I’m sure I’m not the first person to get totally sucked into the show Riverdale after its recent release on Netflix (my sister can attest to that). I personally didn’t think I’d get into a show about the Archie comics since I’ve never read them, but The CW has always known how to create a good drama! One of the things I like best about Riverdale is its slew of interesting and capable female characters. I didn’t expect much after older and less progressive shows (Sorry Gossip Girl), but I was incredibly impressed with Betty and Veronica from episode one. They have a few mishaps, but generally their friendship transcends stupid boy fights and played out drama. They are there for each other and their friendship feels like the strong relationships I have with my best girl friends.

As a makeup-obsessed TV watcher, I admired the way Betty and Veronica were styled and how their personalities showed through these choices. It only took me a few episodes to decide that I wanted to create makeup looks inspired by them! Read on for my looks as I channel two mystery-solvin’ ladies. 

As I mentioned above, these looks are “inspired” by Betty and Veronica. I’m not trying to imitate any one look or go as far as cosplay makeup. Those of you who have been with me for a while know that I prefer wearable “Disney-bound” types of looks to actual cosplay (although if you’re interested in someone truly talented check out AtelierHeidi on YouTube). Each look is created from the vibe I got from each character from the whole season. We’ll start with the outgoing and snarky Veronica!

Veronica Lodge:

Veronica’s makeup and clothing looks have clean, classic lines. She has a very angular look as well with straight-skirts and her iconic eyebrows (let it be known now that those eyebrows entranced me and inspired this post). For her makeup look I started with a solid base of foundation and drew on my eyebrows with a more sharp and defined look to imitate hers (God bless them).

Next up was the eyeshadow. I used the Naked3 palette to create this look because I most often notice Veronica wearing subtle shades of brown and pink. She has a very classic contoured look to her eyes that felt mostly matte to me as well. I started with the color Limit all over my lid for a subtle flush. I used Nooner in my crease to create dimension and finished with Factory on the outer lid to darken things up.

I added a few finishing touches with Nooner on the lower lid, Strange on the inner corners and brow bone, and a winged liner. Veronica seems to wear a black winged liner in almost every scene, but her wing is usually subtle and flatters her eye shape, so I kept the flick small and followed the curve of my eye. I also added some mascara and let it dry before putting falsies on my outer corners. Veronica’s look is always a little more dramatic than Betty’s, so I found the falsies to be appropriate.

I finalized the face makeup with a bronzer, blush, and a subtle highlight. I thought all three products would better represent Veronica’s full-face look. I used a darker pink/mauve lipstick because Veronica tends to wear this color most often unless she’s at an event. The lipstick completed my bold and classic Veronica look!

Betty Cooper:

I’d describe Betty’s look as more youthful and simple than Veronica’s. She’s a simple girl who wears a ponytail almost every day, so she’s not all about eyeliner and dark brows. Betty’s style trends toward the more classically feminine and pink tones, so I started with a less high-coverage foundation, a concealer, and a softer penciled-in brow.

My favorite thing about Betty’s look in the show is her eyeshadow. It is always beautifully subtle and enhances her features in a precise way. I used my Too Faced Peach Palette for this look because it has so many pinks that enhance my natural eye color. I used the color Georgia all over my lid to create an almost-neutral base with a hint of warmth. Then I used Just Peachy in my crease to create dimension that wasn’t overly shadowed. I used a mixture of Candied Peach and Summer Yum in my outer corners to brighten the look a bit.

Next up was Candied Peach on my lower lashes and Peaches N’ Cream on the inner corners and brow bone, and Delectable as a shadow liner. Betty doesn’t usually wear a stark eyeliner, but I often see her eyes defined by shadow or a subtle shadow wing (like in the episode where they go to the dance). I used a matte brown to accentuate my eyes a bit more like she does and then added my mascara afterwards. There are no falsies for Betty’s look because she tends to go for something more simple and less mature.

I finished the look with just a bit of blush and a very subtle pink lip tint. Betty often doesn’t look like she’s wearing any lipstick at all so I opted for something chill. She is also more pale and pink-toned than Veronica, so blush without bronzer was enough to complete the look.

I’m sure many of you makeup-obsessed TV watchers also tend to stare at the makeup just as much as the drama, so I was happy to share my badass lady-inpsired looks! There are plenty of cool ladies in this show besides the dream team (I’m looking at you Cheryl and Josie), so I highly recommend the show while it’s still on Netflix. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that these ladies stay together and avoid silly boy dramas in the future too. Thanks for reading!

-Kate