Still, even then it was pretty rare to see the ’wives getting their hair and makeup done - whenever we did, it was usually a special occasion, like a doomed vow renewal.
From around the third season onward, when the cast had cemented themselves as “celebrities,” the looks became gradually more extra. Real Housewives of Atlanta, the first show to feature a predominantly Black cast, began to elevate the show’s hair and makeup standard. Confessional interviews were often filmed in real time, to capture an instant reaction - no time for hair and makeup touch-ups.
Then came the Real Housewives of New York City, where Manhattan’s high-flying business “mavens,” like Ramona Singer, claimed to be proof that women can “have it all.” (Marriage, family, career, and beauty.)Īt the start, the cast mostly did their own makeup. When the first show in the franchise debuted in 2006, Bravo’s cameras took us behind the gates of Orange County’s wealthiest communities, where women were willing to do anything to look perfect. Glamor, beauty, and the pursuit of youth have always been central to the Real Housewives. Photo-Illustration: by The Cut Photos: Bravo
