HBO's latest runaway hit series Euphoria feels much less a TV show and much more a culturally charged experience. The characters and their trippy pathways of trials and tribulations aren't something you passively watch. Rather, they punch you in the stomach with brutality, poignancy, and breathtaking cinematic visuals. The effect? Truly transportive—and deliciously addictive—television.
The characters are strong, the production is strong, even the soundtrack is strong, but it's the achiness emanating in between the lines that instigates the soul-twisting reaction everyone can't stop talking about. A Crayola-colored fusion that melts the raw dramas of teenage-dom with whimsical touches of fantasy, escapism, and lots (and lots) of glitter. It was the show's lead makeup artist Doniella Davy's job to convey all that and more on the canvas complexions of the cast's four leading ladies: Rue (Zendaya), Jules (Hunter Shafer), Kat (Barbie Ferreira), and Maddy (Alexa Demie).
Wildly successful, the series plays host to a non-stop current of gape-worthy beauty and makeup moments that are so good they almost distract from the show's harrowing plotlines. Euphoria might not be easy to stomach, per se, but we've never so hungrily consumed the zoom-worthy shots of crystal-studded eyelids, neon-washed brow bones, or lacquered and glitter-crusted lips. Yep, beauty can be soul-shaking, and Euphoria is A+ proof.
In honor of the show's season one finale (airing today!), we asked Davy to choose her four favorite makeup moments, starring Rue, Jules, Kat, and Maddy, alongside each look's inspiration and step-by-step instruction. Oh, and you need not be intimidated, because she's also serving up tips along the way as to how to make each look a bit more wearable. Just in case, you know, carnivals and house parties dizzied with marijuana and dripping with Molly aren't on your upcoming social agenda. Keep scrolling! Here, Davy breaks down the show's top four makeup looks—and for those who haven't watched, tread carefully! Some spoilers lie ahead.
Rue's Glitter-Tear Carnival Look, Episode 4
"This look was a collaboration between me and our creator, Sam [Levinson], who wanted Rue's look for the carnival to involve triangles under her eyes, or was it glitter under her eyes? One or the other… It’s all a blur!" Davy laughs.
"Anyway, the thinking behind this was for Rue's look to emote a melancholy feeling, but to still use the reflective texture of glitter, that would catch light in certain angles and kind of disappear in other angles. In the previous episode (three), Rue really goes through it emotionally, breaking down at Fezco's door after kissing Jules. It was important to me to bring some of that emotion into her carnival look for the purpose of staying true to her story line."
Step 1: A Wash of Burgundy on the Lids
"I used the burgundy color from Kevyn Aucoin's Electropop Pro Eyeshadow Palette, using my fingers to really pack the color on her lids. I used a fluffy brush to make sure the edges of the color were blended into her lids so everything would look nice and smooth on camera. I brought the color up to her crease but not beyond it. This look is all about the action being under her eyes."
Step 2: Waterproof Eyeliner & Mascara
"Then it was waterproof black pencil liner on her lower lash line and two coats of waterproof black mascara on her upper and lower lashes."
Step 3: Gold Glitter
"I painted on gold glitter in the shape of upside-down triangles under her eyes, starting along her lower lash line, using Revlon's Photo Ready Eye Art glitter in Desert Dazzle, which never smudges. The tube comes with a brush, which I used."
Step 4: A Sheer Application of the Foundation
"For complexion, I used a sheer foundation, like MAC's Face and Body Foundation, and their concealer palette to help polish up her skin but still keep it natural. I used a Beautyblender ($20)."
Step 5: Cream Blush
"This cream blush from Vapour Organic Beauty on her cheeks, applied with a Beautyblender to diffuse the color."
Step 6: Finishing Touches of Highlighter , Brows, & Chapstick
"For Zendaya's highlight, I used a Beautyblender with Glossier's Haloscope cream highlighter to glaze her cheekbones. Then, the brand's Boy Brow in Brown combed into her eyebrows."
"Last but not least, I used Chapstick on the lips! But a natural shade of lip liner and lipstick or gloss would also look amazing."
Tip: How to Make It More Wearable
To make this look more wearable, Davy suggests making the triangles smaller, or simply lining the lower lash line with glitter and forgoing the triangles altogether.
Jules's Tricolor Neon Eyelids, Episode 2
"This is one of Jules's more optimistic and playful looks that challenges glamorous makeup norms by taking a glam shape of eye shadow but infusing it with unexpected colors," Davy explains to us. "Plus, pairing it with a bare face gives it a less femme vibe. At this point in the script, Jules is happily texting with Tyler, and her relationship with Rue is just blossoming."
Step 1: Neon Green Liner
"I used Suva Beauty's Hydra FX in a neon-green shade, applied with water (like watercolors) and a flat concealer brush to define the outer most corners of the eye shadow."
