Though Verity commands national television spotlights to discuss her hit romantic-suspense series, Noble Virtues, while Lowen reads to a disinterested audience of three in a cramped Brooklyn bookstore—with one attendee blatantly taking a phone call—the characters share a profound, unsettling common denominator. Neither woman is entirely transparent, a duality that makeup department head Andrea Miller and hair department head Robert Lugo visually translated through meticulous, highly deliberate styling choices.
Reflecting on the aesthetic vision behind the movie, Miller notes that the production channels classic Hitchcockian tropes. The story unfurls as an intricate puzzle that viewers cannot easily decipher, keeping audiences deeply invested in gorgeous, complex characters. That sense of cinematic danger and elegance is established right from the opening sequence, which features a clip of Gayle King heaping praise upon Verity. Smiling serenely, Hathaway’s character looks immaculately polished in a pristine white suit, anchored by striking matte red lips.
According to Miller, the color red serves as a thematic anchor throughout the film. Verity’s polished looks were carefully executed by Hathaway’s personal makeup artist, Kyra Panchenko, who utilized the Kylie Cosmetics Lip Sculpt and Diffuse Brush 10 to apply MAC Cosmetics MACx-imal Silky Matte 12HR Wear Lipstick in Russian Red, sharply defining the mouth with Jones Road The Lip Pencil in Tawny Nude. In designing these looks, Miller drew direct inspiration from costume designer Jacqueline Demeterio’s use of the all-white ensemble and pivotal red dresses worn later in the story. The powerful, striking red theme was heavily influenced by the glamorous aesthetics of Old Hollywood.
This vintage-inspired, sophisticated approach also extended to Verity’s hair. Her side-parted, voluminous lob—a custom wig matching Hathaway’s natural color, crafted by personal hairstylist Fríða Aradóttir—borrowed heavily from the Golden Age of cinema. While the film’s version of Verity sports brown hair rather than the blonde locks described in Hoover’s original novel, a creative choice Hathaway has openly discussed on the press tour, Lugo explains that the classic styling was essential for mapping Verity’s narrative journey. The goal was to keep the hair simple yet capable of showing a transition in time while conveying a sense of supreme confidence, sex appeal, and raw power.
In stark contrast, Lowen’s introduction grounds the narrative in urban grit. Facing eviction from her apartment, she receives a directive from her agent to "dress nice" for an impromptu meeting at Verity’s publishing house. To capture this transition, Emma Strachman, Johnson’s personal makeup artist, crafted a sultry look featuring a smoky eye with tight-lined top and bottom lashes, complemented by over-lined mauve lips created using a combination of the Makeup by Mario Ultra Suede Sculpting Lip Pencil in Smokey Pink and MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil in Sweet Talk. Lowen’s voiceover narration early in the film reveals her preference for the anonymity of New York City because it allows her to remain invisible—an ironic goal, as Miller points out with a laugh, given that playing Dakota Johnson makes true invisibility "pretty bloody difficult."
To construct Lowen’s subtle yet sharp smoky eyes, Strachman anchored the look with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion, softening it with Armani Beauty Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow in a shimmery champagne hue, and finished with Westman Atelier Eye Want You Lengthening and Volumizing Clean Mascara. Miller observes that this sharp, defensive gaze immediately forces the audience to question Lowen’s true nature. Because she does not project a sweet, innocent demeanor, viewers are left waiting for the other shoe to drop, uncertain of her motives throughout the runtime.
Lowen’s hair further bridges the two characters. Her near-waist-length, dark brown hair features subtle golden-red highlights and thick bangs, offering a deliberate visual echo of Verity. Lugo notes that while the dark hair honors the script’s requirement for her to blend into the city streets, its exceptional glossiness provides the necessary cinematic punch to establish her as a co-lead. Johnson’s personal hairstylist, Joshua First, relied on Le Labo Hinoki shampoo as a foundation for all her cinematic looks, while Reverie Milk Anti-Frizz Leave-in Treatment, a Kevin Murphy serum, and Rôz Milk Hydrating Leave-In Conditioning Serum proved vital in achieving the smooth waves seen on both leading actors.
The plot accelerates when Verity’s publishers and her real estate-executive husband, Jeremy, played by Josh Hartnett, hire Lowen to ghostwrite the remaining Noble Virtues books. Verity has been left incapacitated following a mysterious accident, and Lowen travels to the Crawford family home—a stunning, foreboding contemporary residence designed by Jens Quistgaard and hidden deep within the Vermont woods. As Lowen immerses herself in research and is drawn deeper into Verity’s world and Jeremy’s orbit, her aggressive smoky eyes soften into ethereal browns, and her mauve lips shift to a matte taupe using Westman Atelier Lip Suede in Piqué paired with Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer in #2. Miller explains that softening Lowen’s aesthetic was crucial for making the audience fall in love with her vulnerability, presenting her as sweet and pretty without being overwhelmingly aggressive.
However, the psychological tension peaks after Lowen discovers what appears to be Verity’s hidden autobiography on a jump drive concealed inside a cigarette pack. As Lowen delves into the manuscript, fragments of Verity’s past unfold from Lowen’s point of view, starting with a steamy encounter with Jeremy at a champagne-drenched black-tie gala. There, Verity appears in a draped crimson Versace gown and a bouncy, dynamic iteration of her voluminous lob, immediately captivating Jeremy. Panchenko stripped the makeup back for these sequences to make the red lip feel like armor—a public persona that Lowen finds impossible to shake. In contrast, Panchenko utilized fresh skin and minimal makeup for Verity’s early days before her rise to best-selling author status, leaving the audience to decide which version of the character is real. Lugo recalls that when Hathaway walked onto the gala set in that red dress, the entire crew was left breathless by the effortless, moving Hollywood texture of her hair.
The psychological blurring of boundaries reaches its zenith when Jeremy offers Lowen an invitation to a local Bavarian restaurant and grants her carte blanche to select an outfit from Verity’s walk-in closet. Choosing a slinky red Versace safety-pin slip dress reminiscent of Verity’s earlier gown, Lowen styles her long, dark hair and bangs into a sleek, sultry look. Lugo emphasizes that Lowen puts deliberate effort into the appearance, approaching the date with dignity and intent.
For this pivotal evening, Lowen abandons her woodsy natural aesthetic, returning to her big-city smoky eyes and a dark, moody lip created by mixing Dior Addict Lip Glow Balms in Mahogany and Blackberry. The transformation prompts viewers to wonder if Lowen has crossed another line by adopting Verity’s personal makeup, having previously fantasized about using her host’s monogrammed silk robe and perfume. Miller acknowledges the ambiguity, noting that the inner workings of Lowen’s mind remain purposely obscure. As Lowen spends the evening with Jeremy, she seemingly morphs into Verity, ready to stake her own claim on success and ambition. Miller confirms that Lowen has become fully empowered, marking a crucial turning point and a blending of identities that keeps the audience guessing until the final, unexpected conclusion.
