The Euphoria star talks Madonna, self-care, and the lip liner she can't live without.
You could argue that HBO’s Euphoria had two major breakout stars: the glittering Technicolor makeup looks that suddenly inspired every single new palette, runway show, and YouTube tutorial, and Alexa Demie. Demie’s Maddy Perez, the ex–pageant queen stuck in an abusive relationship, became a fan favorite thanks to her unbothered attitude (for example, that iconic chili scene) and incredible beauty looks. Throughout the series she’s seen wearing everything from rhinestone eyebrows to flame-inspired eyeliner, meticulously applied before homeroom, of course.
A quick scroll through Demie’s Instagram proves that not only is she outrageously cool, she’s just as much of a beauty girl as her on-screen persona—she wears bright-blue liner and leopard-print shadow on the regular. A love of beauty is practically in her blood, since her mother is a makeup artist and worked at MAC when Demie was growing up. That only makes it a natural fit that she’s the face of the brand’s new More Than Meets the Eye campaign. “I couldn’t think of a more iconic brand to partner with,” she says. “I fell in love with all of the colorful eye shadows in the collection that made it so much fun to create beautiful eye looks.”
We caught up with Demi over the phone and asked her some of Glamour’s Big Beauty Questions, a rapid-fire Q&A on all things beauty. Read on for her makeup essentials, her self-care secrets, and the women that inspire her.
The makeup in Euphoria was so iconic, and I’ve heard that you helped create a lot of Maddy’s looks. Did you have a favorite? What was the inspiration behind it?
My favorite Maddy makeup look was the elongated cat eye with the gems on the brows. It was fun to wear. The inspiration behind that look was a black-and-white Nina Simone photo where she has gems on her eyebrows, and I was always obsessed with that image. After I saw that photo, I needed an excuse to put gems on my eyebrows.
Of course! My mom was all about skin care and taking care of your skin, so no matter what, I wash my makeup off at night. When I was little, her signature look was a nude lipstick with lip liner and a smoky brown eye, and it was something I’ve always loved as well. Today I still rock a darker lip liner with nude lipstick in my looks.
What beauty rules do you think are B.S.?
I think you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg for a good serum in your skin-care routine. I also think keeping your skin-care routine simple is the best thing to do for your skin. Having too many steps can actually have the opposite results.
You’re stranded on a desert island. What are the three products you bring with you?
I can’t live without MAC Lip Pencil in Cork; it’s the perfect nude liner. I’d also bring a rose water mist—I love all of them—and a moisturizing lip balm.
What’s your getting-ready music?
It all depends on my mood, but currently my go-to has been ’90s Madonna.
What’s your favorite way to take a moment for yourself?
There are two things I do: I’ll either, like, lie down in the grass at my secret nature spot in L.A. (I’ll never tell), or take a long bath.
If you could switch beauty routines with anyone, who would it be and why?
If I could switch beauty routines with anyone, it would be the Mexican singer Irma Serrano. Her beauty looks were so stunning!
What’s the last Instagram hole you went down?
I don’t typically go into Instagram holes often, but recently I was looking at all of the fall runway shows. My favorite designers from the season were Vivienne Westwood, which was such a beautiful show, and I also loved Mugler, Schiaparelli, and Giambattista Valli.
Who are the women who inspire you the most right now?
There are tons of women throughout my life who have inspired me, especially my mom, aunts, and grandmother. All of them are strong and have sacrificed a lot for their families, which inspires me every day. Also, Alma Har’el, who is a director doing a lot of amazing things for women in film at the moment.
Source: glamour.com
