Hulu's "How I Met Your Father," [1] the spin-off show of the hit 2000s sitcom "How I Met Your Mother [2]" tells the story of Sophie (played by Hilary Duff [3]) and her quest for love in New York City as a hopeless romantic. Like the original show, it's narrated by her future self (Kim Cattrall [4]), who's explaining to her son how she met his father.
Overall, you'll find the hair and makeup in the show to be tame by comparison to other TV shows out there right now (we're looking at you "Euphoria" [5]). That was intentional. The characters are meant to look realistic — like a "good looking version of what we all see every day," Katy McClintock, the show's hair department head, tells POPSUGAR. Many of the hairstyles and makeup looks were things that your average person could do at home: beachy waves, elevated space buns [6], glittery eyeshadows — and use products that are currently trending.
Ahead, learn more about those products that were used on set to create the show's hair and makeup looks and how Duff inspired her character's look.
The Inspiration For Sophie's Character Was Hilary Duff
It wasn't hard for the cast to see themselves in the characters they were playing. "Everyone came in with an idea of who their character was and what kind of makeup they would wear," makeup department head Katie Middleton [7] says. That was especially true for Duff. "She knows a lot about products and has so many good opinions and ideas."
The vision for Sophie was clear: she was to look naturally beautiful, relaxed, and soft — not too put-together, but also not a hot mess. "I didn't want to go too young with styling," says McClintock. In addition to her signature blond hair, a centre part felt fitting for her character because it "works really well on her and feels current." This meant Cattrall also needed a middle part during the flash-forward scenes. "That was something that Kim and I talked about, like that could be the thing that was like carried through."
Her makeup followed that vibe as well. The quick filming schedule that comes with the territory of sitcoms allowed Middleton to play with her look daily. "We really got to have fun changing the looks and doing something totally different from one episode to the next," she says. "We normally don't have the freedom to do that."
The Inspiration Behind Valentina's Character
In the show, Valentina (played by Francia Raisa) is an assistant stylist and Sophie's best friend. "She really came with ideas of the vibe that she wanted to have," McClintock says. As you'd expect from a beauty professional, Valentina was to look more put-together (at least on the outside). Because of that, you'll see her wearing a lot of sleek updos, face-framing curtain bangs, and bold lips.
The Surprising Way Hilary Duff's Tattoos Were Included in the Show
Duff has an impressive collection of over 20 tattoos [8] — mostly scattered across her arms. While Sophie would certainly be pro-ink, they didn't want her to have quite as many designs as the actor does in real life, so they covered most of them.
"We would get a laugh when Duff would show up to work with a new one," says Middleton. "I covered all of her tattoos except for one small one on each arm." Because tattoos are forever, that meant Cattrall also needed to get matching ink. "We painted the little heart on Kim's wrist, so that it would match Hillary's real tattoo."
The Hair and Makeup Products Used on Hilary Duff
A huge perk of working on a show that's set in the present day is having access to all of the amazing products that are currently on the market. "I could pull any current products that had just come out and they would be relevant," says Middleton. And that's exactly what the team did. She used the Chantecaille Mermaid Eye Colour [9] ($35) frequently on Duff in a variety of shades, which was especially fun seeing as many sets don't allow you to use sparkly products like that. The Glossier Boy Brow [10] ($16) was another favourite for Sophie's effortless, natural-looking makeup.
"Hilary loves makeup, and would actually have fun blending her custom lip colours herself with my palettes," she says.
As for hair, there were three products in particular that McClintock reached for again and again. The first was the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray [11] ($49). "Also the R+Co Waterfall Moisture Shine Lotion [12] ($29), which she turned me onto," she says, and the Virtue Create 6-In-1 Styler [13] ($34).
The Story Behind Sophie's Nostalgic Space Buns
During one episode, Sophie can be seen wearing a purple marble top and a low space bun hairstyle. It didn't take long for people to pick up on the similarities between that style and Duff's signature space bun hairstyle from her "Lizzie McGuire" days. But the truth is, McClintock was inspired by the'90s top, not the throwback reference. "It wasn't a nod to Lizzie McGuire, but I could see how that could happen," she says.