Netflix’s new film The School for Good and Evil is a story about two best friends, Sophie and Agatha, who find themselves on opposing sides of a modern fairytale after they’re swept away into an enchanted school where students are trained to protect the balance of good and evil. Not only does the book-to-film adaptation (watch it on Netflix starting October 19) take you through a riveting coming-of-age story, it also becomes an epic showcase for the intricate, whimsical, and sometimes spooky makeup that brought these characters to life.
“After talking with Paul [Feig, the director] about the characters, I started to break down the looks,” says Lisa Tomblin-Fitzpatrick, the film’s hair and makeup designer. “They start with very natural makeup, then medieval looks and many fashion looks.” Tomblin-Fitzpatrick scoured magazines, books, showers, and the Internet to find sources of inspiration behind the designs.
“I am the hair and makeup designer, which helped as I had a total look in my head for all the characters that complemented each other,” adds Tomblin-Fitzpatrick. “I also worked extensively with Renne Kalfus, the costume designer, so the looks all worked as a total unit.” So how did Tomblin-Fitzpatrick bring Sophie and Agatha’s characters from the book to the screen? Keep scrolling to find out.
Good or evil: Which side are you on? Make your choice by shopping one (or both!) of our two limited-edition bundles for The School for Good and The School for Evil launching on Shop IPSY October 7.
Meet the Expert
Lisa Tomblin-Fitzpatrick is the hair and makeup designer for Netflix’s The School For Good And Evil. She has worked in the film industry for more than 25 years.
The School for Good: Agatha
At the beginning of the movie, we meet Agatha (played by Sofia Wylie), a young girl in a small town who pretty much keeps to herself—and her initial beauty look reflects that. “In the beginning in [their hometown] Gavaldon, she has a slightly grubby, natural look with some enhanced freckles,” says Lisa Tomblin-Fitzpatrick. To create those faux freckles on Agatha, Tomblin-Fitzpatrick used a soft brown eyeliner pencil across her cheeks and nose.
Once Agatha arrives at the school and finds herself among the “good” classmates, her look evolves. “As she gets to the school, she keeps a cleaner, natural look,” says Tomblin-Fitzpatrick. To naturally enhance actress Sofia Wylie’s eye shape, Tomblin-Fitzpatrick worked with soft brown eyeshadows in a matte finish. For Agatha’s makeup at the ball, a major turning point in the story, her look was amped up bit more using warmer colors on her lids, highlighter on her high points, and a fluffier eyelash (Tomblin-Fitzpatrick used a strip lash, which she cut in half to accentuate the outer lashes). The makeup was finished with an opalescent pink glitter over the lids and a chestnut brown cream on the lips and cheeks.
“We were using the girls' natural skin tones to start, and then moved into the characters [as the storyline progressed,” says Tomblin-Fitzpatrick. “Agatha wore warner tones for good, and Sophie was icy and cold for evil.” More on that below.
The School for Evil: Sophie
Unlike her best friend Agatha, Sophie starts the movie with an heir of confidence, which she showcases through her makeup, hair, and wardrobe in Galvadon. She’s looking to get out of their small town and see what else is out there for her, which is how they end up at The School for Good and Evil in the first place. To her surprise, Sophie finds herself not in The School for Good, which she is expecting, but in The School for Evil. “Sophie had a slightly more makeup-y look in Gavaldon,” says Tomblin-Fitzpatrick. “But when she gets to the school, she becomes grubby and has a no-makeup look with straggly hair.”
As her new teacher Lady Lesso (played by Charlize Theron) pushes Sophie to get used to her new environment, Sophie eventually embraces her new evil title with a look to match. Her once flowing, wavy hair is cropped short and severe, her makeup gets darker and more icy, and her new wardrobe is befitting of her evil moniker. “When her hair is chopped off, her makeup becomes more enhanced,” says Tomblin-Fitzpatrick. But you’ll just have to check out the movie starting October 19 to see it all for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
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