The new HBO drama “Euphoria” is all you need to see if you are a makeup (and Zendaya) lover. In addition to being particularly dramatic and exploring topics such as drug abuse, sexual identity, and violent relationships, the series is also a visual experience, aesthetically exciting and electrifying. Each character has their own sense of style and makeup, and they are recognizable because of it: they even express emotions through their look (just think of the glittery tears that stream down Rue’s face, synonymous with a drug trip) allowing us, even before we watch the scene, to understand what feelings will be felt by our favorite teens of the moment. “The makeup is in fact used in an emotional way, to help show the journey of teenagers within the show,” explains director Sam Levinson.
Furthermore, “Euphoria” is “guilty” (luckily) of having revolutionized the rules of makeup, experimenting, exploring, and redefining what is beautiful, inspiring Gen Z to boast their new and unconventional style, challenging stereotypical gender identities.
Doniella Davy, the visionary makeup artist of the show, shares on her Instagram all the looks of the series, giving us a 360 º vision of the creative path that led her to make those makeup looks and, (thanks Doniella) the beauty products she used. We could not miss this opportunity, so we went to find in the captions and descriptions on her feed everything we needed to explain step by step how to reproduce our favorite makeup looks of the series. Here is a list of the 10 best Euphoria makeup looks + all the products to realize them!
1. Red and Black
The looks of Kat express the metamorphosis that the character undergoes throughout the first season: from an insecure girl, she turns into a brave woman, who finally discovers her power and the power of her body, fights the labels that hold her back, and learns to put her happiness and satisfaction first.
In general, Barbie Ferreira’s makeup looks reflect her aggressive attitude as a bondage girl, in fact, the choice often falls on red and black and on increasingly daring shapes as her self-confidence grows. The makeup of the eighth episode, instead, keeps the same characteristic colors but in a sweeter way: “For this makeup,” explains Doniella Davy, “to reflect Kat’s vulnerability and tenderness at that precise moment I thought a slightly more refined and delicate look would be appropriate. In contrast to the excitement of embracing her sexual confidence (and the heavier and more marked makeup that accompanies that mood), I wanted this makeup to be different […] in some way, although Kat is more dolled up than we’ve seen before, she still maintains a certain naturalness. I thought the neon red details would make the look even more memorable […] I wanted to use the gems differently than Jules and Maddy and use them ‘under the spotlight’, so as not to make them too distracting.” This makeup look is very simple (perhaps one of the simplest) to recreate: you just need two eyeliners, one black and one red, for the inner and lower rhyme of the eye, and a red stick-on gem. Glisten Cosmetics eyeliners are our favorites: they are available in a wide range of colors, including duo-chrome and split liners, so that you can buy just one eyeliner in two different shades. They come in the shape of eye shadow (do not expect the classic “writing pen”) and should be applied with specific brushes based on the size you prefer for your line: you will feel like painting on a canvas! In addition to that, use a lot of mascara: the lashes are long, thick, and well defined, especially the lower ones.
2. The Peacock
Cassie’s looks generally reflect her sweet and sensitive nature and come in warm, natural, and light nude tones, made only of mascara and, sometimes, a touch of eyeliner, except for episode 8: as a child, she dreamed of becoming a skater and, in a dream where she is skating on an ice rink, which happens as an emotional antithesis to the moment she is living in her real life, her makeup triumphs in a whirlwind of sparkling gems, capable of evoking a feeling that is the opposite of Cassie’s present reality. From the colors that match the “peacock” color of the dress, apply on the eyelid some eye shadows in the shades of green, water green, turquoise, and petrol green (As Green Palette by We Makeup is perfect for all the various shades of green, while for the blue/blue additions we recommend the 5 Couleurs Couture Palette Eyeshadow “Denim” by Dior) and some stick-on gems you can find on Amazon.
3. Orange and lilac
Maddy is the most popular girl in school and her makeup is pop, colorful, with a few touches of the 90s and 2000s style. In episode 2, we can see a contrasting look on her face with lilac eyeshadow + winged eyeliner in a red-orange color. Super easy, but also super impacting – if we had to recommend products featuring similar colors to recreate it, we would definitely go for one of the Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick 8 Hours No-Transfer by Kiko, which are easy to blend, soft and very pigmented, and a liquid lipstick by We Makeup. Yeah, you heard right. Ever Liquid Lipsticks can also be used as a blush, eye shadow, and even as colored mascara (yes, we tried that and they really are gorgeous); number 32, the Ever Pacaya Scarlet, is coral-red, while the Orosí Lobster, that recalls the cult objects found at the foot of the volcano Orosì in Costa Rica, is more orange, so you have two options: both for a cool and warm undertone, both very similar to the original.
