Euphoria Makeup Artist Donni Davy Shares Why Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone Can Lead to Great Things

Donni Davy, the celebrated head makeup artist for *Euphoria* and cofounder of Half Magic, engaged with students from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) following her keynote at the inaugural Refinery29 x SCAD Present Next In Beauty event. This two-day conference provided an opportunity for SCAD’s beauty and fragrance students to meet some of their industry idols, bridging the gap between their online inspirations and real-world experiences.

Members of SCAD’s makeup artistry club expressed immense gratitude for Davy’s candidness as she shared her journey. Overcoming her self-described shyness, Davy told the audience that just three years ago, she would have hesitated to engage publicly. “I’m really grateful that I got over my insane stage fright,” she revealed later while seated in SCAD’s Poetter Hall. “[It was] by means of being forced to do it; one time my husband had to literally push me on stage because I tried to escape.”

Despite her bold artistry, Davy’s initial reluctance to speak before an audience seems inconceivable to her fans. Reflecting on her own journey, she recounted her time as a photography student at Pratt Institute, where she often shied away from the spotlight. Davy’s transformation from photography student to Emmy Award winner raises the question: How did she navigate such a non-linear career path?
“Creative careers are never quite linear or formulaic,” she noted. “So much magic can happen when you don’t overthink something and just say YES to an opportunity.”

On overcoming creative pressures, Davy said:
“Better doesn’t mean bigger, louder, or flashier. It’s about re-exploring what *Euphoria* makeup is … Using makeup as self-expression to tell a story and experiment with color and texture.”

When asked about translating her artistic vision for consumers, Davy explained:
“At times, certain ways I have presented products have used too much artistry… Too crazy. The interesting challenge with marketing is to tone things down for a regular person while making them really easy to use.” She added that her packaging design and shade names aim to create an inclusive and fun user experience.