The Glistening Looks for "Gladiator II" Required Body Oil and Fake Tans

More than 20 years since the debut of the original, director Ridley Scott has gifted fans the much-anticipated sequel to the classic film "Gladiator." With a star-studded cast (Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and more), "Gladiator II" follows the story of a young gladiator ousted from his home as he fights to free the Roman people from tyrannical rule.

With spectacular performances from the internet's boyfriends, action-packed fighting scenes, and loads of blood, sweat, and tears, "Gladiator II" is not to be missed this holiday season. Here, the film's makeup designer, Jana Carboni, breaks down how the warriors got their war paint.

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Jana Carboni is the makeup designer of "Gladiator II." She's also worked on movies such as "House of Gucci," "Napoleon," and "Underground."

Paul Mescal as Lucius

Paul Mescal portrays the main character, Lucius, a prisoner captured by the Roman army who is forced to become a gladiator in the Colosseum. Because his character did not spend most of his life in Rome, Carboni designed Mescal's tan to look a little rough. She created an allover glow with a dewy finish, using Juara's Candlenut Glow Body Oil ($65) as the base for the body ("A fantastic body oil," she says) and then adding sun protection with the Supergoop Glow Stick SPF 50 ($30).

The fake blood was important to get just right, which meant they had to get a customized shade for all the actors. "I've always found [fake] blood sometimes looks too red or orange, and I want it to look more brown-red. I made the blood myself because I had a very unique vision for 'Gladiator II,'" Carboni says.

Carboni explains that because Mescal and many of the actors performed their own stunts, the makeup, fake blood, and scars had to withstand the heat — and the "Gladiator" fights. "It was quite intense," she says. "There's a lot of blood happening, so it was important to have a good base of makeup underneath [it]. The oil helped me when I needed to remove things; [the fake blood, tan, and scars] weren't stuck on the skin."

Pedro Pascal as General Acacius

For Pedro Pascal, Carboni opted to go in a different direction. Pascal embodies General Acacius, a commander of the Roman army who's lived a lavish lifestyle. Though disillusioned with the war, Pascal's character still needed to look the part of a great Roman general: "I wanted him to look like an iconic actor from the '40s," Carboni says. "He had grooming for his perfect face, like a statue. We had strokes of gray in his hair and his beard, and [it was] very nostalgic in a way. He would say, 'I never looked so good in my life.' It was a huge compliment and very sweet."

Pascal's tan was a bit more groomed than Mescal's. Along with many of the other actors, he received his own customized shade match. Carboni used the Embryolisse Beauty Oil ($30) to prep his skin before applying makeup.

Denzel Washington as Macrinus

Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, a former gladiator who now owns his own group of fighters, including Mescal's Lucius. The actor's own groom team prepared Washington to enliven the calculating and ambitious Macrinus with fun and glamour.

Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger as Emperors Geta and Caracalla

Emperors Geta and Caracalla (depicted by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, respectively) corrupt Rome with their authoritarian rule. Their two characters don the most makeup to differentiate themselves from the working class and poor.

For emperor Caracalla, the goal was to channel British singer Johnny Rotten. Carboni took that rocker inspiration and softened Caracalla with white face makeup, blushed cheeks, and red lips.

To juxtapose with his brother, Carboni pulled inspo from David Bowie and the Italian film "Satyricon" to craft Geta's more pronounced and aggressive look. She contoured him to demonstrate his dominance and flaunt his power. "At this time, men weren't afraid about wearing makeup; makeup was a tool to prove their power," she says. "They wear their makeup with pride." To ensure the makeup would go on smoothly, their skin was prepped with Le Domaine's The Cream ($242).

Connie Nielsen as Lucilla

Reprising her role from the inaugural "Gladiator" film, Connie Nielsen plays Lucilla, the daughter of fallen emperor Marcus Aurelius, and General Acacius's wife. Carboni aimed to differentiate her aesthetic from the original film. "We felt that she was a strong, wild woman, but still an empress in a way," says Carboni. "[In those times] being pale was in fashion. Her being tan and sun-kissed was her way of rebelling."

Lucilla's blond hair was styled in beachy waves to match her golden tan and minimal makeup. Carboni reveals Nielsen harnessed LED therapy with the CurrentBody LED Light Therapy Mask ($469) every morning before filming.

Audrey Noble is a beauty writer who covers breaking news, writes celebrity profiles, and does deep-dive features about the ways race, gender, sexuality, and other forms of identity impact society via the beauty industry. Previously, she was the beauty reporter at Allure and has held editorial positions at Vanity Fair and Refinery29. Audrey's work can also be seen in PS, Vogue, Harper's BAZAAR, Bustle, InStyle, WWD, and more.