The Women Of The Handmaid's Tale Are So Stunning In Real Life

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Though "The Handmaid's Tale" didn't give its cast much opportunity to dress up and experiment with high-fashion looks the way glossy series' like "Gossip Girl" or "Suits" did, its cast is so gorgeous their natural beauty was still obvious. Even in their despair while wearing handmaid uniforms and bonnets. Though it may not have looked like it, every actor was wearing TV makeup, and Burton LeBlanc, Season 1's head of makeup, explained creating the perfect barely-there looks came with serious challenges. 

"Sometimes you want the makeup to look just right without it actually looking like the characters are wearing it, like in Gilead where Handmaids wouldn't own beauty products," he told The Italian Rêve. "Every single character on the show is wearing makeup, some more minimal than others, but the goal is to have the makeup reflect the scenarios and characters," he added.

In real life though? The women of the hit show — which is based on one of Bryce Dallas Howard's favorite books and Anne Hathaway's top reads – are even more stunning out of costume. The likes of Elisabeth Moss, Madeline Brewer, and Samira Wiley are absolutely breathtaking off the screen, using fashion and makeup to express themselves on red carpets and beyond.

Playing the main character of "The Handmaid's Tale" June Osborne was no easy feat for Elisabeth Moss. The character, also known as Offred, went through some major trials and tribulations during the show's six-season run. June/Offred was mainly covered up as a nod to her restricted life, with Moss explaining to Observer, "It becomes so meaningful, what we're wearing, and then also anytime a character shows any skin. We call the wings a bonnet, and the saying was 'Anytime you take the bonnet off, it means something.'"

Though Moss shares some physical similarities with her character (they both sport the same blond bob, for example), in real life, she's far more polished and has much more to smile about. June/Offred was often in her robe and couldn't wear makeup, but at an event in 2022, Moss looked healthy and happy with a red lip and glowing complexion. The fashionista showed her edgy side in an oversized, black leather-look dress, which was also lightyears away from her character's robes. The "Mad Men" star regularly expresses herself via her clothing and has a penchant for designer pieces. Speaking to Marie Claire, she confirmed her favorite designers include Zac Posen, Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton, and Dolce & Gabbana. "Fashion is such a beautiful art form," she said.

This star is also a self-confessed beauty product addict who changes up her favorites regularly, which explains how she always has such flawless skin. "I love Kate Sommerville, especially her cleansers. And I love La Mer, because they've come out with products that are a little bit lighter for oily skin, but still have the moisturizing effects," Moss told W.

Alexis Bledel appeared in multiple seasons of "The Handmaid's Tale" as Dr. Emily Malek. The character became friends with Elisabeth Moss' June/Offred and joined the resistance movement. In real life, Bledel and her character share the same mousy brown hair, but as her appearance at an event in 2024 proved, they're gorgeous in different ways. Bledel's locks were slicked back, which gave her a more sophisticated look than her brainy character. Her makeup gave her a gorgeous glow as she wowed with a brown smoky eye and pink lips, sans Dr. Malek's glasses. Bledel arguably looked a little older on the red carpet — but that's very much intentional.

The star has been open over the years about purposefully aging up her wardrobe after rising to fame playing Rory in "Gilmore Girls" when she was just 19. "I try to get away from the way people see me on the show in little ways, try to dress older or just differently," she told WWD. Though Bledel admitted she usually dresses more casually, in jeans and button-ups, her desire for more sophisticated ensembles hasn't gone unnoticed. 

Axelle/bauer-griffin/Getty

At the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Bledel was almost unrecognizable compared to Dr. Malek (or Rory Gilmore, for that matter). She wore a dark, floor-length, beaded gown with sheer sleeves. The gorgeous dress matched her dark, vampy red/brown lipstick, proving she was no longer the young girl we grew up with on TV. Instead, she'd blossomed into a stunning woman with a clear passion for fashion.

