The Makeup Details You Missed On HBO’s “The Idol”

From the very first frame of HBO’s “The Idol,” the makeup takes on a life of its own. Struggling pop star Jocelyn, played by Lily Rose Depp, changes up her facial expressions at the direction of a distant voice requesting poses that are “doe-eyed,” “mischievous,” and “vulnerable.” Because of the extreme close-up, Jocelyn’s smudged eyeliner and messily-applied lip liner are hard to ignore. The viewer quickly learns that the makeup reflects her emotional state, which is an intentional aspect of the series’ visual storytelling.

Created by Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) and Sam Levinson, “The Idol” takes place in the same universe as Levinson’s most well-known project, “Euphoria,” and follows similar principles when it comes to aesthetics. Natural-looking skin, glitter, and graphic eyeliner are all present in the three of six episodes that have aired, but makeup department head Kirsten Coleman tells POPSUGAR that there are important distinctions between the two series.

“I wanted this to represent current trends but I also really wanted this to feel like a different show [from ‘Euphoria’] because it is a completely different show,” she says. “I’m thankful that I was given a place to create a new feeling and maybe bring back some classic looks or trends and things that inspire these characters.”

Ahead, Coleman breaks down all the behind-the-scenes beauty details of “The Idol,” from the meaning behind Jocelyn’s dramatic stage makeup to the reason why Coleman rarely used any powder on set.

The Inspiration Behind Jocelyn’s Look

If you’ve seen the show, it’ll likely come as no surprise to learn that Jocelyn’s performance looks were inspired by Y2K pop icons like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, the latter of which is specifically mentioned in the first episode.

“I think there’s a very specific type of pop star that the late 90s, early 2000s put out that doesn’t exist anymore,” Coleman says. “It was a very specific time and way they were presenting themselves so we really stuck to that.”

When Jocelyn is offstage, however, she’s much more stripped down. “When I think of normal everyday Jocelyn, she doesn’t want all that stuff on her face and in fact, she doesn’t like it, she doesn’t enjoy the extensions, the lashes,” Coleman says. “All that stuff represents all of the things that her team and her fans want to put on top of her to mask who she really is.”

The makeup artist points to Kim Basinger in the 1986 erotic drama “9 ½ Weeks” as well as Sharon Stone in 1987’s “Fatal Attraction” as inspiration for Jocelyn’s everyday looks. “[It’s] this sultry, but still naturally beautiful, femme fatale kind of vibe,” she says.

Coleman also shares a heartwrenching backstory she created to inform Jocelyn’s 80s-inspired makeup choices. “These are the movies she probably watched when she was younger, or her mom showed her,” she says. “I think in her own mind she’s like, ‘This is what my mom thinks is a beautiful woman.’ She wants to feel accepted by her mom. I think this is subconsciously where she’s gone with her personal aesthetic.”

How Jocelyn’s Makeup Pays Homage to Lily Rose Depp’s Personal Style

Thanks to the daily collaboration between Depp and Coleman on set, the actress’ signature soft and sultry glam made its way into Jocelyn’s makeup. “[Lily] would come and sit in my chair and we’ll look at her costume for the day and think about the scene that we’re prepping for, then we have a back and forth,” she says.

“[Lily’s] a total makeup girl. She has her own style that I’ve incorporated into some of her looks that I think really do adhere to Jocelyn’s style.”

For Jocelyn’s “off duty” looks, Coleman would often use dark brown eyeliner to create a contrast to her harsh stage looks.

Instead of lipstick, Jocelyn wore a combination of lip liner and the Chanel Rouge Coco Baume ($45). “We used probably about four or five different lip liners and we would combine them differently based on where she was,” Coleman says. “We almost never used lipstick or lip gloss. It was mostly just a lip balm and then we blended the liner; her classic, slightly overlined look, connecting the cupid’s bow.”

The 1 Product They Skipped on Set of “The Idol”

Sweat, tear stains, and texture were all welcomed with open arms while filming “The Idol.” In fact, Coleman says that natural-looking skin was Levinson’s “number one priority” when it came to the makeup on the show, which is why they rarely (if ever) used setting powder.

“I kind of call that the ‘signature Sam skin,'” she says. “Letting things evolve in the scene as makeup would wear normally or as sweat would form normally . . . It was the same with working on ‘Euphoria.’ He wanted the skin to be sheen-y and natural.”

When executing each makeup look, Coleman’s team worked with Levinson to determine the most realistic application based on the context of the scene. “When she’s doing her dance rehearsal, we made her makeup messy because she’s coming from a photo shoot and she kind of quickly had a moment to remove some of her makeup because she has no time,” she says. “We’re seeing the stress level of her not having any moment for herself. And then as she’s rehearsing, she’s sweating, her makeup is creasing under her eyes. I think one of the things people don’t know about being a makeup artist is that you have to know when to not apply makeup and when to let things ride.”

