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HBO's hit series and the reason I don't reply to texts on Sunday nights Westworld is largely filmed in warm, dusty outdoor locations. While most of the cast can get away with looking sweaty, dirty, and sunburnt in the action-packed, desert-set scenes, host Dolores, played by Evan Rachel Wood, remains nearly perfect, her fair skin constantly glowing yet matte. Now, if Wood were really a robot in real life, this wouldn't be all that unusual. But when you remember that she's a human being whose complexion looks perpetually doll-like in the most skin-unfriendly environments, you have to wonder how the show's makeup artists pull it off.
"The character of Dolores was created to look very porcelain-like. As the oldest host in the park (and as a host in general), her appearance is meant to remain consistent, so we don’t see her change her overall look," Westworld makeup artist Rachel Hoke told Refinery29. That meant experimenting with nearly everything that was put on Wood's skin. "We shoot in heat, dirt, wind, and sun, so keeping Dolores fresh-faced during filming is challenging. When we first started filming, it felt like a science experiment learning how to keep Evan’s skin protected, her body makeup and face looking flawless, and her tattoos covered."
It wasn't long before Hoke realized that even the sunscreen used to keep Wood's skin shielded in outdoor scenes was betraying Wood's humanness. "I tried using a liquid sunscreen the first day we shot with Evan, but it oxidized with the makeup. When she came in the trailer after filming, there was a yellow highlighter-like hue everywhere that I had been unable to see outside in the sunlight," Hoke explained. "As the lighting in the makeup trailer revealed, I had to switch sunscreens, so from then on, we started each day by applying iS Clinical Eclipse SPF 50+ to her face and body."
Unsurprisingly, iS Clinical's website says Eclipse SPF 50+ is formulated, "specifically for daily use and extended outdoor activities," making it a perfect choice for long shoots in locations like California and Utah. Although it is a physical sunscreen, meaning its titanium dioxide and micronized zinc oxide sit atop the skin to protect it, it promises to be super-sheer and fast-absorbing with a weightless finish.
So if you've been looking for a sunscreen that will help you achieve that innocent-looking-yet-mutinous robot look — or if you just want one that won't oxidize under your makeup — you can snag a bottle of the one Evan Rachel Wood wears on the Westworld set for $44 at dermstore.com.
More sunscreen news:
- 22 Amazing Sunscreens That Allure Editors Can't Live Without
- This Popular Skin-Care Ingredient May Be the Next Natural Sunscreen
- Consumer Reports Reveals the Best Sunscreens for Summer 2018
Watch how this YouTuber keeps her skin glowing:
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