Yvonne Strahovski portrayed Serena Joy Waterford on "The Handmaid's Tale," the cold wife of Joseph Fiennes' Commander Fred Waterford. Unlike the handmaids, Serena had more scope for outward expression as one of the privileged, and was often seen with her hair slicked back. The character sported her blond locks down on occasion, but leaned toward minimal makeup. The actor, though? She's far more fashion-forward. At the 2025 Gotham Television Awards, Strahovski stunned with her hair in a sleek ponytail, wearing a stylish, all-white suit and shirt with a bedazzled tie — one of our favorite celebrity menswear outfits.

But despite her glitzy red carpet look, don't think Strahovski's fashion choices revolve solely around expensive designer fashion. "[H]alf my wardrobe is from the thrift shop — if I'm allowed to say that!" she told Glamour in 2019. "Not because I don't want to spend money on something, but I just find really cool stuff at really cool thrift shops — and that's what I want to wear." And we love that about her.

As for her youthful glow, the Australian star told PopSugar it comes from embracing clean beauty products — which we set the record straight on. "I'm really big on clean anything and everything — whatever I put into my body, food-wise, drink-wise," she said. "Our skin is incredibly absorbent, being the largest organ of our body." The "Chuck" star also got candid about the pressure she once felt to look a certain way as a woman in the spotlight and how she overcame it. "Where I've arrived is that it's whatever makes you feel good, whatever you need or want, or however you choose to express yourself," Strahovski shared. Agreed.

Also recognized for her role in the final season of "You," Madeline Brewer appeared as Handmaid Janine Lindo in "The Handmaid's Tale." The character, also known as Ofwarren, had her eye taken for refusing to cooperate, which meant Janine/Ofwarren often had an eyepatch under her bonnet. Brewer said the character's look marked a drastic change to her real life aesthetic. "I also look very different on the show. If you see me out in the world with my sweatpants on, my hair up and sunglasses on, you might not see Janine, especially if my hair is straight. But if I go out with my curly hair, people do tend to say something," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

At the Season 6 premiere in April 2025, we saw just how stunning the Janine star is in real life. She wore her signature, vibrant red locks down and sleek with one half pushed behind her left shoulder and the other curled inward to create glamorous waves, looser than the curls she sported on the show. She also opted for a daring, champagne dress covered in large, metallic silver sequins — a far cry from her handmaid robes.

But this star isn't always rocking red hair like her character. In September 2024, she debuted striking blond hair on Instagram, the same shade she sported for her wedding and on the cover of Brides. Though she looks gorgeous red or blond, fans couldn't get enough of the change. "OMG blonde suits you," one person wrote alongside a heart eye and fire emoji.

On "The Handmaid's Tale," Samira Wiley played Moira Strand, June's best friend who escaped before being re-captured (and escaping once again). On the show, the beauty wore her natural locks short, and Moira had a casual clothing style. Off-screen though, Wiley couldn't be more breathtaking expressing herself through makeup and fashion. On the red carpet in 2024, she looked every inch the superstar in a strapless red gown with a long train. 

Wiley paired the dress with gold heels and what appeared to be diamond jewelry around her neck and wrist. She also proudly sported her short, naturally coiled locks in a similar way to her character on the series, which we especially loved because she's been a staunch advocate for representing natural hair in the media. There's no doubt she's a celeb who looks gorgeous sporting her natural hair. Wiley is clearly a makeup fan too. She floored us with a flattering smoky eye and cool-toned gray/purple lipstick that not many people could pull off.

This beauty is also a true style chameleon. Though she looked confident and gorgeous in her red carpet gown, Wiley said she feels just as at home in comfier garb. "I've always wanted to wear things that I feel comfortable in and that also make a statement. My style icons are André 3000, who's just the perfect example of androgynous beauty, and Janelle Monáe. They both have great style and just exude individuality," she told Racked. "Sometimes I wish I had the courage to dress a little more like them — you know, bright colors, bold prints."

