No One Knows Festival Makeup Like This Iconic MUA—4 Trends She Says We'll See All Over Coachella

Though the only Euphoria and Coachella crossover we’ve ever gotten was Zendaya’s surprise performance at Labrinth’s 2023 set, the effervescent makeup on the angsty teen drama has undeniably set the festival beauty standard. Because let’s face it: There’s something about the desert sand, flashing strobe lights, and chunky eye glitter that feels so… right.

If you’re reading this, you likely have your Coachella tickets waiting patiently in your inbox (or, like me, are manifesting a ticket in the future) and are panic-planning your Instagram-worthy looks for the music-filled weekends ahead. But while your outfit is half the battle, the one thing people will really notice when you’re body-to-body in a sea of concertgoers is your makeup—so we turned to the reigning supreme of campy, glittery beauty, Donni Davy, for a bit of inspo.

“This is not the year to go ‘clean girl’ at Coachella,” advises Davy, head makeup artist on Euphoria and co-founder of Half Magic Beauty. “I think we’ll see edgier looks this year, like shimmery smoky eyes and frosty lips.” That said, the celebrity MUA is the first to admit that glitter accents and face gems aren’t going anywhere. “You really can’t properly do festival season without these elements,” she says.

After crafting Chappell Roan’s iconic butterfly look at Coachella 2024, Davy knows a thing or two about making waves at the mother of all music festivals. The Emmy Award winning makeup artist forecasts a slew of modern-day grunge looks and a few callbacks of old (frosted lips, anyone?) to litter the sand-trodden crowds. Below, see the trends to follow, the exact products to re-create them, and this born-and-raised Californian’s tips and tricks for saving your makeup from the dripping desert heat.

2025 Coachella Makeup Trends

Indie Sleaze Sparkle

My ears perked up when I heard the words “shimmery smoky eyes,” with visions of Doechii’s slate-gray Grammys eyes and “unapproachable” makeup swimming in my head. Whether you’re opting for a smudgy-shimmery indie sleaze look with a wash of dark, glittering eye shadow (so 2010 of you) or opting for sparkly eyeliner, there’s no wrong way to achieve this eye—so long as it’s bold.

Davy suggests starting with a smoky eye—preferably with a sparkly cream eye shadow—picking her very own Half Magic Sparklestik in Noir or Never as her poison. She says a few swipes of these pigment-packed sticks are all you need for “the easiest smoky eye ever,” promising stay-put wear into the long hours of the night. But since we’re big eye shadow stick fans around here, we’d also recommend this sweat-proof, shimmery pick from Laura Mercier (especially in Nuit, an alluring, gritty gray-navy) due to its 24-hour staying power and smudge-proof formula.

The MUA highlights duochrome eye shadows as key players in an eye-catching festival look. Davy handpicked the shades Electric Butterfly (a very Euphoria violet) and Blushing Lizard (a shifting taupe blue) as her recommendations to wear under the concert lights, as they offer a galaxy of shifting colors that make a statement but feel wearable at the same time. “They adapt beautifully to different lighting, making them dynamic and eye-catching,” Davy muses. “You will get asked what eye shadow you’re wearing if you’re wearing these.”

But the finishing step for any festival makeup look is a healthy dose of light-reflecting glitter, so your eyes are just as amped up as the bass. “We call this product the ‘gateway to glitter,’” Davy says of the Glitterpuck Pressed Glitter, which you can apply anywhere that needs extra sparkle—eyes, lips, skin, you name it. Since they have a water-infused base, these pressed pigments impart high-impact shine with just one finger swipe. “You’ll get the most incredible, weightless veil of sparkle over your lids that will last all day, with zero fallout,” the artist proclaims. Dust this powder over a dark, matte eye shadow for a look that rivals the California night sky, or accentuate an already-shimmery look for a blinding sheen that you can only pull off at a music festival.

Still feeling like you haven’t found the perfect product to achieve indie sleaze eyes? Try Lemonhead LA’s gel-based Spacepaste glitters on for size. Once the source of the hypnotizing sparkle that Davy employed on the set of Euphoria, the brand’s iconic eye shadows earned its most recent television accolades on Aimee Lee Wood’s character, Chelsea, in season 3 of The White Lotus, as detailed in an Instagram post by head makeup artist Rebecca Hickey. Try the lavender duochrome shade Houdini for a look that feels so Rue (Zendaya) or this black diamond hue for a moment that screams alt festival chic.

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Frosted Festival Lips

While eye makeup is one of the easiest ways to kick your makeup into festival mode, Davy encourages you to also play up your lips when you head to the desert. One of the trends the MUA is anticipating to see all over the grounds is in direct competition with the blazing heat: frosted lips, a hallmark of the ’60s, ’90s, and, well, now.

