The 3 drugstore products responsible for the Saltburn cast's "hot, sweaty and flushed" faces

It seems all anyone can talk about lately is Saltburn.

The film, a terrifyingly twisted descent into the depths of human desire, is undeniably provocative and sexy, coupled with director Emerald Fennell's sensual lens the polarising subject matter becomes disturbingly seductive (read: Jacob Elordi's bathwater). 

Consequently, BAFTA-nominated hair and makeup designer, Siân Miller (who headed up the hair and makeup department on the film) was tasked with creating an aesthetic that would prove equally as tempting for audiences.

"The makeup and hair team had to ensure the cast looked real, to contrive the uncontrived," Miller told New Beauty.

"This always takes some doing—if not more so than what’s blatantly obvious," she continued. "Reality was essential in order to anchor these characters within the grandiose world of Saltburn."

To create Saltburn matriarch Elspeth Catton's (Rosamund Pike) aesthetic, Miller played on the character's backstory: "Elspeth spent her youth modelling, and as such a canvas for other people’s creations—but now she’s filthy rich, incredibly beautiful and seemingly has everything she needs, with no desire to mask her natural allure."

But the film's director had a special request for the younger members of the cast's makeup: "Emerald wanted to see the young cast looking hot, sweaty and flushed for super big close ups in the 1:33 aspect ratio," explained Miller.

“This was a time before obsessive contouring and overdone Instagram-style makeup, when grubby-looking bronzer ruled with a grungy eyeliner and a frosted lip,” she said in reference to Venetia's makeup. 

"Felix has disheveled and sexily tousled hair, Farleigh embraces his natural texture, and Oliver transforms from a self-styled 2006 ‘Zach Efron-esque’ look, to a Felix-wannabe, to a modern day ‘Cary Grant’," she continued.

Underneath it all, was the skin care, an element that Miller thought was paramount for achieving the sweltering on-screen heat that Fennell had requested. 

Leading men Barry Koeghan and Jacob Elordi were devout ice bath facial converts and would dunk their faces into freezing water before heading into the sets makeup trailer. "It’s great for reducing inflammation, boosting circulation, reducing redness and plumping skin. Plus, it wakes you up," Miller explained. 

After the cast's morning cold plunge, the makeup artist would use a collection of common and inexpensive skin care products alongside her professional makeup kit to imitate a "hot, sweaty and flushed" complexion. 

"I love MaqPro Fard Creme Palettes to create natural flushed-looking cheeks. It’s made from natural waxes, it can be thinned with their mixer and applied like a watercolour, super translucent wash," she explained. Miller also used MaqPro's Liquid Perspiration as fake sweat when she had it on hand, but according to the BAFTA nominee water atomisers work just as well. 

The makeup artist said they used a combination of Evian facial spray ($9.99 at Chemist Warehouse), La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water ($11 at Chemist Warehouse) and Dr. Paw Paw Original Balm ($7.95 at The Pharmacy Network) on set to achieve the same effect. 

Well, we know what we're going to be adding to our makeup bags to create the perfect summer makeup look... 

 Main image credit: @saltburnfilm