- The make-up artist for Euphoria, Chappell Roan, and Kesha received her begin engaged on a vampire web-series gig she discovered on Craigslist. Now the millennial entrepreneur, Donni Davy, is setting magnificence developments and working a $16 million make-up firm because of her “superpower” and early profession decisions.
Most individuals rising to profession heights wince trying again at the early days: roughing it by bussing tables, awaiting a golden alternative. For Doniella “Donni” Davy—Euphoria make-up artist and founding father of Half Magic Magnificence—her first gigs off Craigslist have been an exhilarating begin to the place she is now.
“I really loved every single one. I did not think at the time, ‘Oh God, I’m really slumming it on Craigslist,’” she tells Fortune. “I was so stoked. I was an animal.”
Davy’s early years engaged on a vampire YouTube sequence and low-budget movies are in stark distinction to what she’s taking over now. The make-up artist is behind the seems seen in films like Moonlight, Ford v. Ferrari, and If Beale Avenue Might Speak. Most notably, she’s recognized for the generation-defining magnificence of colourful and graphic make-up developments she set on the hit HBO sequence Euphoria—with season three set to return in 2026. Davy’s celeb shoppers embody icons like Chappell Roan, Kesha, Reneé Rapp, and Mindy Kaling. In the meantime, she’s juggling her $16 million make-up model Half Magic Magnificence.
Davy’s curiosity in make-up is sensible on paper; she was raised by two creative mother and father in Los Angeles, one of many artistic capitals of the world. However in these early years, her colleges didn’t discover non-traditional artistic varieties like make-up artistry. She didn’t even know a job like that existed. Nonetheless, what she did know was that she loved portray; and moved from cotton canvas to pores and skin.
“I found out about this career of being a makeup artist for film and TV, where you get to read the scripts, and it’s all about storytelling, not just about making people look more conventionally attractive,” Davy says.
From working a vampire net sequence to hit TV present Euphoria
At simply 21, Davy pivoted from her earlier artistic background and leaned into her true calling—beginning with a two-week crash course in make-up, as a substitute of going via cosmetology faculty.
Davy has proved that speed-running a expertise course works out effectively when you could have the eagerness and expertise. Whereas audiences now gawk at her work among the many higher echelons of Hollywood, the beginning could not have been any totally different. Davy’s first gig was a low-budget undertaking using the recognition of Twilight.
“My first ever job was a vampire web series that was on YouTube. I got that on Craigslist, and then a lot of student films,” Davy says. “That’s how I built up my portfolio—just working on little, itty bitty, tiny things.”
On the time Davy additionally juggled a part-time job at a wine bar, slipping in shifts between initiatives. Davy says it took a number of years of choosing up gigs off the web site—sleeping on the flooring of units, schlepping between indie movie group homes—earlier than she took on a undertaking that flipped the change. It was Moonlight—a 2016 fan-favorite, which obtained vital reward with two wins on the Academy Awards, and one on the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, and the Display Actors Guild Awards.
“After Moonlight, more opportunities started coming. I had formed this relationship with A24…it was a really nice thing for my resume,” Davy says. “I got an agent after that, and it was very easy to elevate up a little bit.”
Davy led make-up artistry for a number of indie movies—together with The Satan Has a Identify, Momster, and Underneath the Silver Lake—earlier than HBO caught wind of her skills. The corporate had a pilot it wished her to check for: a teen drama known as Euphoria. Not solely would this job deliver out a special facet of her artistry, however it will be career-defining. The make-up seems on Euphoria would quickly deliver magnificence fanatics to their knees. Rhinestone cat-eyes, colourful lower creases, and neon eyeliner would dominate the primary feeds of TikTok and Instragam. Not solely was the present a popular culture sensation—however the characters’ make-up got here to outline the individuality and play of Gen Z’s trend sensibilities.
“The makeup on that show blew up on a whole other level. There was no going back to how things were before,” Davy says. “My life is completely different now.”
Davy’s success on Euphoria laid the groundwork to launch her make-up model, Half Magic Magnificence, in collaboration with A24. The merchandise are distinct to her artistic fashion—and sticking to her ingenuity has paid off. The corporate’s valuation reached $16.1 million in Q2 of 2024, representing 24% quarter-over-quarter development. Half Magic Magnificence has retail presence throughout three continents, and is on the cabinets of over 800 Ulta shops within the U.S. It was additionally awarded 4 Attract Better of Magnificence Awards.
Davy’s important “superpower” and recommendation for younger dreamers
Whereas many might envision that working with the likes of Zendaya and Chappell Roan is a complete dream, Davy’s job isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. She has the perks of working with trailblazing artists and on award-winning movies, however her profession spans effectively past make-up.
“I quickly have been trying to adapt to becoming a content creator, becoming a founder who has to be in front of the camera, when in the past, that petrified the sh-t out of me,” Davy says. “There was no way I was ever going on camera, and now it’s 100% part of my job on a weekly basis.”
Davy’s rise as a prime Hollywood make-up artist has thrown her for a loop—her bouts of success shortly adopted each other, steadily propelling her as a trendsetter. She credit her ADHD as a “superpower” within the chaos of all of it, as a result of she will be able to actually hone her deal with the issues she cares about.
For a lot of seeking to make it in leisure, the celebrity and trade competitors might be daunting. Davy could also be using a profession excessive, however it began with a Craigslist advert and a vampire YouTube sequence. She says if she didn’t tackle and worth each alternative she received, she wouldn’t be the place she is immediately. Dreamers shouldn’t be scared to attempt to make it in Hollywood—simply do each gig in earnest.
“What I try to convey now to the younger generation, or anyone who asks me advice is: Those jobs are really exciting jobs,” Davy says. “I always tell people to take seriously any job they have, even if they’re doing makeup for an actor getting a headshot. Take it really seriously.”
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
