Decoding The Meaning Behind The Beauty Looks Our Favorite Rom-Com Characters Don

Romantic comedies will never go out of style. And they shouldn’t. They are a delightful escape into worlds filled with love, laughter, hope and of course – the stunning beauty looks. We’ve seen tons of makeup tutorials on how to get the look of a certain character from a certain movie. But have we ever wondered why the characters don the looks that they do? Sure, most of them are captivating and look good on the actors but it’s way more than just that. Let’s delve in to the meaning behind the beauty looks of some of our beloved rom-com characters.

Lara Jean Covey from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before 

From the first scene where Lara walks though the fields to look for her hero from the romance books she reads, we are shown who she is. A hopeful romantic. Her flawless base, warm-toned eyeshadows and fluttery lashes exude an aura of innocence.

LJ gravitates towards neutral shades but by the third installment in the series, she has gotten into experimenting with pops of vivid colours. This is a visual representation of the growth in her character that she has gained through her journey of romantic escapades and understanding her self as well as her needs in the process.

Veronica D’Costa from Cocktail 

Veronica’s fierce mane from Cocktail just never quit. Her wild, experimental, bold and confident spirit was projected in her hair and makeup. Her eyes always held a soft smoky, slightly smudgy shadow to it, too busy having fun to wipe off previous night’s eyeliner.

Next to coy Meera, Veronica’s style stood out even more. She was uninhibited yet warm. This comes off from her brilliantly tan-like bronzed and highlighted cheeks. Veronica is also seen wearing glitter on her eye lids because being the forever “party-girl” if there’s any one who can rock a glam look while making it look effortless, it’s her.

Louisa Clark from Me Before You 

As much as the ending made me bawl my eyes out, I would still watch it over and over again for aspiring fashion designer, Lou’s hairstyles alone. Emilia Clarke’s character is the definition of sunshine from a grumpy-sunshine trope.

Staying true to her child-like, cheerful nature, her cheeks always hold a rosy blush to them, and she usually has a pink-glossy lip to match. To hold relevance to the story, her looks do get shabby when she is distressed. For example when William gets sick, the character wouldn’t have the time and effort or the mental capacity to put into her makeup and hair. This just goes to show how in tune the makeup and hair artists are to the plot.

Jenna Rink from 13 Going On 30 

13 year old Jenna’s style after she has been granted her wish to turn in a “30, flirty and thriving” woman is enticing and lively with an underlying layer of innocence. Given her job as a fashion magazine editor, she’s up to date with all things fashion and beauty.

Some of the 80’s neon and sparkle came through Jenna’s makeup, but mostly the character was working with the closet she already had. It was a more playful take on a sophisticated woman. With soft yet striking eye shadows and pretty, girly and glossy lips, she pulled up looks right out of a 13 year old girls dreams.

Kat Valdez from Marry Me

As a superstar under the public eye who is already in the midst of a controversy, Kat’s makeup has got to be flawless, full-glam. With an impeccably contoured face and sharp lashes, the character is trying to hold on to the picture perfect image she has maintained.

After spending some time with sweet, charming, non-industry people like Charlie and his daughter Lou, Kat learns to let go a little and realise that she can’t completely control her image as hard as she tries. This growth comes off in her relatively laid-back approach to hair and makeup.