After watching HBO’s Euphoria, I couldn’t help but think about the bold makeup worn by the cast. The eye make-up was so different from anything I had seen before; looks included neon colors, lots of glitter, and variations on winged eyeliner, pushing the boundaries as to what is deemed socially acceptable for young adults to wear. 

I am make-up fanatic, but since coming to college, I have felt uncomfortable wearing anything too daring in my new environment. I decided to pick out my favorite looks from the show,  recreate them to step outside my comfort zone, and return to using makeup as a form of self expression. 

Day One

I recreated a rather simple yet iconic Euphoria look for the first day of the challenge: Jules’s cloud eye makeup. To start, I prepped my eyelids with the Urban Decay Primer Potion, and swept a neutral cream-colored shadow all over my lid to act as the base. I buffed a light brown shadow into my crease to add definition and highlighted my inner corner with a shimmery white shadow, both from the Lorac Mega Pro 3 palette. Finally, it was time to draw the cloud shapes around my eyes, using white eyeliner.

I spent the majority of my day in a cafe to complete homework. I didn’t receive any weird looks as I thought I might have, but maybe that was because everyone was so invested in their work. My friends thought the clouds looked cute, and I had to agree.

Day Two

By day two, I was ready to incorporate some glitter, inspired once again by Jules. I prepped my eyelids with Primer Potion, and set it with a neutral shadow. I then packed Sugar Daddy, a light pink shade from the Too Faced Gingerbread Spice palette, on my lid and into my crease using my finger. I put Lookie at my Cookie, a slightly darker pink shade in the same spot with a brush. Using my finger, I layered a Colourpop super shock shadow and Stila Glitter & Glow in Diamond Dust for some sparkle, dragging both shimmery products to my inner corner. Finally, it was time for eyeliner. I couldn’t find neon orange, so I applied a Colourpop Lippie Stick to my inner corner with a brush. 

I absolutely loved the glitter incorporated and didn’t feel as though it looked too different from normal eye makeup I might wear. My friend Elise thought the look was vibrant, and she appreciated the contrast of the matte liner and glittery lid. 

Day Three

The neon colors of this eyeshadow worn by Jules forced me to try something new. After priming my lids, I placed a neon pink shadow from the inner corner to the middle of my eye, taking it up into the crease. I layered a red shadow on top, and then used a bright green for the outer corner, all from the James Charles pallette. I popped Frog from Colourpop in the center, and used the same red and green from the James pallette for liner under my eye.

During the day, I went to class, walked around the Boston Common, and later on, had dinner in the dining hall with friends. No one seemed to notice the neon shadow, even though I was conscious of it all day. I loved the brightness of the pink and red shadow, but the green didn’t do anything for me. Even though I was not a fan of the look, my roommate said I was able to “pull it off.” 

Day Four

I anticipated recreating this iconic look of Maddy’s since I decided to take on the challenge. To start, I drew on the wings for my liner with a deep purple eyeliner. I then filled in the wing and extended the liner to my inner corner with a Stila Shimmer & Glow, using a detail brush for precision. I put eyelash glue on the back of rhinestones and applied them with tweezers, placing the smallest rhinestones on the inner and outermost part of my eye. 

I enjoyed this twist on classic winged eyeliner. This was the first look of the week that made me feel powerful as I walked around campus, and the first that received compliments from people in my classes that I didn't know. I would recreate this look for a night out, or whenever I need a little sparkle in my day. 

Day Five

I saved the boldest look for the final day. To create Rue’s carnival makeup, I primed my eyelids, packed the shade Hot Toddy from the Too Faced Gingerbread Spice palette on my lid with my finger, and blended it into the crease with a brush. I lined my water line with black eyeliner and smudged black eyeshadow on my lower lash line. To create the triangles under the eye, I used a Stila Glitter & Glow eyeshadow, and finished the look off with mascara. 

Originally, I dreaded recreating this look because of how much attention I thought it would draw. The truth is, no one cares about what you’re wearing. When I did receive a reaction, it was a positive one; several people I didn’t know told me that they loved my makeup, including my waitress at P.F Changs. My mom and sister came into Boston that day, and to my surprise, they didn’t think my makeup looked out of place; they thought it was cool. While it may be a lot to wear all the time, I think it can definitely be a go to party look. 

After a week of Euphoria style makeup, I learned rhinestones can go on your eyes, there's no such thing as too much glitter, and eyeliner doesn’t just belong on your lash line. But the most important takeaway? Wear makeup for yourself. Don’t worry about how strangers on the street may stare, or what that one person in your class may think. 

At Emerson College, creativity and self expression are valued. This encouraging environment kept me from feeling too out of place during the week, even though the make-up looks were different than what I am used to wearing and what I see students with on campus. In Boston, people are so focused on their own agenda that they rarely take the time to see what someone else is wearing or doing; I can’t help but think that if I completed this challenge in my suburban home town, that the reactions to my make-up would have been different.

Wherever you are, be bold, be daring– trust me, it feels Euphoric.