Every villain needs a signature look, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ portrayal of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in Thunderbolts* (aka The New Avengers) is no exception. From her sharply tailored suits to her unforgettable white hair streak, Valentina’s style reflects her calculated and commanding persona. Unlike other Marvel antiheroes, she doesn’t rely on superpowers or world-altering technology. Instead, her true strength lies in her ability to manipulate, strategize, and lead ruthlessly. And her makeup, much like her approach to power, is designed to emphasize her dominance and unwavering confidence, perfectly complementing her role as the MCU’s resident shady CIA director.

Vasilios Tanis, the makeup artist behind Valentina’s striking look in the film, carefully crafted every detail to match her powerful presence. A self-proclaimed comic book geek with years of experience in the Marvel universe — including work on projects like Agatha All Along, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Avengers: Endgame — Tanis knows how to bring out the essence of these iconic characters through makeup. From the moment Valentina hits the screen, you get the sense that she’s a force to be reckoned with, and that’s precisely what he aimed to capture. “When I first talked with Julia, I told her what I wanted to do, and I just thought that Valentina needed a bit of a glow-up, and that’s exactly what she got,” Tanis tells TZR. “Her look was very sharp, very structured, very sophisticated, and very elegant.”

Even Villains Need Good Skin Care

To nail her look, Tanis started with the skin, ensuring Louis-Dreyfus’s complexion looked fresh and radiant, which is majorly important, given the long hours on set. “It’s all about the skin care with me, especially when you’re working with somebody with more mature skin,” he says. “You really want to focus on it so it’s in tip-top shape and well hydrated, so it’s able to maintain long periods of time with makeup, and then knowing how to refresh it properly with the right products.”

Tanis supplied Louis-Dreyfus with an arsenal of products and introduced her to the Currentbody LED Light Therapy Face Mask: Series 2. “I got her on a really good skin care routine. The Currentbody really helped a lot, and she fell in love with it. She even noticed a difference in her skin,” he says. “It stimulates the skin cells — that’s what the light does, on a deeper level, even deeper than retinol. You just take 10 minutes out of your day to relax and let it do its thing. Then you notice that those fine, little lines kind of dissipate, and your skin is a little bit smoother, your pores are a little bit smaller, and your skin texture is just more radiant. Every makeup artist I know uses it and just loves it.”

One of his other go-tos was the Yon-Ka Nude Perfect Fluide, a primer described as a “blur cream”. “That thing is magic. I work with it all the time,” says Tanis. “It smooths the skin and smooths out any imperfections you might have. It reduces the look of pores a little bit and fine lines around your lips or around your eyes. When I was prepping [Louis-Dreyfus], I’d do a little treatment with her and put this on.” Tanis also used the Yon-Ka Phyto-Contour Eye Cream to hydrate and replenish the eye area. “If your skin looks great, then you’ll have that glow on film and in photos,” he adds.

How Valentina’s Eye Makeup Amplifies Her Intrigue

Tanis designed Valentina’s makeup last, collaborating with the costume designer and hairstylist after they finalized her look. While Valentina sported a purple streak in her hair in previous Marvel films, Thunderbolts* introduces a white streak, aligning more closely with her comic book appearance. “I knew Valentina had to be a little bit more elevated than anyone else in the room, being someone with so much going on behind the scenes,” Tanis explains. “She’s very mysterious, stylish, and sharp with her wit and cunning sense of intrigue. She’s the perfect villain, and her wardrobe tastes are really elevated and designer — she wore a lot of Dior and Valentino.” Tanis explained that they wanted Valentina’s hair to feel freer and more fluid, unlike her previous updo. It was deliberately worn to contrast with the structured, restrictive nature of her clothing.

When it came to the makeup, Tanis wanted to focus on emphasizing Valentina’s eyes, as they’re one of her most expressive features, while keeping the rest of the look more neutral. For her base, Tanis used Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation and Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer. Then, for the eyes, he used Le Rouge Français Canopee Legendaire Eye Pencil in Le Noir Calistoga (“It’s so rich and so beautiful. It just works so well, and I’m a really huge fan of that”) and the Pat McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara (“It’s also Julia’s favorite”). To balance out the look, he went for a more subtle lip, turning to Laura Geller Jelly Balm Hydrating Lip Color in Just Peachy, and Pat McGrath Labs Divine Cream Blush: Legendary Glow Color Balm in Alluring Nude.

Valentina had two distinct looks in the film: her everyday makeup and then a more elevated version for a gala scene. For the latter, Tanis switched the lip to Laura Geller Modern Classic Cream Lipstick in Pink Passion and upped the eye makeup ante with one of Pat McGrath Lab’s Mothership Palettes. “I really wanted to bring my past experiences with red carpet and fashion into that scene by making her feel and look very elevated and very fashion-forward,” he says.

On set, it took Tanis about 30 minutes to create Valentina’s look each day. While her makeup wasn’t particularly time-consuming, there were other challenges, like lighting — common in many superhero movies, Thunderbolts* became very dark after being digitized. “That’s always been a challenge for me,” Tanis admits. But the final result speaks for itself — Julia Louis-Dreyfus still glows, even with Valentina’s dubious persona.