Beyond the Glitter: The Meaning Behind Euphoria's Halloween Looks

Image Courtesy: Wonderland Magazine

In a perfect world, we’d dress as “Euphoria” characters everyday of the week. One look at Maddy’s dazzling rhinestones and Jules’ enticing eyeshadow—can you blame us? The yearn to douse ourselves in glitter only grows during spooky season, as we explore our favorite “Euphoria” characters’ iconic looks in season one’s Halloween episode and dive into the deeper meaning behind each costume. Get ready to blast “All for Us,” grab some glitter glue and know your favorite show is about to get even better.

Kat Hernandez

Kat, played by Barbie Ferreira, came ready to play and pray in not just any nun costume, but as Thana from “Ms. 45”. In this 1980s thriller, Thana dresses in an unsuspecting nun outfit and takes revenge on men who attacked her. Kat channels a less-extreme Thana throughout the first season as she takes revenge into her own hands, using an unwanted sex tape as inspiration to launch her own successful, online business. This financial pursuit not only boosted her bank accounts, but also manifested a newfound self-confidence within Kat--as through this process she learns to embrace her fearless style and bold personality.

At this point in the series, Kat’s confidence radiates through both her style and beauty, especially in this Halloween episode. As seen above, Kat is a dark-beauty dream with bold upside-down crosses cascading down from her smokey-eye look. They resemble tears, except Kat doesn’t cry anymore. The choice to dress as a nun represents Kat’s character evolution from the innocent personality she once tried to portray to a fierce woman who’s comfortable expressing herself and her sexuality. Kat’s bold red lip and sultry eyeshadow stand in stark contrast with her black-and-white costume, further emphasizing how she’s no longer quiet, insecure and fearful. She’s daring, bold and beautiful. She’s Kat—and she’s proud of that. 

Maddy Perez

As we’ve seen on Instagram feeds and Pinterest boards everywhere, Maddy, played by Alexa Demie, is unapologetic with her striking fashion choices and unwavering fierce attitude. For Halloween, she boldly dressed as Iris, a 12-year-old prostitute, from the movie “Taxi Driver.” Although this choice may seem controversial, “Euphoria” used this as an opportunity to shed light on the detrimental effects of sexualizing young girls in popular films and television. Maddy herself has a complicated sexual history, which began when she was 14 and slept with an older man. This costume choice may be troubling, but it is Maddy’s romanticized reality. 

While Maddy’s costume serves as a significant symbol of her character’s personal struggles in romance, her makeup look reflects her inner strength and vibrant personality. Maddy, like us after binge-watching the show, is no stranger to glitter. Her makeup is her armor, so she glammed up her dainty costume with flame-shaped eyeliner and, of course, under-eye glitter. When referring to the beauty choices made in this episode, Donni Davy—the lead makeup artist for “Euphoria”—said in an Instagram post, “For her lips, I wanted to echo Kat’s black lip-liner and do something similar but with red liner and clear gloss.” In many ways, Maddy and Kat’s costumes both reflect an inner struggle to redefine and own their sexuality.

Cassie Howard

In another nod to a classic film, Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeney, dressed as Alabama Worley from “True Romance.” Alabama is a sex worker who serves serious cowgirl-chic style inspo, thus giving light to Cassie’s rodeo-ready look. This costume choice reflects the character’s common plotline of coping with boys attempting to take advantage of her kind disposition and exploit her for sex—ultimately sharing her nudes and past sexual experiences with the school. This plotline becomes especially relevant during this episode where Daniel, played by Keean Johnson, verbally attacks Cassie when she refuses to give consent. Daniel states, “You think I’m here because I'm interested in you?” and “You came onto me, remember?” She leaves with her electric blue eyeshadow smudged and tears trickling down her face.

Cassie yearns to be seen as more than a man’s object. Like any person, she wants to feel sexy, yet respected. However, by dressing as Alabama Worley, Cassie realizes the pitfalls of our society and the outdated belief that you cannot be both sexy and worthy of respect. While she loves feeling coveted in her costume, she ultimately leaves the party with the final words from Daniel, “Wow. You’re crying now. What else is new?”

Jules Vaughn

Jules, played by Hunter Schafer, channeled Juliet from Baz Lurhmann’s film “Romeo + Juliet,” specifically in the scene where Juliet dresses as an angel and catches the eye of her Romeo. This costume radiates Jules’ whimsical style, while also foreshadowing her future relationship with Rue and - spoiler alert - the tragic end of their romance in the season finale. Similar to Romeo and Juliet, this R and J duo also grapples with external pressure as they fall in love. Jules transforms into Rue’s personal guardian angel, as she becomes Rue’s reason to stay sober and heal from a drug overdose. However, being someone’s purpose for living places serious pressure on Jules, which she did not always handle with the grace of an angel. 

Davy, the makeup artist, wanted Jules to look both ethereal and gothic to reflect her conflicting personas. In season one, Jules is recovering from a difficult past, one that was tainted by a toxic mother and self-harm. Nonetheless, she remains positive, eccentric and empowering. Her gold flakes and sparkling eyebrows give rise to the angelic side of Jules’ character. However, the black mascara and diffused red eyeshadow reflect the dark side of her personality. In this episode, we watch Jules express this previously hidden side of herself as she acts reckless and loses her inhibitions at the Halloween party. Similarly, in Lurhmann’s adaptation, Juliet struggled to balance her family and her love for Romeo, which led to her making rash decisions in an effort to find true happiness. Jules’ angel costume is the facade she yearns to have. Nevertheless, she is still confronting inner demons from her past.

Rue Bennett

Rather than being the Romeo everyone expected, Rue, played by Zendaya, opted to dress as Marlene Dietrich, an androgynous actress and singer from the 1930s. Dietrich was known for performing in cabarets and typically wore suits while performing male songs during her shows. Behold, the inspiration for Rue’s non-binary costume. In many ways, this costume reflects the show’s continuous effort to address the constructs that shape our culture and work to break social boundaries--and look beautiful while doing so, of course.

Rue is not Jules’ Romeo because this is not a story about an epic love. Instead, it’s about revival and reality, as Rue finds herself in the wake of a serious drug addiction. This costume parallels Rue’s style throughout the series, as she is often found in a graphic tee or button-down with baggy pants and sneakers. This beloved female protagonist doesn’t mold to traditional ideas of feminine fashion, and we love that about her! Rue has not had a steady life, but her over-sized, burgundy hoodie and sweatpants have always brought her some physical comfort. Unlike most of the “Euphoria” eye looks we know and love, Rue’s Halloween makeup is dark, messy and only has a sprinkle of glitter. This smoky choice reflects her current season of life, as she struggles to find happiness and herself amidst a drug addiction and falling in love with her best friend.

As you plan your 2020 Halloween costume, think about how it can reflect your story. Whether you choose to defy gender norms with a bowtie or embrace the different aspects of your angelic personality, these characters and costumes prove there is always more than what meets the “euphoric” eye. Lead with inspiration, put on some glitter and tell your story. 

Strike Out, 

Writer: Charlotte Dwyer

Editor: Hallie Wright and Hannah Shelton 

Gainesville