Beauty Download: Victoria Pedretti
I've been transfixed by actress Victoria Pedretti ever since her breakout role as Nell Crain in Netflix's 2018 adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House. Soon after, she hijacked my brain space as the eerily unbalanced Love Quinn (I'm still not okay!) in the television sensation, You, and later this month, she's sure to pack mega-watt shock value as Cherry in the horror film Forbidden Fruits.
As one of our four cover stars, Pedretti's damp, dewy hair, feathery brows, and shimmering peridot eyes are serving all the spring beauty inspiration, and I couldn't wait to ask her glam team all of my burning questions. From essential hair products to staple skin and makeup MVPs, keep scrolling for every detail behind Victoria Pedretti's Spring Issue cover look with Who What Wear.
"We wanted to create a real runway vibe for this shoot," hairstylist Christopher Farmer shares right off the bat. "The goal was to create a 'wet' look that was cool and textured without looking overdone—a slightly dry finish on the ends of the hair was key."
"The inspiration was fresh, modern glamour that still felt effortless and true to Victoria," adds her makeup artist, Shelby Smith. "We wanted the skin to look luminous and real, with just enough structure to define her features without overpowering them." For example, Pedretti's shimmering green shadow (*drools*) was added to strategically accentuate the actress's blue eyes while still appearing soft, subtle, and wearable.
According to Farmer, the hair was actually the least cohesive element of the glam process in comparison to the clothing and makeup, likening our four cover stars (Pedretti was joined on set by Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, and Alexandra Shipp) to a "girl group" where every member could showcase their personality via their style and beauty choices. "All the girls had a totally different vibe when it came to their hair, which was great," he says.
That said, nothing competed. "Collaboration on set is really important to me," shares Smith. "We talked through the overall direction ahead of time so that hair, makeup, nails, and styling worked in tandem, not against each other."
"Victoria has incredibly striking eyes and beautiful bone structure, so I love enhancing those features while keeping the look balanced," Smith continues. For instance, Smith emphasized Pedretti's eyes with soft dimension and texture rather than a heavy liner, allowing the actress's shape and color to stand out. She also focused on subtly sculpting the skin using underpainting techniques so the definition would appear to come from within rather than sit on top of Pedretti's complexion. "My goal was simply to enhance the features Victoria already has and let her natural beauty remain the focal point."