“I am personally obsessed with this effect, especially when paired with a defining lip liner,” Davy says of this icy trend. “It’s so classic 1960s, but [a] darker liner makes it modern.” We’re recent fans of the new Rhode Lip Shapes from Hailey Bieber, which are creamy, blendable lip liners that make for easy touchups in the desert, though really, any deep lip liner will do. After all, it’s simple prep for the star of the show—your ice-cold, frosted kissers.

Mac has long made the metallic lipsticks loved by 90s makeup mavens, but there are a plethora of other icy lip products taking over the trendy beauty scene today. Davy recommends Half Magic’s new Crystal Butter Lip Balm, a squalane- and shea butter-boosted hydrator with a galaxy of shimmery flecks, which will not only leave your lips with a layer of snowflake shine but provide up to 12 hours of hydration in the desert heat.

While we love a hydrating balm, we’re also eyeing a handful of eye-catching icy options including Pat McGrath’s Lust Lip Glosses (named one of the best Pat McGrath products by one editor), MAC’s iconic Lipstick Shine, and e.l.f.’s high-shine Glow Reviver Lip Oils. However you glow, just make sure it’s frosty this festival season.

Pro Tip: For late-night headliner sets, combine Half Magic’s Sculptitude Lip Liner with the Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss. “This combo at nighttime is so hot,” says Davy. “Nothing sparkles like a glitter product in low lighting, and nothing frames a glitter gloss like a longwear lipliner.”

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Sweat-Defying Skin

Let’s get one thing straight: The first thing that goes into your beauty bag must be sunscreen when you’re packing for a weekend spent in the sun, and Davy would have to agree. But if she were to pack your bag for you, these are a few of the necessities she’d reach for and the tips she’d employ to keep your face looking flawless.

“My biggest tip for the heat is to use oil-free skin prep and SPF,” she starts. Davy recommends steering clear of heavy foundations and opting for something lightweight that provides your desired level of coverage to stay comfortable in the sun. “You don’t want to be piling on a lot of complexion makeup if you’ll be sweating,” she explains. “I’d stick to a tinted sunscreen (love those!) and then concealer under the eyes and in any reddish areas where you want a little coverage.”

Our editors have fawned over the Supergoop! Glowscreen tinted sunscreen, which is packed with SPF 40, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid to plump and soothe the skin while also providing a layer of protection (plus, who can resist that luminous finish?). That said, Davy also recommends mixing your concealer with your go-to sunscreen to create a custom color (and dial back on the number of products you’re bringing).

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Main Stage Stones

No matter how bold or minimal you plan on keeping your makeup at Coachella, the one thing Davy suggests you pack to zhuzh up your look are a few fun face gems. The MUA suggests perusing her brand’s extensive collection of self-adhesive gems, studs, pearls, and more “that will hold up in the desert heat” to give any makeup look that instant It-factor.

“Don’t be afraid to cover a lot of real estate on your eyes—festival time is the time to go off,” Davy emphasizes. “Think: magical, fantastical version of yourself.” Not sure where to start? The MUA has a few tips to get the creative juices flowing.

“Use big, medium and tiny rhinestones to create tapered winged liners, arches above your crease, eyebrow gems (above, below or on your brows), or even use stick-on gems to create fake piercings,” she instructs. “I even put these on Chappell Roan last year for her set. No glue needed.”

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How to Do Coachella Makeup

• Protect the Base: Start with an oil-free moisturizer, follow with tinted sunscreen, and touch up where necessary with concealer using a light hand. “You can also mix a little concealer in with your SPF and make your own tinted SPF,” Davy suggests.
• Prime the Eyes: “If you’re doing an eyeshadow look, I’d recommend using an eye shadow primer first or a longwear matte liquid eyeshadow like Half Magic’s Chromaddiction Matte Eye Paint if you’re going for a bolder, color look,” she says. “If you want sparkle, [the] Glitterpill Eye Paint is an awesome topper that gives the ultimate glittery sparkle that especially comes alive at night.”
• Use the Right Mascara: Though waterproof mascaras are never a bad idea, they’re sometimes hard to remove. In this case, Davy recommends packing a good tubing mascara. “So many people are making the switch to tubing formulas because they don’t reliquify, so you never get raccoon eyes,” she explains.
• Prolong the Makeup: “I’d also recommend carrying a handheld fan and wearing sunglasses so you’re not squinting too much (keeps that eye makeup in check so it still looks fresh when the sun goes down),” Davy concludes.

Who's Who

• Donni Davy is the Emmy Award-winning head makeup artist on Max’s Euphoria and the co-founder of the beauty brand Half Magic.
• Alyssa Brascia is an associate beauty editor atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing with years of experience with makeup artistry, including festival outings (Lollapalooza was her adolescence).