Beyond the screen: Euphoria’s impact on fashion and makeup
A conversation about the powerful role styling plays in conveying the story. A spoiler warning is now in effect.
Screenshot by Brandon Portillo, from Hunter Schafer's Instagram
The cast of Euphoria at the season two premiere.
From glittery garments to makeup looks full of color, there are many attributes that set Euphoria apart from other TV shows. The HBO original premiered back in 2019 and quickly gained traction as more and more people started watching due to the renowned actors, such as Zendaya, and interesting previews. An outcome that was not expected was the wave of new trends in makeup that resulted from the arrival of the show to our screens. The show also marked a turning point in the direction fashion was projected to go and started a movement in the beauty industry, as well as revealed how important so-called superficial things, such as makeup and fashion design, can be for a production of this caliber.
From the very beginning, the way the show is filmed and edited clearly showed the intentions of writer and director Sam Levinson. There is a distinct appreciation for the way aesthetics can be implemented to move a story forward, as well as add to its content, originality, and ability to be recognized by the public. Most people might have considered that wardrobe and styling could not add to the plot before Euphoria, but this has been proven false. There is a considerable amount of effort put into every outfit and glittery eye look, and, in its own way, it helps illustrate details about the characters that words can’t.
The head makeup artist for the show, Doniella Davy (@donni.davy on Instagram), stated in an interview with Glamour that “First and foremost, the looks have to go with the script and what the kids are going through.” Heidi Bivens, the show’s costume designer, also stated in an interview with Variety, “I’m always looking to communicate the story through costume.” Social media users have become aware of this, and every “Euphoria Sunday” they micro-analyze every detail of the character’s clothing in hopes of gaining more insight into the character’s mind, compare both seasons, as well as take inspiration from the show and add their own twist to the makeup. Euphoria has been extremely influential, and it has had the power to change fashion since its debut.
Popular fashion choices for the future are usually predictable: The “20 year fashion rule” states that trends come back every 20 years. A trend usually goes through a full cycle, which consists of the initial introduction, an increase in popularity, and a peak; this then yields to oversaturation, a decline, and then obsolesce of the item. Despite this being a very reliable concept, unprecedented events such as world news, revolutions, or certain changes in industries can change the direction in which fashion and makeup are predicted to go in. The show’s impact was felt in red carpets, fashion shows, and Hollywood’s elite, as more and more individuals were seen sporting colorful eyeshadow, graphic liner, and geometric shapes on their eyelids. Chantel Miller, MAC’s senior makeup artist, while speaking from Sies Marjan’s backstage said, “Makeup trends wane — it comes and goes — and typically, what you’ll see is when we have moments where there is a decent amount of economical, political strife, people get exhausted and eventually they need to just have fun. We tend in fashion, to really see that color run make a comeback when society just needs to take a breath.”
The show premiered in a crucial moment, as not even a year later people were isolated due to a global pandemic. One of the effects from the Covid-19 pandemic is that it gave a lot of people a “comfortable”, for lack of a better word, space in which to explore new interests, and Euphoria became a source from which people could draw inspiration. Social media played a big role on this, as people would film themselves while recreating the looks or simply adding a specific factor to their daily routines, such as adding gems or eyeliner in certain colors, all in an attempt to stay sane during uncertain times. Makeup became one of the many hobbies people picked up during the quarantine.
Jamestown student and theatre enthusiast Aida Tanglao-Aguas has a lot of thoughts about the TV series’ effect on makeup. He stated: “I follow the makeup artist, and even if I don’t watch the show, it’s fascinating to see how the looks connect to the character’s current state of mind. My idea of makeup and what makeup can be has been affected by the movement towards abstract makeup that was influenced by Euphoria alone.” He continued to say, “‘Fun’ makeup as an art form, with glitter and colors, is definitely more accessible because of the show’s popularity. It definitely opened up creative expression in makeup and it’s going to continue to be relevant for a long time.” Aida is no stranger to makeup, and constantly experiments with different colors and shapes. Click below to check out some of his makeup looks.