4. Iridescent framed red eyes
This look is somewhat gothic, very different from the previous ones: a makeup that symbolizes the path of Jules towards a new, imminent future. After meeting Anna, during a trip that ended up with her crying on a rooftop at dawn, Jules will never be the same again: moreover, she is torn between her love for Rue and Anna and shaken by Nate’s threats. Despite everything, even in the worst moments, Jules keeps this spark of innate optimism and freedom, which is why Doniella Davy chose the iridescent eye-framing stick-ons by Face Lace to represent these qualities that, combined with the strands of black hair that frame her face, almost make Jules look like an insect (a praying mantis). The products used by the same make-up artist to create this look are the Red Liner by Urban Decay, the red eyeshadow by Claro-Psyche, and one of the creamy blushes by Vapour Beauty.
5. Eyes that hurt
The first words written by Doniella Davy about this look in her Instagram caption are: “I wanted that the eyes of Jules seemed almost to hurt Nate […] it had to be visceral for the audience.” In other words, an explosive, daring makeup, that manages to express very well Jules’ anger towards Nate and his blackmail. The stencils on the eyes of Jules are now famous on the web, by Face Lace. Fun fact, these stencils are very easy to apply, as they are joined together and therefore perfect to create a fabulous look in (really) a few seconds, but the first prototype of these Spikelihood Stencils dates back to 2018 by the creative mind of makeup artist and creative director Jabe. Over time they have been simplified precisely to meet the needs of buyers. Combine them with a very natural and neutral makeup so as not to exaggerate and risk shifting the focus: a peachy blush, a nude lipstick, and a light creamy touch on the eyelids, and you’re done!
6. The tears of Rue
Although Rue is the most tomboy character and indifferent to fashion and makeup (compared to other characters, who tend to express their moods more through makeup), glittery tears – which she flaunts in episode 8 in the “drug trip” scene – have quickly become the makeup symbol par excellence of Euphoria. An imperfect and low-key makeup, a signature look created by Doniella Davy and Kirsten Coleman that perfectly translates the melancholy, anxiety, and sadness of Rue: in fact, the tears appear on her face only when she begins to deal with her feelings. You can recreate this look with any purple/lilac glitter, but our advice is to buy the iconic glitter Lemonhead LA Spacepaste (hurry, it is always sold out!) with which all of Rue’s looks were created: the gel is super pigmented and, unlike normal glitter, which must be pressed on the face, it can be fixed much more easily and it doesn’t smudge thanks to its long-lasting formula.
7. Juliet Capulet
For Daniel’s Halloween party, Jules dressed up as Juliet Capulet played by Claire Danes, inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film Romeo + Juliet (yes, the one starring Leonardo DiCaprio). The makeup look is romantic and the ethereal, with an unmistakable pinch of goth: the original pastel pink eyeshadow, used on the entire upper eyelid and also applied in the lower rhyme to follow the extension of the eye socket, is by Colourpop Cosmetics, but a valid alternative can also be the Mac Sushi Flower eyeshadow; if you want to give three-dimensionality to the look mixing more shades of pink until you get what you prefer, Matchy-Matchy Monochromatic palette by NYX in the shade Melon includes all the nuances that you need, from peach- rose to strawberry. In general, however, pink eye shadows shouldn’t be difficult to find. For vertical lines instead, Davy used the Rose Gold Liquid Liner by Too Faced (but you can recreate them with any metallic liquid liner), while the gold inserts and strips used for the eyebrows and cheekbones are by Kryolan.
8. Colors, colors colors!
“I wanted Jules’ look to defy beauty standards and makeup rules: I wanted to avoid a too-perfect or feminine effect. I didn’t want to use mascara.”
Did you hear that? Leave the mascara aside and indulge with the colors: here too, the Colourpop Cosmetics palettes are the number one choice of Doniella Davy, but the result can also be obtained using the 42 Colour Palette by Beauty Bay + the Glitter Shot Eyeshadow Shade 09 by Yves Saint Laurent (that water green shimmer) and the Mono Couleur Couture Eyeshadow Gold Star by Dior. To intensify the color, wet the brush with water before applying the eye shadow and start from the inside out, gradually adding the various shades of color.
9. Clouds
Jules and Rue love each other, but things get complicated in episode 3.
For this daytime make-up, Jules wears hand-drawn clouds with a white eye-liner on the sides of her eyes, and although the character’s looks are generally bold and brave, they are never exaggerated.
“Jules’ makeup, hair colors, and clothes reflect her mood. During a montage of the third episode, during which she feels in love, she uses her colored eye-liner to create funyn patterns and shapes,” explains Davy; recreating these looks is quite easy, even if it takes some practice to keep hands steady while drawing: the white eye-liner by Glisten Cosmetics is perfect, but if you are inexperienced, you may find easier to use a pen eye-liner like the one by Dior, the Diorshow On Stage Liner Eyeliner Matte White, because the risk of white is just that it is little pigmented.
10. Gems
Maddy is the queen of gems, drama, and makeup looks that will certainly not go unnoticed. A lover of eye shadows in shades of purple, lilac, blue and blue, her makeup fits perfectly with her personality, as well. A dark blue eye shadow covers the entire eyelid, giving it a feline and elongated shape, while a myriad of transparent gems outline the shape of the eyelid and radiate across the hair in parallel lines. Shimmering and impactful: stock up on fake eyelashes for a feminine and sensual look.
