Embedded in the DNA of early 2000s beauty is the finely plucked eyebrows, lightly blushed lips and icy makeup that screamed, “I’m dead inside,” seen on the women at Runway — the fictional fashion magazine portrayed in David Frankel’s 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada,” starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt.
Since its release, the movie has been praised as the blueprint for the hair and makeup trends of this time, minus a few satirical embellishments. Streep’s character, Miranda Priestly, the formidable editor in chief, as well as Blunt’s character, Emily Charlton, Miranda’s first assistant, are cast as the à la mode glamour models of the fashion mecca with shadow up to their eyebrow bone and black eyeliner painted in their waterline. Anne Hathaway‘s character Andy Sachs, the aspiring news journalist who lands a job as Miranda’s second assistant, is conversely the archetypal minimalist — a no-makeup, only Chapstick type of girl — before she inevitably conforms to the ubiquitous aesthetic of the Runway.
Eleven years later, Hathaway, Streep and Blunt are coming together once again, this time to epitomize modern-day beauty trends as they reprise their storied roles in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” scheduled to release on May 1. Nicki Ledermann, Jane DiPersio and Emily Marroquin will be handling the makeup, while Sean Flanigan leads the hair department.
Ahead, WWD takes a look back at all the best beauty moments from the original movie created by artists Angel De Angelis, Robert Chiu, Ledermann, J. Roy Helland, Maya Hardinge and Evelyne Noraz.
Naked Beauty
As the newly minted second assistant to Miranda at Runway, Hathaway’s Andy doesn’t pay too much attention to her appearance. In fact, she stays true to her typical makeup, which is none.
Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs at the beginning of “The Devil Wears Prada.”
Here, Andy struggles with the concept of high fashion while grappling with the reality of working at a prestigious magazine. Her appearance is raw and untouched, comprised of long, dark brown tresses, arched brows, and the faintest touch of pink-tinged lip balm; her nails are cut short and kept bare.
Daunting glam
There’s no question that Miranda is the quintessential intimidating boss. She expects her staff to have a flawless understanding of her taste and absolute respect for the artistry of fashion.
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, the editor in chief of Runway in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
When Andy appears to be void of both, snickering at the sight of two belts that look identical, Miranda’s expression goes wide; her gray-toned, high-brow eye shadow and lash extensions growing with it. Her lips are pursed and painted in a cerise-pink matte shade, and her silver hair is perfectly coiffed to the left side of her face. This is Miranda’s truest form, a face full of makeup and still inundated with disgust.
Devilish Eyeliner
The look of sneaky satisfaction requires a ton of black eyeliner, and one that Blunt’s character, Emily Charlton, favors well. Watching Andy struggle to manage Miranda’s list of impossible tasks, Emily’s eyes are lined in a thick ring of black sweeping across her eyelids and in her waterline. Her burnt orange, shoulder-length hair is brushed back into a half-up, half-down hairdo, accentuating her gothic eye.
Emily Blunt as her character, Emily Charlton, at the beginning of “The Devil Wears Prada.”
If it weren’t for her bubblegum lip gloss and sly smirk, Emily would’ve appeared to be giving Andy the ultimate death stare.
The Y2K Schoolgirl
A major turning point in the film occurs after Andy seeks the help of Tucci’s character, Nigel, the art director at Runway. Andy cries to Nigel after Miranda expresses her disapproval of her. In an attempt to correct Miranda’s impression, Nigel transforms Andy into the ultimate “It” girl. Her once disheveled, grown-out bangs are trimmed in line with her eyebrows; her ends are chopped just below her shoulders.
Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs after she gets a makeover in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Andy’s visage is still minimal and even-toned; however, she now adds some mascara, a little bit of eyeliner and lip gloss, an overall effortless aesthetic to pair with her new Chanel, of course.
The ’90s Runway Model
Supermodel Gisele Bündchen makes a few cameos in “The Devil Wears Prada” as a Runway employee who constantly gossips with Emily at her desk. For her appearances, Bündchen’s makeup is pared down in comparison to Emily’s trademark cat-eye eyeliner. In this scene specifically (pictured below), her character is in shock at the sight of Andy walking through the office doors, boasting a new makeover.
Gisele Bündchen and Emily Blunt as their characters in “The Devil Wears Prada” movie.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Bündchen’s hair is combed away from her face and tied in a bun to highlight her shocked visage. Her lashes are prominent under her rectangular readers; the tips reaching to the tops of her frames. Meanwhile, her parted lips are dressed in a brown-toned matte shade. Next to her, Emily is donning a lighter shade of lipstick, top eyeliner and bottom mascara.
Serious Shadow
A rare moment of unison between Andy, Miranda and Emily ensues during a charity benefit at the American Museum of Natural History. Andy is asked to attend alongside Emily, who’s overtly under the weather — with a runny nose, glossy eyes, and all. The prowess of Andy during this scene is undeniable, as she stuns not only Emily and Miranda with how much she has come to learn about the inner workings of the fashion world, but also herself. And it shows in her gala glam.
Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt during the charity benefit in “The Devil Wears Prada” movie.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Andy styles her hair in a twisted bun on the crown of her head; her bangs are blown out and brushed over her forehead. She wears more eye shadow than she ever has before, along with a bold red lip, signaling her newfound understanding of beauty’s relationship to style. Next to her, Miranda embellishes her everyday countenance with heavy blue shadow all over her eyes and buffed to her eyebrows. Emily, on the other hand, pairs her flem and natural flush with a charcoal hue on her eyes and bare lips.
Disheveled Bombshell
Andy’s success as Miranda’s assistant is bolstered by her unrequited loyalty and desire to impress. This, however, causes her to lose many other people in her life, only to end up in the arms of a traitor named Christian Thompson, played by Simon Baker.
Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in “The Devil Wears Prada,” when she realizes Christian Thompson, played by Simon Baker, is working against Miranda.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
The morning she realizes Christian’s working against Miranda (pictured here), catapults Andy right out of her Paris Fashion Week fantasy romance and into panic mode. Her hair is tangled, her makeup is smudged under her eyes and her lipstick is completely faded.
Poised With a Perfect Red Lip
Knowing people are plotting against Miranda still doesn’t stop Andy from doing what’s expected of her. In this case, it’s getting herself together and putting on a face of makeup for one last time. Before she makes the pointed decision to throw her phone in a fountain and quit Runway, Andy paints her face to please Miranda. She pulls her hair back into a half-up, half-down BumpIt and brushes her bangs to the sides.
Anne Hathaway’s character during one of the final scenes in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Once again, her lips are colored in a dark red shade, and her eyelashes are accentuated with black eyeliner. Andy’s eyebrows are slightly arched and thinly plucked, and she’s only wearing a touch of blush under her cheekbones.
