- The make-up artist for Euphoria, Chappell Roan, and Kesha got her start working on a vampire web-series gig she found on Craigslist. Now the millennial entrepreneur, Donni Davy, is setting beauty trends and running a $87 million EMV makeup company thanks to her “superpower” and early career choices.
Most people rising to career heights wince looking back at the early days: roughing it by bussing tables, awaiting a golden opportunity. For Doniella “Donni” Davy—Euphoria makeup artist and founder of Half Magic Beauty—her first gigs off Craigslist were an exhilarating start to where 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 working on a vampire YouTube series and low-budget films are in stark contrast to what she’s taking on now. The makeup artist is behind the looks seen in movies like Moonlight, and If Beale Street Could Talk. Most notably, she’s known for the generation-defining beauty of colorful and graphic makeup trends she set on the hit HBO series Euphoria—with season three set to return in 2026. Davy’s celebrity clients include icons like Chappell Roan, Kesha, Reneé Rapp, and Mindy Kaling. Meanwhile, she’s juggling her $87 million earned media value (EMV) makeup brand Half Magic Beauty.
Davy’s interest in makeup makes sense on paper; she was raised by two artistic parents in Los Angeles, one of the creative capitals of the world. But in those early years, her schools didn’t explore non-traditional creative forms like makeup artistry. She didn’t even know a job like that existed. However, what she did know was that she enjoyed painting; and moved from cotton canvas to 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 web series to hit TV show Euphoria
At just 21, Davy pivoted from her previous creative background and leaned into her true calling—starting with a two-week crash course in make-up, instead of going through cosmetology school.
Davy has proved that speed-running a skills course works out well when you have the passion and talent. While audiences now gawk at her work among the upper echelons of Hollywood, the start couldn’t have been any different. Davy’s first gig was a low-budget project riding the popularity 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.”
At the time Davy also juggled a part-time job at a wine bar, slipping in shifts between projects. Davy says it took a few years of picking up gigs off the website—sleeping on the floors of sets, schlepping between indie film group houses—before she took on a project that flipped the switch. It was Moonlight—a 2016 fan-favorite, which received critical praise with two wins at the Academy Awards, and one at the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, and the Screen 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 makeup artistry for a few indie films—including The Devil Has a Name and Under the Silver Lake—before HBO caught wind of her talents. The company had a pilot it wanted her to test for: a teen drama called Euphoria. Not only would this job bring out a different side of her artistry, but it would be career-defining. The makeup looks on Euphoria would soon bring beauty enthusiasts to their knees. Rhinestone cat-eyes, colorful cut creases, and neon eyeliner would dominate the main feeds of TikTok and Instragam. Not only was the show a pop culture sensation—but the characters’ makeup came to define the individuality and play of Gen Z’s fashion 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.”
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Davy’s success on Euphoria laid the groundwork to launch her makeup brand, Half Magic Beauty, in collaboration with A24. The products are distinct to her creative style—and sticking to her ingenuity has paid off. The company says it had $87 million in EMV in 2024. Half Magic Beauty has retail presence across three continents, and is on the shelves of over 800 Ulta stores in the U.S. It was also awarded four Allure Best of Beauty Awards.
Davy’s essential “superpower” and advice for young dreamers
While many may envision that working with the likes of Zendaya and Chappell Roan is a total dream, Davy’s job isn’t for the faint of heart. She has the perks of working with trailblazing artists and on award-winning films, but her career spans well beyond makeup.
“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 top Hollywood makeup artist has thrown her for a loop—her bouts of success quickly followed one another, steadily propelling her as a trendsetter. She credits her ADHD as a “superpower” in the chaos of it all, because she can really hone her focus on the things she cares about.
For many looking to make it in entertainment, the fame and industry competition can be daunting. Davy may be riding a career high, but it all started with a Craigslist ad and a vampire YouTube series. She says if she didn’t take on and value every opportunity she got, she wouldn’t be where she is today. Dreamers shouldn’t be scared to try and make it in Hollywood—just do every 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.”
