Summerween is officially upon us and I’m honoring the unofficial holiday by watching A24’s newest horror flick, MaXXXine, starring Mia Goth. Part of the X universe, the movie follows the adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx in 1980s Hollywood while a mysterious killer stalks the city’s startlets. However, as we’ve come to learn from the universe’s previous installments, Maxine may have a few dark (and possibly dangerous) secrets on her own.
To hold us horror and beauty lovers over until spooky season begins, Half Magic launched a collaboration with MaXXXine’s head makeup artist Sarah Rubano which includes three bestselling products that can be used to recreate Maxine’s throwback makeup looks. I spoke with Rubano (who was also the makeup talent behind 2022’s X and Pearl films) about her sources of inspiration, the products she uses to create Maxine’s slasher-flick-worthy makeup, and the ’80s comeback we’ve all been waiting for.
Creating a Killer Makeup Look
What about the X series originally captured your interest; leading to your role as head makeup artist?
Director Ti West and producer Jacob Jaffke came to New Zealand to make X and my interview with them was so inspiring—their passion and vision for X was infectious and we connected on a creative level. It felt like a wonderful opportunity and colorful journey and it was!
X, Pearl, and MaXXXine take place over different time periods. How did you develop Mia Goth’s signature look this time around?
Lots and lots of makeup and hair testing! It was a wonderful collaboration with both Ti and Mia and the other creative department heads—especially the costume and production designs as it was important that our work synced up. It was a creative dance and we were all on the same page.
How will the looks we’ll see in MaXXXine differ from what was featured in X and Pearl?
MaXXXine’s makeup aesthetic is full of 80’s goodness! I pulled inspiration from that decade which was a whole lotta fun as I was a teenager in the 80’s so some of my references were personal. It was fun to carry Maxine’s look into a new decade based on what she had been through and where she was headed. Visual storytelling is my absolute favorite.
What sources of inspiration did you look to for your favorite makeup looks?
I was inspired by the internet, yearbooks, magazines, books, films, tv shows—everything!
A24 films are known for their incredible aesthetics and imagery. Did Maxine’s makeup have a particular color palette and/or aesthetic?
Yes, I worked very closely with Ti to make sure that the color palette worked within the overall tone of the film—sets, lighting, costumes, etc. Ti is a great visual storyteller and leader and it’s a great collaboration between all departments.
Would you be able to share any products you used on set to create her character?
So many different products were used, but some key products are [the] iS Clinical skincare, Skin Illustrator inks (freckles), Koh Gen Do foundations, About Face lip pencils, Dior lipsticks, Half Magic Dew Lock and of course blue eyeshadow! You can recreate these looks with Half Magic’s limited release MaXXXine Set.
How does makeup for a slasher film differ from others you’ve worked on? Were prosthetics used?
Bigger and bolder presentations and the opportunity to have a little more fun! We are always incorporating the use of prosthetics and gore fx in these types of films.
The trilogy’s iconic ’70s and ’80s makeup looks have captured the attention of social media users. How can the MaXXXine Set be used to create a similar look?
I worked very closely with Donni Davy and the A24 beauty team to formulate the exact shades and textures that I designed for these movies. Fans of this trilogy…and lovers of makeup have the most amazing opportunity to buy this limited-release collection and recreate OR create iconic looks of their own!
