If Zendaya’s press tour looks are telling of anything, it’s that the hotly-awaited Dune: Part Two is already destined for greatness. For unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should be at least somewhat familiar with the buzz surrounding the premiere of the second part to Denis Villeneuve’s screen adaptation in recent weeks. Coupled with the cosmic method-dressing approach that Z and Law Roach have since adopted for all of the former’s press appearances, the film and fashion-inclined have already chanced upon their latest obsession—and aren’t about to loosen their grip on it anytime soon. To add to the mix, a particularly curious outing of some Dune-inspired beauty looks that deserve a gold star all on their own for falling into the rhythm of the sartorial tune she’s been humming thus far.
Take for instance her most recent showing of gold-dusted lids mired against a wet hair look, one that went in tandem with her custom Louis Vuitton ensemble at the Paris premiere. Or perhaps, the more experimental hairstyle spins during couture week that she sported in the lead-up to the press tour. All of the above, we’ve seen discussed on our FYP pages, reinterpreted on the runway (as coincidental it may be), and taken its hold on the zeitgeist. The commonality was clear: the sand dunes of Arrakis, and all its futuristic overtures, have been elected as the mood board for the season. But it’s not the first time the otherworldly, apocalyptic mood of a sci-fi blockbuster has been chosen to forefront the beauty realm’s inherent need to express the wild, the gritty and the noir.
Consider the original cult film Blade Runner, where Pris’s coal-drenched eyes and blonde shag was one many were consumed by over the years—both on and off the runway. Or the other desert dystopia worthy of a throne: the fiery dishevelledness of the Mad Max saga. Not to be forgotten? Sci-fi stalwart Zoe Saldana, whose most memorable transformation just might be Gamora for Guardians of the Galaxy.
So as the genre maintains its prowess as a goldmine of eclectic references for the beauty-inclined, here’s a recollection of some of sci-fi’s most mesmerising characters, with aspirational notes on dystopian beauty that we’ll be borrowing from ahead of Dune: Part Two.
1 / 7
Lady Jessica in 'Dune'
Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica. That’s it, that’s the lede. For the first part of the screen adaptation, Lady Jessica took our breath away with her descent onto Arrakis. Punctuated by the cascading facial embellishment—a notable metaphor that toed the line between the control of Caladan and her sheer power as a Bene Gesserit—that was mired against her clean, minimal look of lightly flushed skin and muted, slightly parched lips. The latter, a reminder of the desert if you will.
2 / 7
Pris in 'Blade Runner'
As far as the genre goes, the 1982 cult classic is iconic in its own right. Blade Runner was chock-filled with aesthetic moments that swarmed its extraterrestrial, neon-drenched dystopia, and Daryl Hannah’s delivery as Pris was one that has been continuously referenced to over the years. Think coal-smeared eyes, a mussed-up shag and carelessly lined lips that would soon come to sit on any cyberpunk mood board in the next half-century.
3 / 7
Rachael in 'Blade Runner 2049'
Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 saw an experimental recloning of Nexus-7 Replicant and Deckard’s love interest: Rachael. Contrary to popular belief, the trick to achieving a futuristic hairdo worthy of the dystopian world involved a retro approach—in bumper bangs and victory rolls reminiscent of the 1940s.
4 / 7
Kyoko in 'Ex Machina'
The android ideal could only have been achieved by flawless, matte skin in Ex Machina. Whilst Alicia Vikander may have starred as Ava, it was Sonoya Mizuno that stole the show as Kyoko—later emerging from her humanoid shell of perfectly-pinked cheeks and a slick wet updo, the latter made more ‘human’ via strategically-placed strands that fell down her visage.
5 / 7
Æon Flux in 'Æon Flux'
Sleek and chic was the brief in Æon Flux. For the sci-fi flick, Charlize Theron wore a contemporary bob style—asymmetrical and sharp in its cut. With the rest of her make-up kept to the minimal, her softly-rimmed eyes and jet-black hair swung into cyberpunk perfection when matched to her leather ensemble.
6 / 7
Gamora in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'
There’s no denying Gamora’s hold on this list—considering her identity as a green space creature, one that was achieved through a combination of prosthetics, coloured primers and layers of airbrush. To complete her unearthly transformation, magenta streaks filled her mane, a dark, mystical blend of hues sat on her lids, metallic embellishments adorned her mien and of course, a beguiling serpent shade on her pout.
7 / 7
Furiosa in 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'
The film isn’t even out yet, but the trailer alone is already telling enough of what we can anticipate for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga when it drops in May this year. Her forehead and under-eyes drenched in kohl and set against copper tresses: a fearsome capture of the explosive mayhem that the desert tale will demand.
