In 2022, ‘Euphoria’ became grander, complex, and eschewed us from a disappointing second season. Along with audiences and critics, the awards season also recognized the impactful performances, especially that of Zendaya as Rue. The camp depiction of the high school children and the demons that they face and fight had a cultural impact. Pop culture went into a frenzy with everything that is ‘Euphoria’. Alexa Damie’s portrayal of Maddy, Barbie Ferreira’s transformation, Rue and Jule’s relationship.
But, one of the details that the young audience admired about Sam Levinson’s creation is the makeup of the characters. The series couldn’t dodge the wave of the Y2K. Cassie and Maddy’s outfit to Jules’ glitter and glamor represented the Gen Z sensibilities with a hint of Millennial nostalgia. The makeup aided the personality of the characters that each other played. Rue’s shabby look with once in a Blue Moon glitter makeup did not shallow the representation of a drug addict. Jules’ makeover looked raw and experimental, but it became aspiration. So, how did the glam help representing the characters in the show?
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The Magician Behind The Makeup In ‘Euphoria’ Was Donniella Davy
The wardrobe and facial adornment are things which contribute the most to a character’s personality. The actors wear that and embody the external persona. Their job is to insert life with their emotional responses to these outer facets. The teenage dramas and series have set precedents to certain fads reviving popular culture once in a while. ‘Euphoria’ revived popular culture is an understatement. It transformed and impacted the audience with respect to the fashion statements.
The glitter, galaxy, and darker shades, shapes, and texture of the eyes became the foundational theme for most of the female characters. Donniella Davy took this mammoth task of making these emotionally fractured youth conceal their traumas with it. No one anticipated how it would make a lion’s share in the pop-culture capital. Two of the most loved makeup looks in the first season was that of Maddy and Jules.
Maddy had her sharp edge liners with different shades adorned with glitters. Davy wanted to portray different moods of Maddy on different days with those makeup looks. Some days she is fierce, some days she is demurred. There also came a point when she was without the layer of makeup. It was to depict her vulnerability that very particular day post the Carnival fiasco.
In an interview, she confessed that they did not want to box Jules in a gender box. She said, “They’re artists who want to transcend gender stereotypes. Even though the character of Jules is transfeminine, I wanted to make sure that her makeup looks had a not-too-polished rawness to them that was more experimental and had an artistry to it that wasn’t labeling itself as something”.
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How Sam And She Made A Decision To Have Rue Look Glamorous?
One of the unanimously best performances on television of 2022 was that of Zendaya as Rue. The portrayal of a teenager with substance addiction along with the vulnerability, dilemma, and navigating a life amidst past traumas is a complex process. But, Zendaya gave life to this girl, who cannot lead a sober life, but she tries. Remember the intervention scene when Rue breaks up with Jules? Zendaya tore into the soul of Rue to get the rage and disappointment towards Jules out. In most of the series, we see Rue in a shabby way. The hair undone, under eye bags, and no makeup like her other friends.
But, Sam Levinson and Donniella did incorporate a makeup look in the first season during the Carnival episode. In an interview with Allure, Davy said, “Sam would be like, ‘Yeah, why not? Why make her a stereotypical drug addict who’s always going to wear no makeup and walk around in boxers? Why confine her to that restriction when she could be wearing glitter?’ Sam was definitely the brains behind that. She does do something — it just has to be emotionally evocative and it has to be a look she would do”.
