Miranda's SATC Transformation

At the series' start, Miranda was a blunt and pragmatic young lawyer. "I often went with a stronger lip color for Miranda because I thought it reinforced her businessy, up-front attitude. She didn't have a lot of makeup on, but she'd always wear lipstick," said Kabuki, who was brought in by Pat Field to do makeup for the first two seasons of the show. "It's very funny because in person, Cynthia Nixon is very soft and different from her character. As a makeup artist, I had to adjust to that."

Miranda hooked up with bartender Steve Brady, who quickly fell for her straightforward vibe and honest good looks. "I paid a lot of attention to Cynthia's skin-hiding little inconsistencies in color, but making sure it never looked like she was wearing much makeup," said Kabuki. "She has quite a large eye area, but a lot of eye makeup wouldn't go with her character. Instead, I gave her cheekbones a touch of blush and I'd always darken her eyebrows a bit since they were so fair."

Miranda's haircut was the most no-nonsense of the bunch, but it also was the most high maintenance. "Every three weeks I'd give her a glaze or a toner to pop it up and keep the red really vibrant," said Sacha Quarles, Sex and The City key hairstylist for seasons 2, 3 and 4.

After a one night stand with Steve-with whom she was broken up-Miranda learned she was pregnant. But that didn't mean she was going to give up her flourishing career-or her mod haircut. In fact, quite the opposite. "The studio wanted to make her sexier and more glam that season," said Quarles. "We added highlights to give her color some dimension and we funked up her cut. We still had to keep in mind that we were dealing with a lawyer, so it had to be conservative."

"Like many of us, Miranda was a working mother, but that didn't stop her from looking good," said Kerrie Plant-Price, Cynthia Nixon's makeup artist for seasons 4, 5, 6 and both movies. "To contour and sculpt the eyes, I often used blush as an eyeshadow. Honey and ginger shades really work for her." Donna Marie Fischetto, the star's hairstylist for seasons 5, 6 and both movies, also updated Miranda's new mommy look. "Miranda lost her baby weight and was back to dating and going out with the girls, so she pulled it together with a stylish haircut," said Fischetto. "I softened her hair color and style for a more approachable look."

According to Plant-Price, lips were an essential component to Miranda's look-especially in this wedding day scene. "So many colors, so little time!" she said. "Fresh's Lip Pencil Duo in Pale Nectar is hands-down the best shade I have found for her yet. I absolutely love it." (Sadly, the neutral peachy formula-which also had conditioning ingredients-has since been discontinued.) "I wanted to create a romantic, carefree bridal style," said Fischetto of Miranda's hair. The way she achieved it? "A more vibrant shade of red to show the solid commitment she made to Steve."

"The hairstyle for the first movie showed that Miranda had evolved into an even more glamorous and successful woman," said Fischetto. "However, after Steve cheated on her, she was devastated. I left her hair less controlled-still pretty, but more relaxed." How did the makeup team approach Miranda this time around? "I always go for the soft look with Miranda. She has such fair skin and light eyes that thin, smudged black liner and a little tan shadow goes a long way," explained Plant-Price. "I used bright blush and a light lip color so the attention goes straight to her eyes."

"This was so fun," said Fischetto, who played '80s music in the trailer as she styled Cynthia Nixon's hair. "Our inspiration was the Dorothy Hamill cut. Miranda didn't start out as the stylish type, but did her best to keep up with it all. We went for humorous but still believable-I think we succeeded." (We agree!) Plant-Price let the hair be the focus by keeping the makeup light: "Miranda was growing into herself in the '80s. She cared more about books than looks. Now, of course, she has it all."

Try on Miranda's Sex and The City 2 '80s hairstyle now!

• "I tried to keep Miranda's skin as porcelain and fresh as possible," said Plant-Price. "The makeup process started with KohGenDo Macro Vintage Essence Mask, which moisturized her skin for the entire day. I followed by brushing on an SPF 18 foundation. The key was to paint the whole face and leave the eyes alone." Fischetto paid mind to keep Miranda's red strands extra vibrant. "I applied color conditioners a few times a week to keep the shade rich," she said.
• Try on Miranda's Sex and The City 2 hairstyle now!
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