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In season two of "The White Lotus," a lot changes: we get a (mostly) new cast and a completely new location. Set on the beautiful island of Sicily, just off the southern coast of Italy, the new locale heavily influenced hair and makeup choices.
After holidaying in Hawaii during season one, Tanya (played by Jennifer Coolidge) and Greg Hunt (Jon Gries) are back for another memorable week in paradise. Then, we're introduced to new characters at the Mediterranean resort, including Harper Spiller (Aubrey Plaza), who's visiting with her husband Ethan Spiller (Will Sharpe) and his friend Cameron Sullivan (Theo James) and his wife, Daphne Sullivan (Meghann Fahy). We also meet Portia (Haley Lu Richardson), Tanya's young assistant, White Lotus manager Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore), and locals Mia (Beatrice Granno) and Lucia (Simona Tabasco) — in addition to a range of other people.
Still, we're very clearly at a White Lotus resort. "Instead of season one's more tropical beach overtone, the look of season two was created around a Mediterranean small-town vibe," hair department head Miia Kovero tells POPSUGAR. "Yet again, parties of wealthy American tourists come to enjoy some time off at another luxurious White Lotus resort." There are bouncy blows, shimmery eye makeup, tanned skin, and glossy lips as far as the eye can see.
"Instead of season one's more tropical beach overtone, the look of season two was created around a Mediterranean small-town vibe.
The location was definitely an inspiration. "We absolutely wanted to visually represent the new setting in the hair design by drawing from the local energy," says Kovero. "A fan of such films as 'Stromboli,' 'L'Avventura,' and 'A Bigger Splash,' I wanted to capture the distinct essence of what it is like to visit Sicily."
Makeup department head Rebecca Hickey says she believes Italians "put a lot of effort, or at least it looks that way, into how they appear," which is the vibe she wanted this season to convey. "You'll see that with the staff," she says, such as Vanessa, the White Lotus manager. For the locals, they were inspired by "strong and sensual women" like actors Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Donatella Finocchiaro.
Both Hickey and Kovero were fortunate enough to have Italian beauty professionals on their respective teams, allowing them to tap into the local trends even more. And that's just the tip of the iceberg — keep reading to learn more about what you can expect from this new adventure.