The quarantine brought a lot of changes, one of those being, as the entertainment industry was forced to take a break, people started to truly appreciate how the films and tv shows we watch serve as a safe haven away from our chaotic real lives; as well as appreciating little things in life such as getting ready in the morning, meeting up with family and friends, and having places to be. People were starved for new content to consume as our entertainment options slowly ran out, but for for two and a half years we did not receive an ounce of euphoric news, excluding the special episodes released in December 2020 and January 2021. Season two of Euphoria finally premiered on Sunday, January 9th across the globe in 2022.
Fans were eager to see the story unfold, as well to see if the new season’s looks would live up to the expectations. Week after week, people would analyze the character’s clothing, makeup, and actions to determine what would happen next. An example of this is the way people would talk about the characters Maddy Perez and Cassie Howard. Let’s break down their style evolution one by one and talk about how their individual storylines affect their style.
In the beginning of the show, Maddy’s wardrobe consisted primarily of a lighter color palette and very girly clothing items. There were lots of blue, light purple, and peach. She primarily wore her hair in a ponytail, and her makeup also matched the previously mentioned color palette, with lots of gems added. However, this all was due to her toxic relationship with Nate Jacobs, who was attracted to this heavy display of femininity and innocence. She felt the need to mask her confident and strong personality to please him and appear more desirable. However, rays of her true self would shine through the cracks of this facade whenever troubles with Nate would arise, and her style would shift, this being the most evident in episode four of season one, also known as the “Carnival” episode, or the season one finale.
Her true style consists of very sensual cuts and colors like black, blue, or darker shades of purple . Make-up wise, she traded her colorful eyeshadow for a more classic, sharp eyeliner and darker tones. Even if she goes back to her previous color palette, she does it in a way where her true style isn’t sacrificed for the comfort of others. She is seen more confident and sure of herself in the new season. This evolution is necessary and crucial to the story, as it is meant to show the contrast between her and her best friend Cassie, and serve as a symbol of how far apart they are growing.
In season one, Cassie Howard presents herself as your typical girl-next-door, her style is very girly and, just like Maddy’s, consists of light colors such as pink and baby blue. The interesting thing about her character is that she doesn’t go through a big style change for the most part, until the latter half of season two. As she goes through a big heartbreak and battles with confidence and her relationship towards the men in her
life, her style stays gorgeous yet static. After getting involved with Nate Jacobs, Maddy’s ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by the guilt, but continues the affair. As previously mentioned, Nate is attracted to femininity and he even has a list of traits he likes about women. He is very meticulous about the things he finds attractive, so it is important for Cassie to check every box. Nate has a deep obsession with Maddy, however, and is stuck in a toxic cycle of going back to her, so Cassie’s solution to this issue is attempting to draw inspiration from her bestfriend and recreate her style.
Cassie’s journey in the new season is sad and almost embarrassing to watch, as she slowly takes a turn for the worse since the last time we saw her in season one. “There’s definitely a comedy to it, especially with those looks,” Davy stated in an interview with Glamour. “The Maddy look is weirdly haunting on her because it’s just like, ‘That’s so not you.’ But then it finally gets Nate’s attention. It was meant to be an attention grabber and to even be a tiny bit uncomfortable to see. Even the baby hairs, the overlined brown lips. It’s that secondhand embarrassment, because it looks extra dramatic on her. And then the white was definitely a choice to make it look even more strange and odd.” Davy’s artistry and planning may not be obvious to most but it is purposely designed that way, to serve as an extension of the character’s mind and reveal what is not explicitly said.
Overall, for anyone who remotely keeps up with teen drama shows has heard of Euphoria, its influence on Gen Z and the entertainment industry is extremely palpable. People have been inspired and empowered to express themselves through makeup and fashion, as well as to create new trends derived from the show. Since its premiere, Euphoria has been motivating people to continue innovating, taking risks, and have fun reimagining art. All to be displayed on a new format, their face. Euphoria has marked a before and after in recent fashion history.
