighted to see Belinda back, and are hoping to see her finally come out on top after being led on and let down back in season one.
Belinda’s look is a mix of high-end and affordable beauty brands
For her sojourn to Thailand, Natasha Rothwell’s beauty therapy guru is wearing makeup ‘in the same vein’ as before, ‘but I really wanted to elevate it a little bit,’ says Rebecca.
Her kit included another affordable option in the form of Beauty Pie’s Supercheek Blusher, in Bare Blush. While the regular price is £30, members can get it for £12. If you’ve been thinking of trying the ‘designer-quality at cut-price’ cosmetics brand, read our edit of the best Beauty Pie products.
Natasha’s flawless base was on the more expensive side, but we can’t fault the choice of Pat McGrath’s radiance-boosting Sublime Perfection Foundation in Medium Deep, plus two colour correctors from NARS and Beauty Pie (again).
Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan)
We’ve also had a close eye on Michelle Monaghan, who plays Jaclyn, queen bee of the world’s most toxic girls’ holiday.
MUA Rebecca says Jaclyn’s look is ‘very clean’, even when she’s dishing the dirt on her so-called friends
Her deliciously two-faced character spills poison from her lips whenever she’s talking about her ‘friends’ behind their backs, but her mouth certainly looks pretty while she’s doing it. Her secret? This luxe, rose-coloured lip tint from U Beauty was ‘her everyday look’, says Rebecca.
And for Jaclyn’s innocent, wide-eyed look (because of course she’s only speaking that way out of love), she’s wearing this lovely liquid-to-powder eyeshadow, plus plenty of Charlotte Tilbury eyeliner.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on Rebecca’s Instagram to see if she shares any of her favourite makeup cover-ups for cobra snake bites or back stabbing…
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