Cindy Miguens tells us about creating the looks for ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat

As the head of the makeup department for Fresh Off the Boat, Cindy Miguens is part of the behind-the-scenes magic that helps bring the characters to life. And we had the chance to talk to her about what goes into her on set work.

There is a lot of work that goes into a Television series like Fresh Off the Boat. And while we get to see a lot of that work on our screens, there are also additional details that we don’t always think of, such as makeup and costume design, which is where Cindy Miguens comes in.

Miguens is the head of the makeup department for the ABC series, and this means that she has a hand in creating the magic of what we see onscreen. While we might not always think of makeup as being a big deal, it really is a way to help set the stage or mood in a series. And considering Fresh Off the Boat is set in the 1990s when fashion was definitely different in many ways than it is today, it is up to the makeup and wardrobe departments to help bring that time period to life.

Luckily we had the chance to speak to Cindy Miguens on her work with Fresh Off the Boat and how it has evolved since the series’ first season. Of course, as the show has moved from the early 90s to 1999, it was important to change the looks up to reflect the changes in trends over time.

However, according to Miguens, it is not just about the year that the show is set in, it is also about the location. With the series being set in Orlando, it is also important to reflect that aspect when thinking about fashion and makeup.

For their current period of time (1999) it is all about using bronze and smokey looks. For example, she said with Constance Wu‘s character it is about giving her a smokey brow and smokey eye look. And it’s not just about the eyes, as she also wants Wu to have “cheeks kind of glowing and a plum lip.” Overall though, it is about sticking with simplicity because the 90s were a bit simpler in terms of those makeup looks.

With Fresh Off the Boat being set in Orlando, Miguens did point out the need for a bit of a tan, which is something they make sure all the characters have as needed. Although she did point out that the men and boys “are all natural” since they have a “natural beauty” about them.

But it’s not just about the main characters looking the part. It is also about checking the background artists and making sure that their nails look good and their facial hair is right. It really is about being true to the aesthetics of the 90s.

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After asking about going from 2019 looks to 1999 looks and how that transition can be difficult, Miguens explained that the good thing is that sitcoms allow the artist to not only “stick with one character,” but also allows the artist to let the “looks remain the same for the duration of the show.” (At the very least, the looks can be consistent throughout a single episode lasting 25 minutes.)

Prior to going on its winter break Fresh Off the Boat even had the chance to do a very special Christmas episode that let the makeup and wardrobe department have fun with a more Victorian setting. And according to Miguens, this was “a lot of fun” because this was about looking at the fashion then and bringing that to life in a rather unique way.

She pointed out that “people just sort of made lipsticks with dyes, beet juice, or tea bags, and things like that. They used charcoal for eyeshadow back then.” So, these were all things that needed to be kept in mind when bringing this dream sequence episode to life.

And this was a perfect time to ask what it is about makeup and the artistry that Miguens enjoys. She explained that, “I love the whole experience of the behind the scenes, creating something that other people get to enjoy at home. Basically the whole process of it is pretty fun.” It is all about loving what you do and Miguens made it clear that she definitely does.

“I love being in the trailer. I actually love what I do. I have been doing this for over 25 years and I just always enjoy it and going into work.”

I also asked here if she had a favorite moment working on the set of Fresh Off the Boat and while there wasn’t necessarily a specific moment, she did say that she enjoyed working with the kids on set. In fact, she said, “they are by far the most amazing people I’ve ever met in my life. They are just incredible human beings. They’re so gracious, friendly, and respectful. They are always professional.”

Finally, a question we always try to ask the people we speak to is who is one woman, fictional or nonfictional, that they look up to and why. And for Miguens the answer was very easy – her mother.

According to her, “my mom was an immigrant from Argentina, and she moved out here when she married my father and she ended up, without even knowing the language, she taught herself English and she taught herself Italian. She is also an entrepreneur, she came to LA and started a business and she created this thing out of nothing, and she’s extremely inspirational.”

Ultimately, it was her mother that inspired her to become a makeup artist. (And as fans of Fresh Off the Boat, we definitely thank mom for that.)

Fresh Off the Boat airs on ABC on Friday nights.