Sunday night’s series finale of “Euphoria” confirmed what longtime fans already knew to be true: In every scenario, regardless of the repercussions, Maddy Perez is, and always will be, without fault.
She can seek revenge on her backstabbing best friend, Cassie, to become her conservator; she can — naively — go into business with a dangerous drug lord, putting herself and others at risk, and she can — accidentally — rat on Rue, even if it does set her heart-wrenching demise in motion.
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Why? Because her beauty excuses all.
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Played by Alexa Demie, Perez has captivated the show’s audience with her idiosyncratic hair and makeup aesthetic since its premiere in 2019. Comprised of neon colors, studded shadows and stringent wings, her look in seasons one and two quickly became the blueprint for what the show’s cult-following dubbed “Euphoria” beauty. In the case of season three, however, lead makeup artist Donni Davy and show creator Sam Levinson made the careful decision to subdue the fantastical and popularize an equally as striking look in its place.
Speaking with WWD ahead of the season release, Davy said, “These girls are not experimenting with their makeup anymore. They are deliberately putting certain looks on to get outcomes. And everyone’s desired outcome is not just their own self-expression. They’re all using their makeup in this somewhat male gaze way, in this very purposeful way that’s just completely connected to what’s written in the script.”
Perez especially.
Season three sees Demie’s character parlay her new-age instincts into a career as an OnlyFans talent manager. But like any aspiring twentysomething-year-old, she finds the path to total control blocked by a number of patriarchal obstacles, hence her need for a more matured, male centric beauty approach, featuring the same wing, but with a moody, high-contrast embellishment — think tightliner, ’90s matte eyes, skinny brows and plum lips — courtesy of contributing artist Alexandra French. She still has her square-shaped talons, and her hair, styled by Kim Kimble, is the same inky hue it’s always been but with a silhouette that combines contemporary and retro choices in the form of face-framing layers and a single curl accent on her forehead.
The aesthetic has seemingly evaded the controversy that’s erupted from Levinson’s eight-episode parable, which officially finished on Sunday. In fact, for the last two months, her style has been praised as its one saving grace, the side plot that’s kept viewers coming back week after week. The finale was no exception.
Closing the book on the character’s beauty for good, Perez spent her final moments impressing her boss against her will with a bouffant BumpIt, a baby wing, bottom lash clusters and a bloody lip before she’s finally set free. It’s an irrevocable look that Demie will likely not return to for awhile, considering the bare-faced aesthetic she’s been favoring off-camera as of late.
For the last few weeks, her glam has toed the line of ’90s minimalism, with stone shadow in her creases and on her lids, curled lashes, no eyeliner, cool-toned contour and light blush. Meanwhile, her lips have boasted a rosy, over-lined appearance (picture Nina Park’s technique) rather than a bold burgundy matte. She’s also embraced her natural hair texture, consisting of mid-length, frizzy coils and short fringe.
While we await to see what’s next for Demie, see here for a closer look at the fashion and beauty of “Euphoria” through the years.