Here Are All The Biggest Hair And Makeup Differences Between 'Bridgerton' Season 1 and Season 2
In any show, the hair and makeup has much more of an effect on the overarching feel than you think it does. What's going on at that most basic level of appearance tells us a lot about what a character might be like before they ever even open their mouths - and a lot of the time it's done subconsciously.
In a show like Bridgerton, all of that goes double, if not triple. For one thing, in the Regency, looks were everything, and so was status - combine the two, and what you get are an array of beautifully intricate hair and makeup looks that could mean a thousand different things.
Feathers in the hair, longer lashes, a smoky eye versus a more plain look - this is the stuff that makes a show like Bridgerton stand apart from others like it. Not only does it tell a story of a time and place, it can also help to convey a character's emotions and persona. Even Elouise wearing her hair down most of the time is a statement in and of itself, in a world defined by fussy, pinned-back updos.
Unfotrunately, Bridgerton's original hair and makeup lead for season one, Marc Pilcher, died of COVID-19 in the interim period before season 2. This was a huge blow to the cast and crew, who all loved working with the artist, and the first episode of the second season is dedicated in his honor.
However, the show must go on - but the new hair and makeup lead, Erika Ökvist, didn't change any of the characters' looks simply because she could. As she told Glamour magazine, each change had a specific, distinct reason behind it that made sense with respect to their own emotional journey.
Here's all the biggest changes they made, and what Ökvist had to say about each of them:
Elouise Bridgerton
Elouise's hair was always going to be different this year, because coming out also means the obligation of dressing up to go to balls and other social events. Wearing your hair up was a sign of maturity in Regency society - or rather, it was the default, and wearing it down or braided or done simply in any sort of way sort of made you underdressed.
"Eloise's bangs [are longer this year], so maybe she just didn't want to go and have her bangs cut. Sometimes you just have an accident that works really well. But she still wanted to have a different edge than everybody else."
Elouise was technically still a child last season, so nobody really batted an eye when she wore her hair down - but even when she did, it was usually adorned with some kind of bow or at least curled sweetly.
This season, the fact that she still wears her hair down when out and about at all is really more of a statement than anything else - her maturity is signified by her hair's new, increased simplicity.
Penelope Featherington
Penelope's character has seen a big shift since last season - partially because we now know the secret that she's Lady Whistledown, which adds a whole other layer to the whole "wallflower" role she plays. She is, in general, more self-possessed and confident this year, as she's beginning to realize that Lady Whistledown isn't something the Ton is going to tire of anytime soon.
She may be realizing that she doesn't have to worry as much about getting approval for her "look" anymore.
"In season one, Penelope clearly wasn't happy with her mother's influence on her look...I think for her, her hair was too fussy."
This season, you may notice that Penelope's hair is much more relaxed and mature: Not any less effortful, perhaps, but definitely less elaborate, which reflects her character growth as she pulls away from her family.
Now, because Philippa got married, maybe Penelope gets a little bit forgotten by her mum. But also, when you get older, as Penelope is, she's finding her own voice and a strength from within...when you're a year older, you might just suddenly realize that something looks more attractive on you than something else.
Anthony Bridgerton
Anthony looks VERY different this year, a revelation owing mostly to the distinct change in haircut - last season he, and indeed, all the men of the Ton, were sporting much longer, more feathery locks. They've traded that in this season for a more short-cropped look, in perhaps one of the only stylistic changes that was made without a specific character motivation.
However, when it comes to Anthony, even this new haircut brings him closer to being the person he wishes he were:
"He's still a bit of a player, and he's got a mystery to him. But my interpretation was that in order to maintain a seriousness about finding a wife and being the head of the family, he looks like his dad. When we get to the scene with his dad this season, you're going to see that the look of his dad is very much like what Anthony had in season one."
Queen Charlotte
Now the Queen is where Ökvist could really have some fun, because it was literally her JOB to set fashion trends - so as a hair and makeup person, that's the character you can really get inventive with. In this case, it also meant she didn't have to worry as much about staying close to what Pilcher did last season, because, as she puts it:
Queen Charlotte is the theater, meaning when she comes into a room, that should be all that you see. That's her job-she's the ruler. She needs to feel terrifying, but interesting. So it was a matter of trying to find shapes and shades that weren't necessarily used last season, because I think for her to repeat a look would be like throwing your towel in.
This season, Queen Charlotte's wigs were all very different - some blue, some laced with ribbons, some more closely resembling Black hair texture than the European ones we're so used to seeing - but, of course, all fabulous.
Colin Bridgerton
This is kind of a bonus, because Colin Bridgerton wasn't mentioned anywhere in the interview we're refrencing, but we couldn't NOT comment on his little wispy babyman beard. Last season he was a total babyface, but this season he's...well, still a babyface, but one who has very clearly been doing some growing up.
If he has real facial hair next season, we're not sure we'll know what to do.
If you loved this article and you're down to discuss more of the nitty gritty details of Season 2 of Bridgerton, then you'll love the podcast I co-host with comedian and fellow journalist Carly Polistina - we break down the whole season and talk about what we burned for and what vexed us - come join us!
