“House of the Dragon” Hair and Makeup Secrets Revealed

Like its beloved sequel, “House of the Dragon” is a fantasy drama series that is set within House Targaryen, 172 years before “Game of Thrones” picks up. And from one series to the next, the Targaryens are beloved for their striking features, most notably their stark-white hair — a fact that the show’s hair designer, Rosalia Culora, has always played up.

“I was lucky enough to work on every single episode of ‘Game of Thrones’ prior to ‘House of the Dragon,’ which helped a lot when it came to designing the looks for the show,” Culora tells PS. “For ‘House of the Dragon,’ a lot of the hairstyles came from me trying to picture what their ancestors would have worn, and we wanted it to look more like they had do it themselves, as opposed to the maidens, this season.”

Ahead, Culora and the show’s lead makeup artist, Amanda Knight, explain what went into creating the looks for the series.

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Rosalia Culora is a professional, BAFTA-winning hairstylist.
Amanda Knight is a Emmy and Oscar-nominated makeup artist.

The Character With the Most Creative Hairstyles on “House of the Dragon”

Although Culora keeps the exact cost of the wigs used on set close to the chest, she does say that a few particular wigs cost five figures, so it’s not hard to conclude that the total cost of the hair pieces on the show surpassed six figures. Given that Daenerys Targaryen’s icy-white platinum hair is still a topic of discussion five years post-“Game of Thrones,” the investment is well worth it.

“In terms of hair, I was able to push the boundaries mostly with Rhaenyra,” Culora says. “Because of the way their character travels as well as the emotions of bereavement, growth, entitlement, etc. that we see them go through, I was able to play around a bit more. In season one, the character was a bit softer and more like a princess, and this season she’s more of a warrior.”

How the Beauty Looks for “House of the Dragon” Came to Be

Knight, the show’s makeup artist, says she had to contend with every element possible — and the makeup had to be perfect throughout it all. “We had extreme winds, chills, and even heat,” she says. “We went through all the seasons and had to sometimes shoot for 14 hours a day, meaning the makeup had to look perfect for the entirety of the shoot.”

Proper continuity (or, consistency between shots) is the basis for practically any TV show — a difficult feat, given that the scenes often aren’t shot in order. With this in mind, 14-hour shoot days can sometimes be made more bearable with some intentional mess.

“At the end of the day, we’re storytellers,” Knight says. “So sometimes we want to show those more imperfect elements. There are times when [Rhaenyra Targaryen is] upset or standing on the side of a cliff and contemplating, and in those moments we’re allowed to show the more human side of the character. We’re really lucky because Emma [D’Arcy] really embraces giving her character that more human touch, and it’s one of my favorite looks of her . . . when the character is looking like a complete wreck.”

This “haunting” natural beauty extends all the way to the nail looks on the show, which Knight says needed some roughing up. “We couldn’t have these perfectly immaculate nails on warriors and people who handle dragons regularly, so we painted on blood and dry skin effects on some of the characters’ nails,” she says. “We wanted people to look nice but not too nice . . . we didn’t want them to look like they had been to any spas or were being waited on hand and foot.”

The Hair and Makeup Products Used Most on “House of the Dragon”

One of Culora’s favorite brands, especially for the men on “House of the Dragon,” is Bevel. “The Bevel Beard Trimmer ($120) is fantastic,” she says. “We used it on [Sea Snake] Steve Toussant’s . . . beard and I loved it.”

One of Knight’s favorite products is on the pricey side, but she swore by adding a few drops to the prosthetics she used on set. “Maybe there’s extra silicone or something in there but the Chanel Sublimage L’Extrait Intensive Repair Oil Concentrate ($675) brought prosthetics back to life every single time,” Knight says. “Sometimes that style of makeup can look a little dull and not life-like, but adding a few drops of this serum on top is a prosthetic makeup artist’s secret. It’s really expensive but it’s so worth it.”

With a few more episodes left in season two, “House of the Dragon” is sure to continue being a source of otherworldly hair and makeup inspiration. In the upcoming episodes, expect “more desperation and everyone jumping on dragons a little bit more,” Culora says.

Ariel Baker is the associate editor for PS Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.