When Coleman did use powder, she reached for the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder ($58).

The Intention Behind Jocelyn’s Doe-Eyed Album Cover Makeup

Jocelyn’s smudgy winged eyeliner, heavy blush, and overdrawn lip liner are an amped-up version of her everyday look and, as Coleman points out, play into the range of emotions splashing across her face during her album cover photoshoot.

“The look is messy because it’s supposed to look like she’s put this eyeliner on and maybe she slept in it and it’s not done perfectly because she’s on a bender or something,” says Coleman. “We specifically put more makeup on the lower lash line to give you that grungy, punky look. I applied the liner as I normally would and then I took a brush and I just messed it up and smeared it out. And then as she cries and stuff it’s supposed to break down.”

To create the look, Coleman used Calligraphie De Chanel Longwear Intense Cream Eyeliner ($35) on the upper and lower lash line, liberal amounts of N1 De Chanel Lip And Cheek Balm in Berry Boost ($45) on the cheeks, and Chanel Le Crayon Lèvres Longwear Lip Pencil in Pivoine ($32), which is currently sold out everywhere, on the lips.

“It’s funny because that look got a lot of reactions and I wasn’t expecting that,” she says. “I mean, these are the happy accidents that happen. It’s something I’ve embraced as a makeup artist; I let the universe work its magic sometimes.”

The Deeper Meaning Behind Jocelyn’s Dramatic Stage Makeup

“The Idol”‘s second episode features Jocelyn’s most memorable makeup look so far. Battling both scrutiny from her team and her own trauma-induced perfectionism, the pop star is pushed to exhaustion during a music video shoot; her tight costume, heavy makeup, and extra-long extensions aren’t helping either.

“That performance look is very much supposed to be what everyone expects her to be…current and trendy and on-trend,” Coleman says of Jocelyn’s music video makeup, which features “Euphoria”-esque graphic eyeliner and glitter.

In addition to creating a stark contrast from her everyday looks, Coleman explains Jocelyn’s excessive makeup is meant to evoke a visceral reaction from the viewer. “When you’re watching her breakdown, you’re feeling uncomfortable, because there’s all this stuff going on,” she says. “Her dress is pointy, she’s got so many extensions, she’s got these lashes, she’s got long, pointy nails.”

To create Jocelyn’s music video makeup, Coleman hand drew the eyeliner using her favorite black liner, Calligraphie De Chanel Longwear Intense Cream Eyeliner ($35). “I needed that for the day because I knew she was gonna be crying,” she says. “I didn’t know the extent of how intense that scene was gonna go.” She also used Lemon Head’s Spacejam Glitter in Caviar Noir ($26) and individual lashes from House of Lashes ($7) and Ardell ($6).

What Leia’s “Girl-Next-Door” Vibe Says About Her Character

As Jocelyn’s best friend and personal assistant, Leia (played by Rachel Sennott) serves as an obvious foil to the sultry megastar. “She’s so much more insecure about who she is and there’s more of an innocence to her,” Coleman says. “She’s very toned down, and she’s also too busy to take a lot of time for herself.”

Despite taking a backseat to Jocelyn, Coleman likes to imagine that Leia would be passionate about following online makeup tutorials.

“That’s her thing. She probably watches the same tutorials that the ‘Euphoria’ girls are watching, but she does it in a softer way because she doesn’t have the time to do graphic eyeliner in the morning. She has a more of a softer, feminine, blended, pastels,” she says of Leia’s signature look. “There’s also sort of a 60s inspiration to her sometimes. I personally feel like that was a very feminine, soft era for makeup in some ways.

Coleman created a soft pink eye look for Leia using a pastel pink eyeshadow from Colourpop ($12) on the lid and a bright pink shade from the Viseart Petite Mattes Editorial Brights Palette ($40) along the lash line.

What to Look Forward to on Future Episodes of ‘The Idol’

With three more episodes to go, viewers are certainly in for more noteworthy beauty looks from Jocelyn. In the most recent episode, “Daybreak,” the singer starts to take her career into her own hands — and that includes her beauty looks.

“As the show progresses, she does go through a bit of a change on how she wants to present herself, which is a much different feeling,” Coleman hints. “So we’ll see more of that in the show.”

Still, “She’s never really been asked who she wants to be or what she wants to do before and now she’s starting to feel comfortable in certain ways. So you’ll see some details in her makeup that reflect that. In the last episode of the show, there is a look that I’m excited about that I’m not going to be able to talk about, but it’s like the new ‘performance Jocelyn.'”