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Filming in Los Angeles meant adjusting everyone's skincare routine to focus on one thing.
We're sadly approaching the season finale of HBO's Euphoria this upcoming weekend. 😭 It's fair to say that not only has the show become known for its captivating, thought-provoking storylines — but it's also made waves in the beauty, style, and makeup communities for its trademark aesthetic.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
Ever since Season 1 debuted in 2019, viewers have been inspired by the bold, colorful, glittery makeup looks seen on the show's characters. And those looks are often the creation of Euphoria's makeup designer and department head, Doniella Davy. Everything from Maddy's signature winged eyeliner to Kat's distinctive pastel-colored eyeshadow are all thanks to Doniella and her talented team.
Ahead of Sunday's finale, we spoke to Doniella about all things Euphoria and behind-the-scenes beauty — including how the makeup direction evolved from the first season to the second, the skincare routine she encourages for the cast, her favorite looks so far, her Euphoria-inspired makeup line that drops later this year, and more.
1. Even though the makeup looks from Season 1 immediately made waves, Euphoria's creator Sam Levinson insisted that the looks for Season 2 be completely different.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
Doniella said by the time filming began for Season 2, she felt like a caged animal due to quarantine, so she was ready to create the same type of colorful, glitter-filled looks she made famous in the first season. But Sam had other plans for each character's makeup looks.
"Sam said to me, 'I don’t want Euphoria makeup," Doniella told BuzzFeed. "Ultimately, it was a really good thing because I also wasn’t trying to repeat what I did already — even though some people wanted that. I knew I was going to disappoint some folks without crazy rainbow colors and rhinestones."
"We did that hard on the first season, and [in Season 2], it was continuing the conversation but also changing it to be like, 'You can still experiment and have fun and be bold with your makeup — but the look doesn’t have to be visible from across the room," Doniella said.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
Ultimately, Doniella said she is always proud of the looks her and her team create on the show but always hopes it resonates with others the same way.
"I hope fans like it too because I was definitely a little panicked, especially in the beginning, fresh off of quarantine. I was doing all of these looks on my face and I was ready to explode with [them] — and then I quickly realized what we were redefining it all and I was caught off guard. It made it a creative challenge for sure," she said.
2. Doniella draws inspiration for the show's makeup looks from the script, the characters' clothes, and — notably — the characters' bedrooms.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
"Ultimately, the looks are very, very driven by what’s going on in the scripts of the show. I'm reading between the lines, thinking about these characters, how they dress, their clothes, and their overall style," she told BuzzFeed.
But beyond that, Doniella will also draw makeup inspiration from specific sets. "Honestly, looking at their bedrooms is always a great thing for me because I can pick up on colors and textures — and see what their world looks like," Doniella explained.
Doniella also said her inspiration for the show's makeup looks comes from consulting with the actors, as well as Sam Levinson.
"It’s this giant witch’s brew where thousands of ingredients go into creating these beauty looks," she said.
3. Alexa Demie, who plays Maddy on Euphoria, was extremely involved in creating her character's makeup looks in Season 2 — even drawing on her signature wings herself some days.
"Some days, Alexa would just start the wing and be like 'I’m done, can you do it?' So she would always help out a bit and sometimes I’d do her liner or Alexandra French, one of my team members this season, would do it and then I’d come in at the end and make sure everything looked perfect," Donni said.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
4. Of all of the looks created for Season 2, two of Doniella’s absolute favorites were Jules’ New Years Eve look and Cassie’s “Maddy” look.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
Although Doniella is quick to emphasize how tough it is to choose a favorites, those two were especially memorable.
"I was really pleased with how Jules’ New Years Eve look turned out. That one was really exciting to see on screen afterwards because it wasn't a very big look — but it had a lot of impact on screen so I really loved that," Doniella told BuzzFeed.
"I think Cassie’s 'Maddy' look was really effective too. I also loved all of Lexie’s little Twiggy-esque graphic stuff. Again, it's hard to choose a favorite — there are so many little details going on in each person that I loved," she said.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
5. Before each actor left the makeup trailer, every makeup look had to be inspected from all angles.
6. While filming, the actors were discouraged from getting facials or any invasive treatments that could irritate their skin.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
"I mostly try to encourage all the actors to stay really moisturized while filming," Doniella told BuzzFeed. She also prefers that they stay away from facials, peels, or doing anything with harsh chemicals.
"A lot of these girls get facials often, which on the one hand can be really wonderful, but on the other hand it can leave the skin a little damaged or irritated before it reveals," she said.
7. The show's makeup team also asked the actors to follow a very simple skincare routine when filming. It's one that prioritizes moisture, which is key against the dry Los Angeles heat that Euphoria films against.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
"I have the 'treat the skin like baby skin' approach, where I’m like 'keep it clean and very moisturized." That’s the best approach for us," Doniella said.
"[We film] in LA — so it’s very dry and can result in us battling dry skin. So we also spend time really massaging products in," she continued. "Some actors come lubed up, ready to go with their skincare on and others, we start from scratch. It’s different with each person."
8. Due to the show's quick-cut style of directing, a lot of makeup looks don't even make it onto the screen.
9. Actors like Zendaya and Alexa Demie came in already knowing so much about makeup, the show's makeup team often felt the need to constantly improve on their craft.
Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images for HBO / Via Getty Images
Doniella said while filming, she learned a lot of tips and tricks from the actors because they’re all so savvy with beauty and fashion.
"These girls are used to getting their makeup done by incredibly talented artists, which definitely puts the pressure on me and my team, which is good because we want to get better all the time," she told BuzzFeed.
"We always want to improve our skills and learn. We’re always on our toes because these girls are coming in getting amazing skincare treatments and makeup done elsewhere, so they have a high standard and we try to keep up," Doniella revealed.
10. Glitter makeup looks were at the forefront in Season 1 — and Zendaya was actually the one who taught Doniella how to easily and effectively remove it.
Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images for HBO / Via Getty Images
Donni said that in Season 1, Zendaya taught her a simple but effective technique to remove glitter using any sort of makeup wipe. "To remove glitter, I took cues from Zendaya because she is very good with makeup," Doniella told BuzzFeed.
She explained: "You take a makeup wipe and you do one swipe across the glitter and then fold it over so you’re not redepositing glitter on your eyelid. Then you do another swipe, fold the wipe, another swipe, fold the wipe, and try to get as much of it off — and that way we’re not putting all the glitter particles down the drain. I found this method to be the best, most effective way to remove all of those glittery makeup looks," she said.
11. Doniella said contrary to what some might think, Euphoria was not her place to wildly experiment with makeup looks just because. Instead, she believes that the makeup looks must always be in service to the script.
Eddy Chen / Via HBO
"I'm in service to the script and the story and just getting the actors ready and to set on time, which is the goal," she told BuzzFeed.
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