Credits: courtesy of HBO
Since its release in June, the HBO series is the biggest phenomenon in Beauty, cascading from Instagram to the Fashion Week. What key learnings do we draw from the teen fiction?
With over 30 000 mentions, the hashtag #euphoriamakeup is one of the hottest trend on the Gram in 2019. Though it’s not the first time makeup looks are inspired from a work of fiction, Euphoria is undeniably changing the game.
A 360° BEAUTY PHENOMENON
In only eight episodes, the HBO teen series has sparked a worldwide trend, inspiring millions of Gen Zers, and cascading on the Fashion Week in the blink of an eye. From Helmut Lang’s strokes of neon to Eckhaus Latta’s fantasy lids, we dare say designers were (unconsciously?) inspired by Euphoria.
Igor Saringer, a 22-year-old from Brazil, went one step further and created a special Euphoria Instagram filter, with 10 iconic looks from the show, such as the “white clouds”, the neon green or the yellow eye shadow with white eyeliner accent. Most of these looks are deeply rooted in current trends: unconventional and edgy lids, with bright neons or geometrical drawings, paired with glowy, “no makeup makeup” complexions.
The name behind this artwork: Doniella Davy, who also worked on Oscar-winning Moonlight, a beautiful movie depicting the journey of a young gay black little boy in Atlanta. Needless to say the makeup artist (@donni.davy) knows a thing or two about teenagers. And it might just be why Euphoria is touching the world of Beauty on so many levels.
The best Euphoria looks recreated by makeup artists and influencers (extract from our Instabook. Credits: @jazzmynejay @celine_bernaerts @olgadann)
EMOTIONS IN MOTION: WHAT MAKEUP REALLY MEANS TO GEN Z
Is reality inspiring Euphoria, or is it the other way around?
“Most of my inspiration came from what kids are doing right now” explains Doniella Davy. " These young people are pushing the boundaries and not living by mainstream archetypes or stereotype” Indeed, Euphoria tries to depict a generation, riding the wave of inclusivity by showing teens of all races and gender, including marginalized populations such as Rue, the main character who is also battling with depression and drug addiction.
Furthermore, it’s Doniella Davy’s special use of makeup that highlights the most important insight of Gen Z right now.
“I believe these Gen Z kids and artists are coming up with a new language of self-expression through makeup. It’s so brave and bold to me that I really fell in love with what I was seeing on Instagram (…) There's subliminal emotional messages always in all the makeup."
A phenomenon that we see all through Euphoria: Rue’s glitter tears to express the complexity of her temper, witty yet melancholic by “catching light in different angles using the reflective texture of glitter” so that the tears appear and disappear, or the multi-neon look of Jules to express her “optimistic and playful” side, but paired with a bare face to give it a “less-femme vibes”, expressing her innocence. Makeup here is thus used to signal emotions and paint character’s personalities and development throughout the series.
“It’s one of the most important trend that we have seen these past few months” explains Leïla Rochet, founder of the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency. “For young generations, makeup has become a whole new language, a way to send messages, to let creativity flow, to feel fierce and proud, to celebrate body-positivity.”
An art of painting the surface…That may actually goes skin-deep. Who said Gen Z was shallow?
Did you like this article? The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency created “Emotions in Motion”, an exclusive US trend-report centered around emotions, along with an “Insta-book”, a digest of the hottest trends on Instagram. Contact us for more information.