The Hunger Games Beauty:
Effie's Signature Capitol Looks
, MARCH 28, 2012
If you're one of the millions of people who saw The Hunger Games this week, you probably left the theater trying to figure out two things: 1.) Am I really on Team Peeta? (no one warned us Gale would look that good) and 2.) Who on Earth is Effie's manicurist?We talked to the film's lead makeup artist Ve Neill (who's also responsible for characters like Edward Scissorhands and Captain Jack Sparrow), for her inspiration behind Effie's three signature Capitol looks. Consider your next Halloween costume done.
The Reaping
Neill, who tried to stay as true to the book's description of Effie as she could, was concerned she would look clownish in the impoverished area of District 12. So, to soften her up, she airbrushed pink pigments onto her face. "It was very soft, pretty, Marie Antoinette type makeup," Neill said. But there was one thing Neill never toned down: those nails. "I went to every craft store in the city and bought the brightest polishes I could find," she said. For this scene, which actually requires Effie to use her hands, Neill painted on an ombre purple and gold design. But for every other scene, Neill dumped a bunch of craft store materials on a table and told her makeup artists to "have fun." The result was 40 pairs of false nails that had everything from silver balls to tiny charms on them.
Neill, who tried to stay as true to the book's description of Effie as she could, was concerned she would look clownish in the impoverished area of District 12. So, to soften her up, she airbrushed pink pigments onto her face. "It was very soft, pretty, Marie Antoinette type makeup," Neill said. But there was one thing Neill never toned down: those nails. "I went to every craft store in the city and bought the brightest polishes I could find," she said. For this scene, which actually requires Effie to use her hands, Neill painted on an ombre purple and gold design. But for every other scene, Neill dumped a bunch of craft store materials on a table and told her makeup artists to "have fun." The result was 40 pairs of false nails that had everything from silver balls to tiny charms on them.
Train Ride to the Capitol
Neill always matched Effie's makeup to her outfits—even if it meant lavender-blue lips. For this scene, she used Obsessive Compulsive Lip Tars in lavender and pale blue to create her cool, pursed lips. She applied purple and pink false lashes and followed with purple liner—which didn't faze Banks. "Elizabeth is so fun to work with—she's game for anything," Neill said. To set the entire look, she finished with loose pink and lavender powders on her face. And of course, she glued on false nails. In this scene, they were lavender and white with tiny silver balls and a decorative silver ornament in the middle.
Private Sessions with the Judges
In this scene, Effie is upset with Katniss, which posed a challenge to Neill. "It's hard to make her look angry when she looks like an angel doll," Neill said. She chose really strong yellow, green, and blue pigments on her eyes to make her look upset. And of course, she gave her a bright pink bow-lip. "That's Effie's signature. Her lips have a bow in every scene. We wanted her to be the perfect picture, always," Neill said.
Photos: Courtesy Of Lionsgate; Elizabeth Banks; Capitol Couture
