The Makeup In This Epic ‘Euphoria’ Scene Holds A Special Meaning

Chances are that your Sunday night plans involve watching the latest episode of Euphoria. And if you’re a die-hard fan, then your post-show activities might include perusing the internet for Reddit theories and important little details you may have missed. After all, the HBO show is chock full of symbolism, evidenced by the work of its head makeup artist, Doniella Davy. She’s no stranger to breaking down her vision behind the season’s buzziest glam moments, like that infamously chaotic bathroom scene from episode three, in which double winged eyeliner adds a layer of artistic depth worth buzzing about.

For a refresher, the scene stars Cassie Howard (played by Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie). As you might recall, Cassie makes the bold choice to wear a light blue cleavage-baring gingham dress to school, teamed with a ‘60s-inspired bouffant hairstyle. She paired the retro look with a soft, double winged eyeliner look that accentuated her Twiggy-like lashes. In contrast, her best friend wore all black and debuted an ultra-pigmented, inky black double winged eyeliner — the exact opposite of Cassie, essentially.

Though unintentional on the makeup artist’s part, these contrasting double wings have taken on a meaning of their own. “Some of y’all have commented about the total opposite energies that Cassie and Maddy’s double wings have in this scene, and to that, I say YEP exactly!” Davy wrote in an Instagram post about the contrasting looks. “The double wings totally mirror each other — and then there are actual mirrors in the scene AND there’s Cassie’s meltdown moment which mirrors her reality.”

“I didn’t specifically plan for both girls to have double wings,” she continued. “I was already concepting Cassie’s look in my head when I learned about @alexademie ‘s vision for her own look. At first I thought it might not work for both girls to have double wings and I considered changing Cassie’s look to something else. Turns out the double set of double wings was weirdly perfect for the scene, and sent me down the path of exploring more winged liner (and double wings) on Cassie this season in soft feminine colors.”

These differing eyeliner looks also reflect each characters’ attitudes in season two, similar to how their loose-curled hairstyles did in episode three. Cassie’s been using her makeup and hairstyles as a way of leaning into a softer, more feminine aesthetic as she tries to win Nate’s affection. Meanwhile, Maddy (who’s unaware of her best friend’s relationship with her “ex”-boyfriend) embraces glam with an edge that is true to her character’s combative nature.

Beyond representing each Euphoria character’s unique style (and mental state), double winged eyeliner is trending in real life, too. Ironically, the show’s lead, Zendaya, debuted a colorful take on the statement makeup look at the Los Angeles premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The takeaway? Whether sweet or edgy, it’s time to make the double winged eyeliner trend your own in 2022.