Hair & Makeup On Netflix's Little House On The Prairie Were Inspired By The Land: 'A Rugged, Rough Look'

The leading ladies of Netflix's "Little House on the Prairie" look totally different off-screen, and that's by design. Life for a poor 19th-century family was far from glamorous, much less clean. With that in mind, hair and makeup artists for Netflix's "Little House on the Prairie" wanted their characters' appearances to mirror their environment. 

In an interview with Tudum, Head of the hair department Forest Sala explained that the team had to consider all four seasons of the year and how the weather, combined with the clothes of that era, would realistically impact the rest of a person's look. For example, corsets and thick dresses would mean more perspiration in the summer, resulting in a stickier, more disheveled appearance; while colder, windier months required something else. "We wanted to have hair that moved with the wind — a rugged, rough look so people looked like they'd gone through things," Sala explained. "We aimed for realism, not just regular TV looks."

As far as makeup and facial hair, department head Calla Syna Dreyer leaned into similar considerations and relevant research. One example Dreyer highlighted was the no-makeup makeup look for Crosby Fitzgerald's Caroline Ingalls. The makeup artist's focus was enhancing the actor's facial expressions, which were essential to highlighting Caroline's emotional experiences in the series."Caroline's makeup is about thin, sheer layers," Dreyer said. "Sculpting and shading to bring out features, so it looks natural but fits the environment." This sort of approach was also taken by the original show's makeup team.

The makeup team for the original "Little House on the Prairie" also considered the climate, particularly the sun, when curating looks for the cast. Michael Landon, who played Charles Ingalls, had a naturally deep tan that shaped the looks for the rest of the cast. "Everyone was made up to balance with Michael," said Dean Butler, who starred as Almanzo James Wilder, during a recent episode of the "Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Podcast." "We couldn't look that pale next to each other. If your skin was exposed, you were being made up to try and be in the same territory that Michael was in naturally." Though it required a lot of body makeup, the look was fitting given the farmland lifestyle of the Ingalls family. However, the glam was anachronistic at times, particularly one episode from the original "Little House on the Prairie" which featured a modern beauty error.

In addition to makeup and hair, fashion also plays a major part in the show's realism. The men's wardrobe and ladies' style of prairie dresses (a look that resurged in summer and fall of 2023), chosen for each role, reflected an aspect of their character. For example, in the Netflix reboot, Jocko Sims' character, Dr. George Tann, is frequently dressed in suits to reflect his intelligence and wealth. Additionally, costume designer Mitchell Travers ensured that Mary Ingalls' wardrobe leaned into a playful feminine softness with ruffles and lace.