Inside the Makeup Magic of HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 with Donni Davy
May 18 | 7 minute read
Words by Madeleine Boles de Boer
Yet that’s exactly what happened when HBO’s Euphoria premiered in 2019. The boundary-pushing project compelled beauty lovers around the world to recreate its bold, sparkly looks, and birthed an entire movement of #EuphoriaMakeup. The silver screen hadn’t seen so much, well, silver (and gold, and glitter, and gems...) in a long time – and we took notice. A makeup brand and two seasons later, and the creative genius behind the show’s beauty looks, Donni Davy, is somewhat of a legend in the industry.
So, when news of the show’s third season – and its accompanying makeup collection – hit the MECCA office, we knew exactly who we wanted to sit down with to discuss, dissect and dish on all the behind-the-scenes inspiration and product recommendations for the inevitably iconic beauty looks.
The latest instalment in the world of Rue, Jules, Maddy and Cassie et al picks up their story amid the chaos of their twenties. While Davy wanted to remain true to the individual beauty identities crafted when the characters were high schoolers, she also needed to reflect the change in life stage. At the same time, the head makeup artist was creating a project of her own – a limited‑edition makeup collection inspired by the show. Euphoria x Half Magic is a love letter to the fans of every bedazzled eye, glitter tear and knife-sharp wing seen on screen. It’s also your cheat sheet to recreating all the best looks from the show – as Davy explains below.
Read on to find out her favourite beauty from season three, the details you might have missed, and how to bring each look to life yourself.
Episode 2: Maddy at the Pool With Cassie
DD: ”One of the reasons I love this look so much is that everyone is waiting for this moment – Cassie, the audience, Maddy. It’s the first time Maddy has seen Cassie in years, and so the impact needed to be dramatic. Every part of Maddy’s look and entrance was calculated to create that drama. But it also has elements of signature Maddy. In my mind, she will always incorporate winged liner into her looks. It’s part of her makeup DNA and functions as her ’comfort blanket‘ in times where she needs to perform – like this exact moment. It also establishes Maddy’s version of ’Hollywood Glam‘ which is a bit more modern and moodier, but so appropriate given that she’s now working in the business.
“I cannot do this look without Half Magic’s Wing Magician, the Magic Flik Eyeliner and the Flik Eraser makeup correcting pen which has oil-free micellar water in it. This combo of tools and products gets my actors out of the makeup trailer with perfect wings every time – which is also one of the biggest challenges in doing the look on set. I was actually inspired to make this Flik Eraser tool during season two after working on Maddy's wings and murdering piles of tiny pointy Q-tips. I always say: your winged liner game is only as strong as your clean-up game.”
Episode 4: Cassie’s TikTok Party Look
DD: “Cassie is at the TikTok party and we all know she’s in over her head. She’s like a little lost deer in the dark forest, but she’s overcompensating in everything she does and wears, from head to toe. But there’s a vulnerable part of her that is still peeking through. The super light, sparkly pink shades bring that little bit of innocence – it’s almost like we’re looking at her childlike naiveté shining through all the noise. It is also ultra feminine, which is forever and always Cassie.
“This look was all about sparkly lids, frosty high-contrast lips, satin skin and of course: it wouldn’t be season 3 without tight-lined eyes. For her eyes, to get that sugar-rush of dreamy pink sparkle, we used Glitterpill Glitter Eye Paint & Liner in ‘Panic in Pink’, which is so appropriate. That is paired with Half Magic Chromaddiction Matte in ‘Mochi Tutu’ and the new ‘Cassie’ shade from the Euphoria x Half Magic Limited Edition eyeshadow collection [palette]. On her lips, we used the Sculptitude Longwear Lip Liner in ‘Emo Rose’ and ‘Ur My Taupe’ and finished it off with Crystal Butter Lip Balm in ‘Sugarhead’.
“Did anyone notice that Maddy wears blue in these scenes? It’s a small but really nice colour pairing and contrast that alludes to their feminine and masculine energies that are partnering together to get results from this party.”
Episode 3: Jules at Cassie and Nate’s Wedding
DD: ”This look has so much to do with who Jules used to be and where she is/what her motivations are now. I took her makeup in a really different direction this season because her motivations have changed – she’s focused on male desire and the stability that money brings. This is her most whimsical look of the season, and she arrives at the wedding as a full, otherworldly goddess, and we love it. But there’s something different to whimsy: this isn’t the unbridled experimentation of her past – there’s much more focus and precision to how she’s showing up now and what she wants out of it.
“The new Euphoria x Half Magic Limited Edition collection was essential for this look – no joke, could not have done this without these… Glitterpuck in the new shade 'Feel Something'. It’s an iridescent periwinkle with little bits of lilac in it and it’s my favorite Glitterpuck shade yet. On Jules’ lips we used the new B*tch Ur My Soulmate Extra Plush Hydrating Lip Gloss. And we got such a beautiful glow from the blush-lighter from the new collection as well.
Episode 5: Magick in The Line Up
“Magick really needed to stand out in the lineup, so we amped up her eye makeup and added a trail of rhinestones along her lower lash line. We use the Euphoria Self Adhesive Face Gems for this look – they sparkle like crazy on camera. I also wanted to give her signature black lipliner (shade: ‘Badassery Parade') a more glam moment to show how black lipliner can look really elevated with a dark gloss. I used our black sparkly lip gloss, Magic Drip, in the shade ‘Problem Child’. I envisioned her eyes twinkling in this scene and they did just that.
“And of course, there are her signature eyebrows. To achieve those, I use the Magic Flik eyeliner to create the thin brow line that gives her that almost angry, aggressive look. Another special trick that I used here is a contouring technique that I learned from the Half Magic community. You place our Wing Magician, usually for eyes, below your cheekbone and press on your contour cream. Then you take a clean brush and blend that hard line for a super precise and soft contour. You finish it by adding your blush on top. In this look we used Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Blush in the shade ‘Magic Brownie’.
“Magick's signature lash move is putting them just on the outer corners, creating a very swooped-out-and-up lash look [that] really lifts the eye. This is such an intense moment, and this little detail gives the look even more confidence.”
Stream Euphoria season 3 on HBO Max now.
