Anne Hathaway is keeping her short haircut but hopefully forgetting the rest of her Les Misérables hair and makeup tricks

There’s just two weeks to go until the big day. Yes, Les Misérables opens in movie theatres on December 25 and to satisfy our fandom till then we’re watching as much promotional footage as we can. Today’s find via Styleite: a behind-the-scenes look at the hair and makeup that was used to transform the actors on screen.

Lisa Westcott, the hair and makeup artist for Les Misérables said, “How can you make a beautiful woman not look beautiful?” when speaking about turning Anne Hathaway into the character of Fantine, a struggling factory worker who is forced into prostitution in 19th century France.

The video offers an interesting insight: while many thought Hathaway was forced to cut her hair, she was actually the one who decided to chop it all off for the role. While she’s said that the shorter style is one she’s grown to love, the rest of her Les Misérables look won’t be sticking around: “A lot of people had to wear wear plastic moulds on top of their teeth that were painted,” Anne Hathaway explained of her character’s missing and decayed teeth. “I was one of the lucky ones. I didn’t have to wear it, I just had to have my teeth painted.”

Other notable hair and makeup transformation tricks included that of Helena Bonham Carter, who plays an innkeeper slash con artist. Part of the costume included a custom-made wig with black roots and and different shades of blonde hair. In order for the hair to look brassy and give it character, Westcott had to dip it in tea and coffee for the desired effect. So blondes, take note: please do just the opposite of that if you want to keep your hair looking healthy.

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