Michelle Castano
Editor-in-Chief
Big Little Lies, Game of Thrones and Chernobyl are current HBO hits; however, they weren’t enough for me to upgrade my Xfinity subscription in order to gain HBO viewership. Enter a show titled “Euphoria” which has Disney Channel star, Zendaya as a headlining actress. I was immediately hooked and lured into this gritty Generation Z world, created by Sam Levinson.
Euphoria centers around Rue [Zendaya] and her friends, Jules [Hunter Schafer], Maddy [Alexa Demie], Kat [Barbie Ferreira], and Cassie [Sydney Sweeney] as they grapple with topics including drug addiction, sexuality, social media, relationships, and the rippled effects of one’s actions. Additionally, the makeup within the world of this HBO new hit series is a standout character. In one shot you see Maddy wearing rhinestones on her eyebrows at a highschool pep rally, and in the next, you see Jules wearing iridescent eyeliner with geometric designs such as circles and sharp angles. According to Allure, “bold, unconventional makeup is completely normal in Euphoria’s hyperrealistic depiction of what it’s like to be a teenager in America in 2019”.
Normally, in television shows, the makeup is subdued as to not take away from the characters dialogue. Euphoria breaks those boundaries, as show creator, Sam Levinson is a fan of watching makeup tutorials and noticed that through such videos, new makeup trends and techniques are being applied regularly. Levinson gave lead makeup artist, Doniella Davy free range of artistry (a true makeup artists dream). Davy explained that the makeup was a key factor of the character development; for instance, Maddy, who was a pageant queen as a child maintained elaborate looks with 90’s inspired winged eyeliner, and pigmented eyeshadows to match her carefully orchestrated outfits. As tensions with her boyfriend escalate, her appearance is lackluster to avoid being seen and noticed.
Kat, who is played by Brazilian beauty, Barbie Ferreira, begins the series as a shy, science fiction loving introvert. The makeup on Kat is not quite noticeable; as she was much like a fly-on-the-wall in the beginning of the series. As Kat begins to explore her sexuality and create an online persona, her makeup begins to evolve into a gothic dominatrix-like feel. With dark lined lips and sultry smokey eye shadow, she the gains confidence and attention she has been coveting. An exception to Kat’s edgy, smoldering makeup would be when she visited a carnival with frog green eyeshadow. [Interception, yes, I actually remember episodes by makeup looks]. Interestingly enough, actress, Barbie Ferreira created a mood board for the character she was portraying and collaborated with the brainstorming of looks alongside makeup artist, Doniella Davy. Ferreira was inspired by the cult classic movie, “Ghost World” in which she gave a nod to Thora Birch’s character, Enid by incorporating the element of the shock green eye into her mood board and character persona.
Jules, Played by Hunter Schafer is the new girl in town who moved from the city. She is transfeminine and seeks love and validation through online dating sites; she generally is a kind hearted individual who gets herself involved in tricky situations. This blonde haired beauty is seen riding her bike across town with what I would describe as rave-inspired clothing; she sports clothing that you’d see on the Dolls Kill Instagram page. Her aesthetic is creative and she longs to be enrolled in the Parsons School of Design. Doniella Davy explains that she did want to keep her makeup from looking too feminine because she wanted to create a whole new look for her that didn’t fit into a stereotype and was its own nuanced version. Through the experimentation of her makeup looks, Jules is finding out who she really is. For her, it’s more than just self expression. She combines “in-your-face” neon eyeshadow along with dainty pastel pink glitter. I feel it adds to allure that she can be whatever she wants, whether it be masculine or feminine, she can do it all.
For makeup looks within Euphoria, one can visit Doniella Davy’s Instagram handle, donna.davy. Euphoria airs on HBO, Sunday nights and I certainly can not wait for the next wave of makeup inspiration.