Name Jessie Buckley is everywhere right now, thanks to his new appointment as 2026 oscars Chloé Zhao, Best Actress for her role as Agnes Shakespeare Hamnett. But just weeks before heading to the British countryside to play the wife of England’s most famous playwright, Buckley was shooting another film about a famous bride – this time set in 1930s Chicago with a very different backdrop. Buckley switched up her signature bixie haircut and minimalist glam bleached eyebrowsThe bruised eyes and ink-stained mouth became the focus of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s reimagined Frankenstein film, Bride.
Although Buckley’s scene-stealing performance as the self-described “wild” lead character — who rotates between the names Penelope, Ida, and, finally, The Bride — is entirely unforgettable, the aspect of the film that stuck in the minds of us beauty editors was the star’s striking look: ripe with bruised discoloration and dark spots protruding from the corner of her mouth. Criminal? Not just the dirty hands of its mad scientist creator, but the film’s decorated head makeup artist, nadia stacey.
You may recognize Stacey’s work Emma Stone from her shape-shifting roles bad things And CruellaBut this romantic thriller directed hair and makeup heads down Campier Road.
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“From a makeup perspective, I knew there were so many incredible opportunities to create the character,” Stacey told Who What Were about her initial attraction to the script. “I love reimagining classic stories – the opportunity to redesign something and put our focus on it.”
The original material Stacey skewered was, pardon the pun, a Frankenstein affair. It clearly mentioned the horrors of 1935 bride of frankenstein-where Elsa Lanchester portrayed the monster’s resurrected companion, wearing a white-striped, “electrocuted” wig and black lips. Then, there were more subtle nods to Man Ray and Pat McGrath’s runway looks for Galliano, the latter of which Stussy called “a big inspiration”. In the end, it was a patchwork of references piecing together the photo we have now of The Bride — but the defining icon of the look was Nadia herself, Gyllenhaal and Buckley’s girlfriend.
You see, The Bride’s deep black stain was never written into the script, but was a collective result of the trio’s brainstorming — and an element that would soon become the film’s trademark design, splashed across movie posters and premiere carpets alike. “(It was written) that black ink would be injected into his veins as part of the resuscitation process,” explains Stacey. “Maggie, Jessie and I talked about what exactly the process would entail, and we thought about her sitting and coughing — with ink splattering all over her face.” Later we saw this leak everywhere, flowing from his ears, flowing from his collarbone, and flowing from the major arteries inside his arm.
on any set, No-buzz beauty products are a must for long shoot days and early morning hair and makeup, which is why the artist turned to Pat McGrath Labs for Buckley’s sleek look. “I needed strength to hold on, so I relied on Pat McGrath’s Sublime Perfection Primer,” she says. Although the Bride’s makeup changes throughout the film (especially before and after her death), certain elements of the character’s look remain – and if you examine closely, you can see the Pat McGrath magic.
The bride wears a “tired girl” look before having her “accident,” a mix of plum and pink eyeshadow that nods to the time period with a touch of runway inspiration. “I wanted something that was period related but also showed a good-time 1930s girl,” she explains. “The colors will still be on her eyes when she dies and gets energized, so it needed to work into the next look.” After the resurrection, her pink eye makeup changed to pink-violet bruises, making it all possible Pat McGrath Mothership IX: Hytopian Dream Palette. There were some other important things in his kit Mothership XI: Sunlight Seduction palette and perma gel eye pencil In extreme black.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
It was Pat McGrath’s silent stamp on Stacey’s makeup kit that resulted in a celebratory collaboration – a Collection of Best-Sellers The Bride!-themed kits are also sold, as well as a limited-edition version of Lip Sculpt + Shade Contour Duo Packaged in special movie packaging. “Collaborating with Pat is always exciting – she is a visionary and a huge inspiration in my work,” says Stacey. She adds, “Creating bridal makeup into something that can also be incorporated into everyday looks is really exciting.” “Makeup is versatile, and there are no rules, so you can go as extreme or as subdued as you want with the look.” And that’s the drama our editors did, thanks to Pat McGrath Labs’ latest buzzy film collaboration.
WWW associate beauty editor Alyssa Brascia recreates Nadia Stacey’s makeup from The Bride!
Shop the Bridal Look
Pat McGrath Labs
Skin Fetish: Excellent Perfection Hydrating Primer
Pat McGrath Labs
Intensify Longwear Eyeshadow Primer
Pat McGrath Labs
Bride x Pat McGrath Labs Lip Sculpt + Shade Contour Duo
Pat McGrath Labs
Bride cinematic essentials
Pat McGrath Labs
Mothership Ix Eyeshadow Palette: Huetopian Dream
Pat McGrath Labs
Bride Noir Obsession Eye + Lip Kit: Limited Edition
Pat McGrath Labs
Mothership XI Eyeshadow Palette: Sunlight Seduction
Pat McGrath Labs
Mothership II: Sublime Palette
Pat McGrath Labs
Mothership V: Bronze Seduction Eyeshadow Palette
Pat McGrath Labs
Permagel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil
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