Actor, model and LGBTQIA+ rights activist Hunter Schafer is best known for her role as Jules in Euphoria. Now, she is a global ambassador for Shiseido make-up and speaks to digital beauty editor, Hannah Coates, about everything from her secret to radiant skin to her go-to hairstyle.

On how she wakes up in the morning

I guess it depends on the day I’m going to have, but these days before work I usually just hop in the shower. I haven’t been wearing much make-up to work but on days when I’m feeling a little bit fancier, I do. I always put moisturiser on, that’s an everyday thing.

On the last thing she does before sleep

I turn off the TV because I realise if I keep the anime [cartoon] I’m watching on, I’m never actually going to fall asleep! I have to resign myself to the silence.

On her skincare routine

It’s the same thing as when I wake up. I don’t have a very complex routine. It’s mostly a shower at the end of the day, and then put moisturiser on. The last skincare product I finished was the Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate. You put it on before make-up and it helps everything do a better job of what it’s supposed to do.

On her secret to glowing skin

Sleep! Get as much sleep as possible, and if that doesn’t work, put some foundation on. The Shiseido Synchro Radiant Lifting Foundation has helped me look glowy on days when I have had less than the necessary minimum of four hours. Thankfully, most of the time I have a lovely make-up artist [apply it] who is much better at it than me, but when I don’t I usually just use my fingers and pat it across my face in a light layer. It’s pretty easy and so lightweight that it’s hard to not know what you’re doing.

On her lockdown beauty look

The past year it has been pretty minimal when it comes to colour and eyeshadow and products like that. But I’ve been embellishing a very basic, pared-back face with eyeliner. I draw these little illustrations on my face. When I feel I want something more exciting, I use little gems to give myself fake piercings, which is cool as well.

On her favourite way to wear her hair

I usually just throw it up in a little bun every single day. That’s kind of the extent of my abilities when styling my own hair. But once again, when I have help, it can go a lot further. I have fun and I really like wearing my hair up. It’s usually a challenge, every time I work with my hair stylist: what is a new way we can put it up? We’re continuing to push the boundary every time with how many different arrangements we can put my hair into.

On her favourite ‘Euphoria’ look

I think my favourite is probably the look in season one, episode seven, when Jules goes to the club. It’s something Doni [Doniella Davy, the make-up artist on the show] had a lot of fun creating. It’s rather simple. The bulk of the look is two little black dots and then a line, but we were very concerned about what angle the line was. I’m pretty sure we redrew it like five times before finding the right angle above her eyelid – just to emphasise and find the right mood. If it was slanted too far downwards she might look too angry, and we didn’t want her to look worried either. So the angle of the line was tough, but once we got it, I really loved that look.

On the success of ‘Euphoria’

[Its success] is something that still surprises me, just how far it’s reached. It’s hard to wrap my head around. As far as why it [appeals], we just really had fun with the make-up looks and weren’t too concerned about what was on trend. We weren’t intentionally doing “Euphoria make-up”. We were just doing our thing and having fun. Collectively, it assembled itself into an aesthetic that was applicable to a lot of people. But more than that, I think people could feel the fun and that gave them the room to have fun with their own make-up looks and be like, “Okay, well if people on TV are doing whatever the fuck they want with their make-up, we should too!” I hope that’s how it works – it was nice and joyful.

On make-up as a force for happiness

One of the fun things about quarantine is something I resisted at first but now am enjoying. It’s the teenage thing of feeling stuck in your bedroom and you’re not allowed to go anywhere or go out for the night or anything, but you’re going to put on a look and do your make-up just because you want to experiment and have fun. While we all miss going places and doing things, there is something kind of beautiful about playing with beauty and pushing your own boundaries – but not going anywhere, showing anyone. It’s doing make-up without the intention of putting it out into the world; it’s just for yourself. I think that’s how some of the best beauty looks are probably brought to life.