Ann Dowd, who "The Handmaid's Tale" fans will recognize as Aunt Lydia Clements, looks drastically different in real life compared to on-screen. Aunt Lydia was often seen in military-inspired garb with her brown hair pulled back in a center part and no makeup. On the red carpet, Dowd likes to do things a little differently. She looked seriously stunning at the Gotham TV Awards in 2025, when she pulled her slightly lighter locks into a sophisticated updo with long, face framing bangs.

The talented actor added dangly pearl earrings and a gold and yellow necklace to her feminine, purple dress. Plus, her matching eyeshadow and pink lipstick helped her look years younger (and more approachable!) than on the Hulu series. The star, who won an Emmy for her role, has said fans of the show don't always recognize her. "It's usually sort of a surprise. I always think, 'Wow, my hair is long and kind of weird-looking and I wear glasses most of the time, do I look like her?'" she told the New York Post.

It's no surprise she's not always recognized, because Dowd's personal style is a far cry from Aunt Lydia's muted colors and sharp lines. In fact, the actor has quite the penchant for quirky cowboy boots. "I buy cowboy boots in thrift shops in offbeat places. I think they're works of art. I wear them, but I also like to open my closet and stare at them," she told Bare, adding that she also loves to wear jewelry with a sentimental story. "I avoid shopping in high-end places, but I like to pick it up when I travel," she said.

As Naomi Putnam, the wife of Commanders Putnam and Lawrence, Ever Carradine played one of the more glamorous characters on "The Handmaid's Tale." Though Naomi's go-to style was a sleek bun, we also saw the character with her hair down in curls and wearing more obvious makeup. In real life, the actor styles herself very differently. At "The Handmaid's Tale" Season 6 premiere, Carradine sported an asymmetric hairstyle in a shoulder-skimming lob that was down on left side and pushed back on the other. The quirky look proved this talented star isn't afraid to have fun, and she dialled up the glitz in an eye-catching, gold sequin gown with bold red lipstick and dangly earrings.

Her red carpet look was testament to how different she looks in real life, and she told Bare she's rarely recognized by viewers. "I think a giant part of that is because of costumes and hair and make-up. Stick me in a floor length teal gown with a neat bun and Ever is gone," she said. But Carradine's real-life style is far from one dimensional. "I love dressing preppy one day, maybe in A.P.C. and then more romantic the next, perhaps in Doen," she shared. 

While the star has admitted she doesn't like to go too crazy with her makeup, that doesn't mean she sticks to neutral, bland shades. "My latest trick is I just glitter up my lids, add mascara and a soft blush and I'm good to go," she said, revealing some of her go-to products. "I love Jillian Dempsey Cheek Tint, and after trying every mascara on earth, I always come back to the Clinique High Impact."

"The Handmaid's Tale" housekeeper Rita Blue is another character who didn't get to experiment much with makeup or fashion on the show. Off-screen though, actor Amanda Brugel has more than made up for it. While walking the red carpet for the Season 6 premiere of the Hulu show, Brugel looked drastically different from her character, whom we saw in a lot of muted colors. She sported a gorgeous, wavy bob with a deep side part that was slightly shorter than her hair on the show, as well as a sparkly, silver, long-sleeved mini dress that allowed her personality to shine through. Literally.

The "Kim's Convenience" actor is quite a fashionista in real life, and loves keeping up with the latest trends. The star also expressed her love for the brand UNTTLD because of its dedication to creating pieces for strong women. "I love their idea behind creating silhouettes for a powerful woman as well as a sexy woman — they can be the same thing, they can be synonymous," she told Chloe Magazine (via Melina Maria Morry). Brugel clearly takes inspo from her favorite designers too, because she hasn't been afraid to take risks with bold clothing choices. 

Michael Tran/Getty

At a BAFTA event in 2018, the actor wore what she described on Instagram as "One of my all-time favourite looks." The dress was a gorgeous holographic sequin number with multi-colored floral pattern sequins all over. She tagged her stylist Victor Blanco in the post and noted, "Such a gorgeous choice." Just like her.