Outlander is a series with an amazing love story, fantasy elements, and an incredible backdrop of the Scottish Highlands in the 18th-century. Everything from the writing to the acting to the lavish costumes and the historic locations makes this story feel as authentic as possible. Additionally, the actors' team of makeup artists have tricks up their sleeves at all times to further aid the authenticity of the actors and their characters.
While they bring out their beauty to an almost ethereal level, they also use their vast array of skills in the very detailed scars and injuries shown in the series. There is much to learn about the makeup magic that goes on behind-the-scenes of this hit series, so let's dive right in with the 10 behind-the-scenes secrets you never knew about the makeup on Outlander.
The “No-Makeup” Makeup Look
You may have noticed when watching the enchanting romance between Jamie and Claire in the daunting political landscape they found themselves in back in 1743 Scotland that many of the women looked naturally incredibly beautiful. While a big part of that had to do with the features of the actresses on the show - Caitriona Balfe was a model before the show, after all - it also has a lot to do with the makeup department and their uncanny ability to nail the "no-makeup" makeup look.
They utilize this technique to make it seem as though the actresses and actors aren't wearing a stitch of makeup, yet give an appearance of ethereal natural beauty. This was achieved by bringing out their already gorgeous features without going overboard.
They Held Back On Aging Them Too Much
When we first met Jamie and Claire, they were both in their 20s. But by Season 3, there was a 20-year time-jump between the last time they saw each other and their epic reunion. This, in reality, would have meant that both Jamie and Claire would have shown some serious and obvious signs of aging. But the head of hair and makeup on Outlander, Annie McEwan, made the decision with her team to tone down how much they aged actors Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe.
She says it had nothing to do with vanity and the actors being against it, but rather too much wrinkling and aging would lead to prosthetics that would look unrealistic and odd on-screen.
Jamie’s Back Scars Take Nearly 3 Hours To Apply
Sam Heughan's makeup artist on Outlander, Wendy Kemp Forbes, has the lovely privilege of doing the entirety of his hair, makeup, and yes, back scars for every episode.
As fun as that may sound for the legions of Jamie Fraser fans out there, there is quite a lot of time-consuming and detailed work that goes into it. To create the look of Jamie's back scars from the whipping he received from Blackjack Randall way back in Season 1, Heughan has to be in the makeup chair for nearly 3 hours. This is why he tends to nap during the process to catch up on his sleep. We don't blame him.
They Gave Claire A Retro Glam ‘60s Look In Season 3
In Season 3 of Outlander, the first few episodes were detailing what occurred in Jamie and Claire's lives during their 20 years apart. This meant we got to see Claire's life with Frank and Brianna, her biological daughter with Jamie.
Eventually, we saw her style evolve and they perfectly emulated the '60s retro glam look with her hair and makeup. Her hair, to start, was the perfect bouffant that many women were sporting at the time. But her makeup was where the attention to detail was truly evident. They created a stunning cat-eye '60s look with her eyeliner and kept the rest of her makeup beautifully natural. It was exactly what we'd imagine Claire to look like at that time.
Claire’s Stretch Marks Were Nixed On The Show For A Reason
When we talk about the aging process for Jamie and Claire on Outlander, the biggest word we can use to sum up the approach the makeup department took for it is: subtlety. You really have to squint sometimes to see the differences but they are there, with Jamie's shading on his face to weather him a bit and the addition of his glasses. While Claire has extremely fine lines and her gray streak in her hair.
But when it came to the reference of Claire's stretch marks from childbirth that was mentioned in the books, they had to nix it. According to the makeup team, the marks didn't translate well on-camera and would be better without altogether.
They Have Over 300 Wigs In Their Department
Much like in life, hair and makeup go together in the film and television world. So when discussing the behind-the-scenes makeup facts, we must talk just as much about the hair, too. According to makeup and hair designer extraordinaire of Outlander, Annie McEwan, they have over 300 wigs and counting, all of which are very expensive, as you can imagine.
She apparently has never had that many wigs on one show before, but it makes sense that Outlander would need that many given how much history is involved in the story-telling process - much of which involved interesting hairpieces at the time.
Jamie’s Back Scar Molds Are The Same From Season 1
We've talked a bit already about the painstakingly long process of putting Jamie's back scars on Sam Heughan before each episode - at least the ones where he will be without a shirt. But interestingly enough, the back scar molds used to give him the whipping scars are the very same molds that were created for him all the way back in Season 1.
According to Wendy Kemp Forbes, they use the exact same molds to keep the continuity going on the show. The only difference now is that there is lighter shading to be done once they are applied to make the scars appear as though they have aged, much like Heughan's character has.
They Gave The Highlanders Beards Against Historical Accuracy
Whenever someone mentions a Scottish Highlander in the 18th-century, you're probably picturing someone that is rugged and bearded, much like we see on Outlander. But the truth is, that was not historically accurate, according to the research the makeup department did in preparation for the show.
Apparently, being bearded was looked down upon at the time, even in the Scottish Highlands. But since Diana Gabaldon wrote her characters to have beards in the series, they decided to stick with it. The added bonus of it was it would differentiate the Jacobites from the clean-shaven British Redcoat soldiers, as well.
Sam Heughan Has To Dye His Hair To Get Jamie’s Red Locks
One of the biggest physical traits Jamie Fraser is known for would be his luscious red locks. It is one of his main descriptors and makes him stand out amongst the crowd, to be sure.
So when Sam Heughan signed on to play the Scottish soldier, he knew he must dye his traditionally dirty blonde hair to completely nail the look of Jamie Fraser. They use a few different shades of red hair coloring to get the look just right, and sadly for Heughan, he has to dye his hair every three weeks just to maintain it.
They Wanted Red Jamie To Look Feral
Once again, we go back to the 20-year time-period where Jamie and Claire were apart in Season 3. In the earlier part of those two decades, Jamie was a wanted man living in isolation and known as the Dun Bonnet, or Red Jamie. When we see him, he looks disheveled with long hair, a beard, and looks as though he rarely bathes.
This entire look was carefully crafted by the Outlander makeup team to show the disparity between the Jamie we once knew and what he has now become without Claire. They really just wanted him to look almost feral, and boy, did they accomplish that.