Doniella Davy spoke exclusively with ET about the HBO hit's second season and how she started a Gen Z-inspired glam movement.
When makeup artist Doniella Davy set out to work on Euphoria, she approached the project like any other job -- collaborating with the show's creator and director Sam Levinson, setting the character aesthetic with actors, and sketching out her own creative vision to see how she could blend all of these perspectives together.
But what was born out of HBO's hit television series -- beyond a cult following of loyal Gen Z viewers, an Emmy Award win for Zendaya (and Davy), and a sparked dialogue on the struggles of today's youth -- was a beauty revolution unlike anything often seen, let alone celebrated, through television.
"My job is always to deliver the vision of the director, and then also just explore what I can do to enhance the story and to involve the audience more. Sometimes, that's making the makeup absolutely invisible. But with Euphoria, it's been so liberating because we actually get to show makeup and create these really unique looks," said Davy in an interview with ET.
From poppy, purple eyeshadow hues to winged gel eyeliner styles, rhinestones and glitter galore, the makeup on Euphoria's first season evolved into a storyline of its own -- and inspired the real life Jules and Rue characters of the world to offer up their own interpretations on the aesthetic, in the process.
"I feel like I was this messenger, fairy-type person who was brought on to help push some of these makeup looks to be more mainstream -- but a lot of it was inspired from what kids were already doing and experimenting with. This show [Euphoria] really gave us the opportunity to push that new era of beauty into the spotlight and inspire people to just have more fun with their makeup."
With the show's second season set to premiere tonight, Jan. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, fans are gearing up for a new wave of character drama, otherworldly scores (hi, Labrinth) and plenty of fresh beauty inspiration to carry them through the new year -- though Davy insists the makeup will be much more refined this season.
"We started filming season 1 of Euphoria like three years ago -- so naturally, a lot has changed. My taste has changed, the actors have grown, and then just the whole creative vision behind the show has evolved. Nobody on set is picking up exactly where they left off."
So, what does Euphoria's second season have in store for its dedicated beauty base? Davy spoke exclusively with ET to break down the new season's new makeup aesthetic, plus some of the go-to beauty products that were used to develop all of the iconic character looks.
Creating "Sephoria"
Unsurprisingly, Euphoria's on-set makeup stock is pretty extensive -- bursting with just about every beauty essential you could imagine, from highlighters and colorful eyeshadow palettes, to brow gels, sheer foundation formulas, eyeliner pens and, yes, plenty of glitter, too. It's the space where actors can quite literally see the vision of their characters come to life -- with the help of Davy and her team, of course.
"Each of us in the makeup department all actually have a really different style of makeup artistry and creative process. We all sort of have our own favorite palettes and products that we pass around. Our makeup trailer is actually nicknamed 'Sephoria' because it's so out of control and we have so much to work with."
With the debut of Euphoria's first season in 2019 came a fresh wave of makeup trends. Through only eight episodes, the series managed to cultivate -- or at least bring to the forefront of popular culture -- a Gen Z-approved beauty movement built on a shared affinity for eye rhinestones, cloud decals, neon eyeshadow tones and dripping glitter designs.
While Davy notes that the upcoming season's beauty vibe will be "more refined, minimal" (and notably less "neon and bold") than the first season, she still insists there's plenty of makeup inspo to go around.
"I think people will have to look a little harder for the looks in season 2 -- they're not as loud and they're kind of created more like Easter egg moments."
Even with a natural, more effortless aesthetic set for the second season of Euphoria, the beauty -- as assured by Davy -- is just as, if not more, "wearable" and "accessible." Here are some of the on-set essentials that were used to cultivate the looks for characters like Rue, Jules, Cassie, Kat and more.
Season Two Product Staples
1.) Sheer Shimmer
"The Star Lit Diamond Powder from Make Up For Ever is so light and shimmery -- we're using it quite a bit for skin, just to add a fresh glow."
2.) Danessa Myricks Beauty
"One of the brands we also really like in the makeup trailer is Danessa Myricks Beauty -- she makes a lot of bold colors and these long-wear creams (both shimmery and matte).
3.) Foundation-less Favorites
"For [Euphoria] season 2, we are on a barely-any-foundation plan for all of our characters. So, we do put foundation on some people -- particularly like the Maddy character, because part of her look involves wearing a full face of makeup. There's another character that we find is trying a bit harder with her makeup this season, so we do use use foundation there, as well."
"With the minimal-to-no foundation style for season 2, I have gotten really into relying on tinted glowy sunscreens and then mixing like a liquid illuminator with a sheer foundation to just make the natural skin glow. There's this Color Science SPF that has this super slight tint to it -- it's got a glowy, pearlescent thing going on that makes the skin look so healthy. I also always love using the Glossier Stretch Concealer, because it looks so dewy and is really pretty on camera."
4.) Careful Color
Euphoria's first season saw a lot of bold, ColourPop-crafted eyeshadow stylings. And while season 2 is expected to feature more muted tones, the ColourPop eyeshadow palettes were still an on-set favorite.
"We all love the Huda Beauty eyeshadow palettes and we, of course, love ColourPop."
5.) Bold Brows, Always
The stars of Euphoria have undeniably great eyebrow game -- and this Anastasia Beverly Hills brow wax works to help maintain the brows shape through each scene.
The first season of Euphoria is available to watch now on HBO Max, and Euphoria season 2 will premiere tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
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