"Ethereal, Intelligent, and Subtly Sensual": A BTS Analysis of Maude Apatow's Breathtaking Beauty in May...

      In case you missed it, Maude Apatow is featured as Who What Wear's May Cover Star, and I'm about to dive deep into the glamorous hair and makeup details behind her stunning looks. Makeup artist Alexandra French notes that the beauty aesthetic aimed to be "ethereal, intelligent, and quietly sensual." The objective was to achieve soft skin and hair, subtle structure, and just enough definition to complement the styling and photography without overshadowing Maude herself. Below, French, along with hairstylist Rena Calhoun, walks me through their approach, essential products, and memorable moments from the shoot. Keep reading!

      Calhoun explains that the inspiration for Apatow's varied hairstyles emerged from the team's collaboration. "With each look, we took a moment to connect on what felt appropriate for that specific setting, allowing our creativity to flow intuitively," she shares. "It was all about moving together with a unified sense of artistic expression."

      French agrees, stating, "Collaboration on set is one of my favorite aspects of the process. In a shoot like this, everything needs to feel cohesive, so from the start, there was ongoing communication between hair, styling, nails, and makeup. The aim is to work together to establish a shared emotional tone and visual language, rather than isolated moments that feel disconnected."

      Given that the styling balanced softness with graphic structure, French wanted to reflect this in the makeup by keeping the skin soft while adding subtle sculptural touches around the eyes and cheeks. "Rena and I didn’t want anything to appear too polished," she clarifies. "Every adjustment was made with lighting and photography in mind."

      Artistic restraint also played a crucial role. "Often, the most striking beauty looks come from the decision to stop adding more," she explains. "Maude naturally infuses so much atmosphere and emotion into an image, so the makeup was truly about enhancing that energy rather than competing with it." French intended for the final images to evoke a timeless, soft, and slightly dream-like quality.

      On shoot days, particularly when creating multiple looks like she did with Apatow, Calhoun prefers to keep product use minimal to ensure flexibility throughout the day and ease of transformation. "It’s all about maintaining movement and being able to pivot quickly without any buildup," she says. However, she always starts with the Virtue Labs Create Style-Setting Hair Volumizing Primer ($40), which she applies to her clients' damp hair. "It provides the perfect foundation; it’s light, workable, and has just enough memory to support whatever direction the shoot may take."

      In addition to the Virtue Labs Primer, referred to as "the scaffolding" for each look, Calhoun recommends Oribe's Superfine Strong Hold Hairspray ($46), which she describes as "the absolute best hair spray" for its remarkable versatility and strong yet light hold. For adding quick texture, she turns to Bumble and bumble's Surf Infusion Sea Salt Spray ($36). "A good salt spray works on various textures to give hair a lived-in feel—it helps avoid that overly polished look I sometimes want to steer clear of."

      For this shoot, French aimed for the makeup to convey a cinematic and emotionally understated vibe—polished yet still intimate and human. "Maude has delicate, expressive features, so the process was really about enhancing what’s already there rather than transforming her." Vintage fashion editorials also provided inspiration. "Imagine soft analog photography and that dreamy, somewhat surreal sensation one experiences when viewing old magazine campaigns," she elaborates. "One image feels earthy and romantic, while another leans more graphic and experimental with color and light. The makeup needed to sit beautifully in both realms."

      As expected, skin prep was a significant part of French's process, as she sought to ensure Apatow's skin appeared hydrated, vibrant, and almost light-reflective without being overly shiny. For makeup, she kept the actress's complexion extremely sheer by using a lightweight skin tint blended with moisturizer, applying it with a damp sponge and a small buffing brush. Concealer was applied selectively, mainly around the center of the face to maintain dimension and a natural appearance. "I lightly set only the areas that required durability while allowing the high points of the face to retain their natural glow," she mentions.

      For Apatow's eyes, French began with a minimal approach utilizing fun, spiky lashes for a '60s-inspired look before shifting to a more pronounced smoky eye later in the day. "My favorite features to highlight on Maude are definitely her eyes and bone structure. She has an amazing ability to convey emotion subtly, so I aim to ensure the makeup doesn’t take away from that."

      Regarding the lips, French opted for a neutral rose hue gently pressed in with her fingers rather than applying directly from the tube. "This created a softer, more lived-in effect—the overall application was layered and diffused, with