HBO’s series, Euphoria, is doing for makeup what Sex and the City did for fashion. Yes, that might sound like an exaggeration, but acknowledging that I don’t have an extensive knowledge of television history, I cannot think of another show in which makeup played a bigger role.

Let’s take the SATC comparison a bit further. Before the show became popular in the late-90s/early-00s, mixing prints and wearing quirky vintage pieces made people think you had a screw loose. After the show began, wearing those things meant you were the pinnacle of fashion. It was a true turning point in street style. SATC gave people license to play with clothing in a way they never had before. Clashing colors and patterns, interesting volumes, and wacky accessories were among some of the show’s signatures, created by costume designer and downtown NYC legend, Patricia Field.

Pat Field’s counterpart in the Euphoria comparison is Doniella Davy, who creates the show’s scene-defining makeup looks. Among the most notable: double-winged eyeliner, crackled metallic accents, and painterly colors on eyelids. Davy uses pops of bright color for the character, Jules, played by Hunter Schafer, while Rue, played by Zendaya, is covered in glitter or sparkles at parties.

Kat, played by Barbie Ferreira, is the goth kid, with dark or blood-red lipstick and heavily-lined eyes. Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie is frequently seen with a subtle shimmer, while Maddie, played by Alexa Demie, gets the sharp double-winged eyeliner.

In a January 31, 2022 interview in W, Davy described the makeup for Euphoria as “emotional glam. The makeup needs to visually communicate the characters’ emotional states of mind; the looks give more insight into that character in that moment. That always comes first, before the look.”

While some of the the looks in Euphoria are downright works of art and would take hours for the average makeup user to recreate, they still inspire the viewer to play with color, texture, and shine. Keep an eye out next time you go out. I guarantee you’ll see the influence on people’s makeup looks!