All the cool girls want Alexandra French’s grungy, glittery make-up looks

The Dazed Beauty Community is our ever-expanding encyclopaedia of creatives and emerging talent from across the world who are redefining the way we think about beauty. Discover them here.

Anyone familiar with Alexandra French’s work won’t be surprised to discover that her make-up obsession began the first time she went on Tumblr and started watching Skins and listening to My Chemical Romance. The sweaty, messy, smudged-out make-up of Effy Stonem, the pop-trash aesthetic of Skins, the emo drama of MCR’s looks, all come together to form the DNA that runs through French’s work. And yet, the looks never feel like they are stuck in the past. Vibrant, playful with an edge, both grungy and glittery – they have a freshness and a weirdness that keeps them always exciting. 

It’s this aesthetic that made French a perfect choice for Euphoria, where she worked on the make-up team under Doniella Davy for season two. The team won an Emmy for their work and, thanks to them, people were watching the show just as much for the make-up as for the plot lines. Since then, French has moved on from her background in SFX make-up to focus on celebrity glam, but while she no longer works in television, character still continues to drive the looks.

“I just want to tell a story and create a character. Even in simple beauty make-up, I find myself pulling from my character make-up background. ‘Who is she? Where is she going? What’s the story?’” says French. “I think my girl is the cool girl, and I hope everyone that I work with feels that way.”

Now based in LA, there is no doubt that her girls are the cool girls. She’s worked with names including Lady Gaga, Nadia Lee Cohen, Alexa Demie, Gabbriette, Charli xcx, Chloe Cherry and Sophie Thatcher. Last year, she reunited with Davy to do Chappell Roan’s make-up for her breakthrough Coachella performance, and recently she’s been working with Meg Stalter while she promotes her new show Too Much. 

Dazed caught up with French to find out more about rage, growing up in Germany and Brazil, and joining the team on Euphoria.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and where you grew up?

Alexandra French: I was born in Texas; my mother is from Germany, and my father was in the military. My mom moved us back to Germany as a young child, where I spent my years being a weird anime kid with my friends, learning how to paint and draw and playing outside as much as possible. We moved back to the States when I was 10 and landed in Charlotte, NC where I stayed through high school. I ended up graduating high school early so I could study abroad, and I lived in Brazil for a year. 

While in Brazil, I attended art school where I studied print making and calligraphy while volunteering for the Rotary club, doing various things like translating children’s books to braille. After Brazil, I spent a few months working various jobs to save money, then I moved to Portugal to volunteer on a farm for a few months, then moved to Berlin, where I ran into a friend from high school who was moving to LA and needed a roommate – so we moved to LA! 

What is it you do and why do you do it?

Alexandra French: I started my make-up career in film and television. I studied Special FX and character making, so my early days were spent making and applying sweat, blood guts and tears. I love storytelling, I love going to the movies and forgetting about the real world for a few hours and fully immersing myself in these worlds. It was a way to escape as a child; I find a lot of queer people have that in common.

While I was making money working at a coffee shop and working on indie films, I was also doing my own editorial shoots with friends who eventually went on to become successful photographers. As we grew up together, so did our careers. When I first saw the first season of Euphoria, I was so incredibly obsessed with it. I knew I had to figure out how to be a part of it somehow. I had reached out to Donni Davy, department head, before she became famous, and we kept in touch for years. In 2021, she hired me to be a part of her team for Euphoria’s second season, and it changed my life forever.

What’s been your career highlight so far?

Alexandra French: I won an Emmy for my work on Euphoria and then quit film and TV to work in fashion and celebrity. Since then, I have worked with Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, who were both my heroes growing up in high school. Pop music feels like candy for your brain to me, and while they are both very different aesthetically, I love and admire them both so much. I still can’t believe I get to work with them, it literally gives me chills. 15-year-old Alex would throw up if she knew! 

Which fictional character do you most relate to?

Alexandra French: Beatrix Kiddo from Kill Bill, because I am an Aries/Scorpio/Capricorn and I support her getting her well-deserved revenge. I admire it and understand that rage. Also, Pearl’s crash out in the movie Pearl when her boyfriend breaks up with her – I understand, girl. I feel that rage as well!

Who is your beauty icon of all time?

Alexandra French: Erin Parsons. I admire her entire career. I think runway looks haven’t been the same since she left the industry. I have followed her for years and still think about her Rodarte runway looks with the glittering baby blue eyeshadow and perfect red lip. She has truly seen it all and been through it all. I will always be a fan and will always support anything she does. I would love for her to write a book!

What is your current obsession?

Alexandra French: I was trying to find something not beauty-related, but I find myself so incredibly and deeply obsessed with CBeauty Mall. I have never seen pigments like that or colours like that in the US market. I spend too much money there. I am also obsessed with the goth make-up girls on TikTok. They have the best make-up and fragrance recs.

What does beauty mean to you?

Alexandra French: I find myself really drawn to people who love what they do or love something they’re into and want to share it with the world. I really love meeting new people and talking to them about their lives.

When do you feel most beautiful?

Alexandra French: Literally three martinis deep, chain-smoking cigarettes and scream-talking with my friends in someone’s backyard. 

As a warning to the other members of the resistance, your head is to be mounted above the gates of the city. How would you do your makeup that morning?

Alexandra French: I want my pink Labubu with her fairy wings attached to my nose like a septum piercing and my entire face caked and covered in glitter. 

You have to replace part of your body with that of an animal or a mythological creature. What do you go for and why?

Alexandra French: Part of me wants wings so I can fly, but I’m scared of heights. Another part of me wants to be able to breathe underwater because how sick would that be? Also 95 per cent of the ocean is unexplored. But I’m also scared of the ocean. So maybe give me night vision?