It’s been over twenty years—25 years, to be actual—since a well-liked clique of well-dressed teen women (performed by Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, and Julie Benz) by chance murdered their BFF after stuffing her mouth with a sweet jawbreaker. Within the historical past of fashionable, high-school clique flicks, Jawbreaker is completely sandwiched between Heathers and Imply Women, however the cult movie, written and directed by Darren Stein, stands out a lot by itself. Its darkish comedic plot, chopping one-liners, unimaginable performances, and candy-colored style and sweetness appears nonetheless encourage me, and so many others, all these years later.
From the second we first meet the ladies, strutting down the hallway in impeccably cool outfits, it’s clear these aren’t bizarre teenagers. “I did not need them to appear to be women you’ll discover in any highschool,” Stein tells me. “I went to an all-boys college, so I used to be like, ‘That is gonna be my fantasy college.’ I needed them to be runway fashions. It was all very a lot about style and editorial.”
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Darren Stein)
Hair division head Alex Dizon helped give the movie that editorial look Stein craved, as he had beforehand styled McGowan on a shoot and was recognized for his journal and movie star work. “Darren gave me plenty of artistic freedom with the hair, which, for me as an artist, helped me excel. I might do no matter I felt was suited to the scene or the character,” says Dizon. “The one factor Darren instructed me was that these women are the It women at school. The children look as much as them to see what they’re going to appear to be or what they will put on, so I needed to be sure that that they had that It issue when it got here to their appears.”
For the ladies’ hairstyles, Dizon took inspiration from celebrities equivalent to Gwen Stefani (in her No Doubt period), Britney Spears, Madonna, The Dixie Chicks, J.Lo., and Christina Aguilera. One other large inspiration for each Dizon and costume designer Vikki Barrett was the movie Grease, which is clear within the Nineteen Fifties silhouettes and bouffant flipped-out hairstyles. However with its colourful splatter, the jawbreaker itself drastically influenced the movie’s general look. The make-up, created by the late Carol Sturdy, featured daring, shiny lips and colourful nails. Every lady was assigned a coloration palette: Courtney wore plenty of purples and reds; Julie wore blue, which softened and expanded into blue denim as she distanced herself from the clique; Marcie wore inexperienced; and Vylette sported garish scorching pink in her clothes and on her lips.
There are enjoyable references to a number of the standard make-up manufacturers on the time, like Onerous Sweet, which Stein says had sponsored the movie. (You’ll be able to see bottles of the model’s beloved nail polish in some bed room scenes.) There’s additionally one for City Decay. “Once I was writing the script, City Decay was big, they usually had the craziest names, like Exhaust or Gash,” recollects Stein. “So, there’s a dialogue after they’re speaking about their nail polish shade names, and she or he’s like, ‘Mine is Decayed.’ That is an homage to City Decay. And when the movie got here out, City Decay had a coloration referred to as Jawbreaker.” Stein additionally factors out how Jeffree Starr had a Jawbreaker palette and lipstick and that Trixie Mattel was impressed by the movie. “I really like that the film evokes cosmetics as a result of I’m actually into all that. I’m into style and drag and glamour so it was enjoyable to play with that within the movie,” he provides.
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Darren Stein)
For Courtney, Stein needed a femme fatale, vixen-inspired look. “She has nearly like a chola, Tura Satana–like vibe. It was positively Russ Meyer territory, and even Divine or Joan Crawford,” he says, including that the character was a “descendant of that sensibility.” McGowan was, after all, excellent for the function. “Even in her 20s, Rose was getting blowouts as soon as per week; she was glamour overdrive. He recollects being impressed by her throughout their first assembly, in addition to her function as Amy Blue in Gregg Araki’s Doom Technology: “In that film, she’s enjoying a variation of herself, and I feel in Jawbreaker, it’s a extra glamorous variation or a extra previous Hollywood interpretation.” McGowan had been blonde for Scream only a few years earlier, however he needed her to maintain her hair darkish. “The crimson lip was very intentional after which the arched eyebrows. It was a really stylized look,” he says.
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Darren Stein)
One other daring look was that of Vylette, aka Fern, Greer’s character who undergoes an excessive makeover as a part of a take care of Courtney. As Fern, Greer had drab brown hair, wore no make-up, and wearing understated “nerdy” garments, then remodeled into Vylette, an alter ego of types, with scorching pink garments and make-up and a platinum blonde haircut. “The platinum was actually in reference to Debbie Harry, Angelyne, and Cherie Curie,” explains Stein. “It was all very punk and new wave.” Whereas Fern’s lengthy brown hair was a wig, Greer ended up dying her actual hair blonde for the function. “It was type of like a Marilyn Monroe fashion, and on the time, the Dixie Chicks have been doing that look. I had labored with them so I referenced them,” Dizon explains. “However we needed it to be excessive glamour, and nearly like she overdid it. It was her revenge.”
