When Euphoria first hit our screens in 2019, it didn’t just give us glitter tears, face gems, and graphic liner — it unleashed a full-blown beauty phenomenon. Almost overnight, TikTok feeds became flooded with recreations of the show’s now-iconic makeup looks, introducing a new generation to experimental, Y2K-inspired glamour at a time when pared-back beauty was dominating the conversation.
At the centre of the frenzy was makeup artist Donni Davy, whose boundary-pushing looks transformed Euphoria into one of the most influential beauty moments of the decade. The ‘Euphoria effect’ eventually led to the launch of Half Magic, Davy’s playful, glitter-drenched beauty brand.
“After season one came out, a lot of make-up brands reached out about collaborations,” Davy told FQ. “But, at this point I was still pretty overwhelmed by the recognition from the show, and I wasn’t really ready to sign on with a brand.” Instead, it was the creative producers behind Euphoria at A24 who encouraged her to create something of her own. “They called me one day and said, ‘We think you should have a make-up line, and if you want to do it, we’ll back you.’”
Now, Davy is finally bringing the hit show’s iconic beauty looks off-screen and into real life with the launch of Half Magic’s highly anticipated Euphoria collection at MECCA. Consisting of eight products, the range channels the show’s boundary-pushing approach to beauty through vivid pigments, high-shine finishes and face gems, of course.
Ahead of the collection’s launch, FQ spoke to Davy about the inspiration behind the show’s iconic beauty looks and what it was like turning a viral beauty phenomenon into her own brand.
In conversation with Donni Davy
The ‘Euphoria effect’ reshaped how an entire generation approaches makeup. Were you conscious of creating something era-defining at the time?
I really wasn’t aware of that at all! I think it’s not something you can necessarily manufacture. I was really just doing my job, and it happened that my deliverables were super cool. The director [Sam Levinson] was like, “Go off on the makeup”. So, paired with all these incredible actors, iconic scenes and one-liners, the cinematography, Labrinth’s incredible soundtrack — everything really came together in this insane way. But no, I never thought, “I’m going to have a place in makeup history because of this.” I just thought, “I hope people think this is cool, because I think this is cool.”
Could you talk us through how you approached creating such distinctive looks for these characters?
It all starts when I read the scripts. At this stage, I’m not really thinking about colour yet but the vibe and the energy the character is portraying. Are we going for a theatrical and intense vixen energy? Or is it more of a baby doll vibe, or something really tender? I like to read between the lines and think, “Okay, what would she do?” For example, I think Cassie would probably be imitating creators she’s seeing on TikTok, trying to recreate their make-up looks, and maybe it comes off a bit heavier on her.
From there, it really starts coming together when I see the costumes and the fitting pictures. I start looking at how the colour palettes are coming together. I also pay a lot of attention to the colours and lighting being used on set and the lighting. With Euphoria, they were shooting on a specially made Kodak film stock, so I’d keep hearing the camera crew talk about how it changed the colours and affected everything visually. It was a really interesting effect to play with.
How did you approach updating the make-up look for Euphoria season 3 following the time jump?
I actually didn’t really have to progress the looks — the scripts progressed them for me. The funny thing is, I don’t know what these girls have been doing. I have no idea, and I kind of wish I did. It would have been so cool to drop in on Jules in art school, or see what Cassie had been doing over the summer. And what about Maddy? Did she go to college, or did she have a period where she was working smaller jobs? Did Rue go to raves?
Oh, Rue definitely went to raves.
Right? I wish we could’ve seen that. The mood of the show is much different now, and the motive is different too. In seasons one and two, a lot of the motive was self-exploration and self-expression — make-up to suit your mood and to help you step into whatever vibe you needed to be that day to get by. It was also make-up that felt a little influenced by the other girls in the group — you’d sort of see bits and pieces of each other in the looks. It was all very experimental.
We’re not in that whimsical, dreamy, experimental place anymore. In season three, the motive for all the girls and their use of make-up is money, feeling, and success. You’ll see as the season progresses that literally every make-up-wearing character is using it in alignment with their goals of achieving money, fame, or success. So there’s definitely more vixen energy and seduction. But we still play a little bit — it’s very club-kid-inspired, but also theatrical. There’s colour, glitter, shimmer, wings, lots of lip liner.
How different is your mindset when creating make-up looks for television versus developing products for a consumer brand?
It’s a big shift. When I’m on set, I’m part of the crew and there to serve the director’s vision. But with Half Magic, I’m in front of the camera, I’m the educator, and I’m the founder. It’s a completely different mindset.
But, I get a lot of inspiration from being on set because I’m working with so many different people, skin textures, lighting setups, and climates. When developing new products and tools, a lot of my ideas come from the desire to make things easier for not only myself, but make-up consumers too. I’m always thinking about how I can simplify the process, and certain products are born out of that, like the Wing Hack set, the eraser pen, and the medical-grade adhesive face gems.
What excites you most about finally bringing the Half Magic x Euphoria collaboration to life?
It’s really my gift to the OG Euphoria makeup fans who loved the makeup and turned it into a movement. The shades are designed to feel approachable for someone who maybe isn’t used to wearing super-bold colour, but they’re also buildable and playful enough for people who really want to experiment. I know that loving the makeup on the show doesn’t necessarily mean someone is a maximalist in their everyday life. It doesn’t mean they want to wear neon orange eyeshadow every day — maybe they just want to wear a wing and a cool shimmery blue shadow. So I wanted the collection to feel inclusive in that way, like there’s genuinely something for everyone. It’s a really special collection and feels very personal.
Which products from the collection are exciting you most right now? And are there any you think everyone should add to their cart?
If I had to choose one, it’s going to be the Glitterpuck dust. It’s so versatile — you can use it as an eyeshadow, a really wild highlighter, or even sparkly body glitter with a big fluffy brush. It’s really our gateway glitter product, so if you want to dabble in glitter but don’t want anything too complicated or messy, it’s such a great place to start.