Step 2: Neon Shadow
"Unfortunately, I can't find the exact palette, but the next color inward I used was a shimmery bright-pink shadow from one of Viseart's palettes. A shimmery pink color from ColourPop or any other eye shadow brand would work just fine! I applied this with my finger to really grind the color on there, and then I used a very small fluffy brush to blend the color just slightly into the green liner."
"The next color was a matte-orange shade from ColourPop. I don’t know which palette, but any matte orange will do! Same technique as I described above.
"Next was a matte-red shade. I used the same method as above but brought the color past the inner corner of her eye and curved it around so it reached just under the inner corner of the eye.
"To finish the lid, use a flat concealer brush to apply the same neon green under the lash line but just toward the inner third of the lash line."
Step 3: Black Mascara
"Black mascara!"
Step 4: Creamy Peach Blush + Freckles
"I then used Vapoour's cream blush in a peachy-pink color, applied with a Beautyblender, and I always enhance Jules's freckles with MAC's Shape + Shade Brow Tint."
Step 5: Foundation & Nude Lip (Optional)
"I actually didn't do lips or foundation/concealer on Jules, but if I were doing the look on myself, I would use a sheer foundation and a lip color that matched my lips, like Glossier's Generation G in Cake."
Tip: How to Make It More Wearable
If neon feels a bit too bold for you, Davy says you can take the vibe of this look down a notch by making the overall shape and reach of the eye shadow smaller, not taking the red color as far inward, or by switching the shades of neon for subtle pastel versions of the same hues.
Kat's Alien-Green Eye Shadow, Episode 4
"Green is one of Kat's makeup power colors, and I wanted to use a bright froggy/alien green color block on her for this," says Davy. "Instead of a blended look, I wanted to keep it all crisp because I knew there would be a lot of dark shadows during the carnival footage. To keep things relatively unpolished and feeling real, I chose to blur her lips with a tint."
Step 1: Apply Your Greens
"To start, I used this vivid cream color in bright green from Nyx. I applied with a flat concealer brush as a base all over Barbie's eyelids but made sure to keep the application in a round/oval shape. Bring the shape just above your crease."
"Move on to a shimmery, light-green eye shadow to dust on top. This helps to set the cream color. Then, apply a tiny bit of green glitter or a really shimmery green eye shadow toward the inner corners of your eyes to add reflection there."
"Next, use a medium/dark green shimmery cream eye shadow to line just below your lower lashes. I used a cream pot eye shadow by Chanel."
Step 2: Lots of Black Liner, Mascara, & Brow Gel
"Line your lower waterline in black waterproof eyeliner, and then load up with several coats of black mascara on both the top and bottom lashes. Apply Glossier Boy Brow in Black (or whatever color matches your brows) and brush brows straight up."
Step 3: Burgundy, Bee-Stung Lipstick
"Apply a berry or burgundy lipstick with your fingers. Go slightly outside of your lip line so the effect is a bit blurry, almost like bee-stung lips or Popsicle lips."
Tip: How to Make It More Wearable
"I think this look is totally wearable, but you could experiment with making the shape of the green a little smaller to just occupy the lower lid," confirms Davy.
Maddy's Crystal-Studded Purple-Blue Liner, Episode 4
"This look had to be sharp as a knife to cut through all the bullshit that Nate put Maddy through at the carnival," says Davy. "It also had to match her outfit and be visible in the shadows of the carnival. Lining her purple wings with tapered iridescent rhinestones was how this was achieved."
Step 1: Perfect Your Wing
"I used MAC's Chromaline Eye Liner in Marine Ultra and applied it with a slanted flat eyeliner brush. Be patient. Perfect winged liner takes patience and practice to do. Use small, pointy Q-tips to help make corrections."
"Then, apply this liquid eye shadow from Stila directly on top of the MAC Chromaline."
Step 2: Apply Your Rhinestones
"Use any white (clear-drying) eyelash glue to attach rhinestones to your lash line, and make sure you have various sizes of rhinestones. The idea here is for the rhinestones to start smaller toward the inner eye, get bigger toward the center of the lash line, and then taper off for the wing."
Step 3: Glitter, Nude Lips, & Brows
"I used a base of peachy-nude lipstick and darker nude liner, with loose glitter mixed with clear gloss applied on top. I mixed light-pink, copper, and rose-gold glitters together to make a color that would match her lipstick base."
"Keep your brows free from any heavy filling, and brush them straight up. Secure with clear brow gel or Aerogel hairspray."
Step 4: Fluttery Falsies
"Finish the look with strip lashes by House of Lashes."
Tip: How to Make It More Wearable
Aside from Maddy's glittery lips, which Davy says are actually pretty uncomfortable to wear, she feels this look is super wearable. She recommends experimenting with different colors of liner beneath the rhinestones or forgoing the rhinestones altogether if you don't want quite that much sparkle.
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