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Darren Stein)
Greer’s character might have been the one one with an onscreen transformation, however each Gayheart and Benz skilled makeover moments themselves. Gayheart, who was recognized for her naturally curly hair in her “Noxzema girl” period, had her hair straightened for the movie. “I needed to present her one thing that we might by no means seen from her, which was straight, shiny hair. “It took no less than two hours on daily basis simply to straighten the hair earlier than styling. We have been at all times the primary ones on set,” says Dizon. In the meantime, Stein says that Benz had the ‘most traumatic hair transformation” since they chopped her lengthy blonde hair right into a bob to make it extra trendy. “It is a very refined search for a high-school lady. It’s a little bit of a mother lower,” he laughs. Nonetheless, he additionally factors out that Marcie’s hair was essentially the most ‘90s due to the twists and clips she wore. Dizon says Gwen Stefani’s hair was the inspiration for these appears.
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Darren Stein)
One other large magnificence second within the movie occurs throughout its climactic promenade scene when Courtney’s hair unravels as she’s revealed because the killer. Because the story goes, McGowan noticed Gayheart carrying blue flowers in her hair and she or he didn’t wish to be outshined, so she introduced out a silver leather-based ribbon. “The silver would pop on digicam, so I did a French twist with large rolls on the highest and discovered tips on how to wind the silver band round her hair,” says Dizon. “Rose needed one thing particular, in order that elevated the work for me. We needed to provide you with a pleasant, stylized hairdo that might stand the check of time. And as a hairdresser, I am at all times wanting again, like, do I nonetheless prefer it in the present day? And I do.”
The movie endures as inspiration for style and sweetness appears, and Stein says it’s as a result of they have been making a world they hoped could be utterly authentic. “While you usher in components like style, noir, ‘80s new wave, ’50s stylings from Grease, punk, fetish, and mix all that it collectively, it turns into its personal look,” he says. “It was all deliberate, and while you’re listening to that, you may create one thing that transcends time.” Stein additionally says {that a} “lot of different administrators let the hair and make-up groups do their very own factor and don’t “fuss over them as a lot. “I used to be within the hair and make-up trailer quite a bit as a result of I loved watching the ladies prepare and see how they have been coming alongside. And I do not suppose plenty of heterosexual administrators would most likely be within the hair and make-up trailer,” he laughs.
Copy the Appears to be like in Jawbreaker With These 12 Make-up and Hair Merchandise
MAC Cosmetics
Satin Lipstick
MAC was a mainstay within the ’90s, so there is not any excellent model to get Courtney’s signature crimson lip.
Create Courtney’s killer blue-gray smoky eyes with this Dior shadow quad.
Sally Hansen
Sally Hansen Xtreme Put on Nail Polish
Courtney might have crimson lips, however she wears purple on her nails. Get the search for your personal with this Sally Hansen shade.
Davines
This Is an Invisible No Fuel Hairspray
Dizon recommends an excellent setting hairspray, like this one from Davines, to get a shiny, frizz-free look.
Profit Cosmetics
Exactly, My Forehead Tinted Eyebrow Wax
To emulate Julie’s make-up, you will want to start out with excellent brows. This new eyebrow wax from Profit will hold your hairs in place, regardless of no matter hijinks you get your self into.
City Renewal
City Renewal Classic Flower Stretch Headband
Channel the ’90s with this stretch headband. All it’s worthwhile to do is flip out the ends of your hair with a flat iron and get some tinted sun shades to pay tribute to Julie.
Horny Hair
Wholesome Horny Hair Vivid Blonde Shampoo
Should you’ve received platinum hair like Vylette, you are going to want an excellent purple shampoo in your arsenal. This one from Horny Hair cancels out brassiness, supplying you with a extra balanced tone.
Onerous Sweet
Lip Soften in At First Sight
Onerous Sweet is likely to be just a little completely different than within the ’90s, however this Lip Soften can nonetheless get you Vylette’s pink shiny lip look. It additionally has antioxidant oils and nutritional vitamins to maintain lips nourished.
NYX Skilled Make-up
Cannot Cease Will not Cease 24HR Full Protection Matte Basis
A ’90s make-up look is not the identical with out a matte complexion, so decide up this favourite from Nyx. It’s waterproof, transfer-proof, and humidity-proof, so you do not have to fret about sweating off your make-up while you’re out having an excellent time with your mates.
Butterfly clips are one of many greatest logos in the case of ’90s hair equipment. Invoke your interior Marcie (or Gwen Stefani) and go wild with these.
Mattress Head
Mattress Head Little Tease Hair Crimper | For Crimped Texture (1 In)
We’d like a crimp-enaissance. Marcie did a crimped search for promenade, so I dare you to do the identical to your subsequent formal occasion.
City Decay
Vice Lip Bond Shiny Longwear Liquid Lipstick in Regulation of Attraction
A shiny rust lip will look good on any femme fatale. Decide this long-lasting, closely pigmented lipstick from City Decay. Simply bear in mind: By no means ship a rose until dyed black as a warning…
