The characters in Euphoria are pushing make-up boundaries and driving trends,Alexa Demie as Maddy,Sydney Sweeney as Cassie and Barbie Ferreira as Kat.HBO/Binge
The Emmy award-winning first season,screening on Binge in Australia,was a psychedelic free-for-all with the glitter-splattered faces of Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer),diamanté embellished cat-eyes of Maddy (Alexa Demie) and saturated eyeshadow of cam girl Kat (Barbie Ferreira). Make-up artist Donni Davy dialled down the looks for season two,but the impact could be seen on the New York Fashion Week runway last week and is still being felt at the checkout.
Mecca make-up educator Ashleigh Fenton said that the industry is enjoying theEuphoriaeffect. “It’s not just the make-up,but it’s also the skincare,” Fenton said. “When Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) three-hour skincare routine aired,searches for body brushes and ice rollers went through the roof.” On Mecca’s website,searches for brushes increased by 90 per cent the week after the episode aired. Ice rollers,for encouraging circulation and reducing puffiness,had a 64 per cent search increase.
“This is the first show we’ve seen have such a big impact on beauty for a long time. Part of it is the way make-up is used to express the personality of the distinct characters.”
Sydney-based beauty influencer Rowi Singh is also riding theEuphoriawave. Singh had already garnered a strong following on Instagram with make-up expressions of her Indian heritage then when she started putting her spin onEuphorialooks in 2019,another 100,000 followers jumped on board.
“I’d heard aboutEuphoriabut the reviews when it first came out in 2019 weren’t great,and then I realised it was being reviewed by older people,” Singh said. “I know I’m pushing it at 27,but I immediately loved what I saw and could relate to it. The characters explore identity through make-up in the same way that I do.”
Make-up artist and beauty influencer Rowi Singh has gained a devoted following with her dramatic looks,often inspired by the television show Euphoria.Rowi Singh
Getting closer to the truth of one’s identity by applying make-up,rather than removing it,is a challenging concept but one that has enabled Singh to work with Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Anastasia Beverly Hills.
“I was born in Sydney but raised in the US and Singapore,so there was a lot of confusion about who I was,” Singh said. “Make-up is such a strong part of Indian culture and through it I could connect with that part of myself. That’s what Donni Davy is doing with the characters inEuphoria but she is also bringing us on that journey.”
That journey is taking place on social media as well as television. Davy’s Instagram account is packed with explanations behind each of the character’s looks. When Cassie is impersonating Maddy to catch the attention of Noah (Euphoria is meant to be about teenagers after all,even though most of the actors are in their 20s) the make-up goal was to show,“the underlying manic state that Cassie’s been in.”
Meanwhile Kat’s lower lash line and bright colours convey innocence. “I interpreted this as Kat still being kind of new to wearing make-up,and still very much using it to help figure out who she wants to be,” Davy posted.
Euphoria inspired make-up looks on the runway at New York Fashion Week from designers Christian Siriano and Christian Cowan.AP
With these behind-the-scenes glimpses pushing fans to the checkout section on beauty websites,Singh has been encouraged to get in on the action by launching a collection of stick on make-up,Embellish by Rowi,in May. And this week Davy launched beauty brand Half Magic,funded byEuphoria’s production company A24.
“People feel so connected to the show,” says Mecca’s Ashleigh Fenton. “People from all ages can certainly be inspired by the looks,particularly some soft colour washes that Cassie uses. But this is a show about teenagers,and they are the ones gravitating towards the looks,particularly Maddy’s. There’s certainly a lot happening inEuphoria,but some people are definitely watching it for the make-up.”
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