We Can’t Stop Thinking About Debbie’s Makeup in “The Shards”

What Makes Debbie Schafer’s Makeup So ’80s?

Inspired by Bret’s high-school girlfriend, Debbie’s character lives and breathes beauty. As an aspiring actress, she rocks her signature look 24/7, even wearing her glam into the pool! Debbie’s signature look highlights her sense of individuality, as her look takes after several ’80s bombshells, rather than one exact counterpart used as the inspiration. Her makeup combines various trends like statement eyeshadow, defined brows, and a bright pink lip. 

If Debbie’s glam looks familiar, Michelle Pfeiffer’s early-’80s beauty offers a close real-life comparison: sleek brows, defined liner, and a glossy statement lip. Michelle’s glam combined classy with charming, and we see a striking resemblance in Debbie’s character. 

To modern eyes, Debbie’s glam also hints at the bold eye-and-lip combinations Madonna would help make synonymous with the decade just a few years later. While you might be nervous to embrace the ’80s with open arms, we’ve noticed that nostalgic makeup trends are actually surprisingly wearable. There’s a certain appeal in intentionally “done” makeup, because definition never goes out of style!

Debbie is a teen at the intersection of two decades, with two distinct styles. Her look symbolizes aspirations and daring ambitions, represented by her streamlined eye makeup and elegantly placed pops of color. Even though it’s been four decades since the beginning of the ’80s, the sentiment to rock fearless glam is as important as ever. At the end of the day, the most glamorous inspirations became iconic for their boldness.

How to Recreate Debbie Schafer’s ’80s Makeup

1. Start With a Soft-Matte Base

Start with a seamless base to build the look on. A matte foundation can help create the smooth, perfected-looking base that anchors Debbie’s glam. Using FENTY BEAUTY  Pro Filt'r Mini Soft Matte Longwear Foundation for a medium- to full-coverage finish will even your skin tone to be camera-ready at all times. In the ’80s, a shade or two lighter than the skin’s natural tone would be used to make your face pop, but a modernized take might lead you to use a shade that’s a true match with your natural one.

2. Define Your Brows

Debbie’s brows are absolutely to die for (no pun intended!) The reason they work? They create a perfect contrast with her platinum hair, and are angled to accentuate her eyes. We’d recommend using a pencil to fill in the brows, and then following up with a gel to set them. It’s up to you to decide how dark to color your brows, but contrasting them with lighter foundation or your hair color might be a good option to embrace that rebellious ’80s energy.

For this step, try LUCKY CHICK  Precision Brow Pencil to fill in with precision, followed by  SHADES BY SHAN  The Brow Gel to freeze those brows for any of your own scream queen moments. 

3. Sweep on Frosted Eyeshadow

We love Debbie’s lighter shadow as the backdrop for her sleek, dark liner. Shimmery, frosted shadow was an ’80s staple, and the icy finish has made its way back into the beauty conversation in 2026. Her character seeks stardom, and perhaps her eyeshadow reflects this as it’s totally dreamy, shining as bright as she does. While a subtle shine is more popular in the present-day, there’s still room for shimmery eyeshadow in your own personal look. Our favorite palette to achieve that gleam is WANDER BEAUTY COSMETICS In The Clouds Eyeshadow Palette, especially shade Silver Lining. Debbie wears her shadow nearly up to her brows, lifting the shine further and drawing the eye upward.  

4. Tightline With Black Eyeliner

Black liner is a staple of Debbie’s look. Debbie’s eyeliner is thin, dark, and doesn’t extend beyond the edge of her lid (no wings necessary here!) Check out our guide on the best eyeliners for your waterline, as well as our how-to for tightlining. The point is to exaggerate the eyes, using a deep black shade to define and make the eyes pop. Debbie’s light blue eyes constantly appear brighter because of this crucial step, but this technique works no matter the color of your natural eyes. For high-intensity definition, try PIXI BEAUTY  Eye Define Waterline. Precise, dramatic liner is the ultimate way to stand out like our girl Debbie. 

5. Add a Pop of Pink Blush

Although she doesn’t wear a lot of it, Debbie’s look does feature just a touch of pink blush. Bright pinks and saturated color were major players in ’80s beauty, and Debbie gives the look a softer spin. Her blush is a light, bright pink, which can be replicated by KOSAS  Blush is Life Baked Talc-Free Dimensional + Brightening Blush in Butterflies. Applying a light amount just above the apples of the cheeks will tie your look together, especially when you finish it all off with our next step. 

6. Finish With a Glossy Pink Lip

For Debbie’s softly monochromatic effect, keep your lip and blush in the same pink color family. A pigmented gloss will get the job done, and we love LITHE BEAUTY  Hydra Lip Gloss. Since this product is a cross between a lip balm and lip gloss, the result is a non-sticky, high-shine finish. Lip gloss never left us, but this color is a reminder of the authentic, edgy makeup choices born in the ’80s that we can still show some love to today. 

Final Thoughts

Not only is it easy to wear an ’80s makeup look that works with beauty trends in 2026, it’s also fun to try an outside-of-the-box tutorial. In the ever-shifting, dynamic world of “The Shards,” Debbie wears a timeless yet daring look that radiates confidence to upstage her doubts and anxieties with a killer on the loose. Beauty details like her frosty eyeshadow, visible eyeliner, pink blush, and glossy pout featured in her glam are returning to the beauty conversation in 2026. Bold, authentic choices are in no matter if it's the past or the present. She stays looking fab for nine chaotic episodes, and it’s because of the effort she puts into looking good, and ultimately feeling good. Debbie’s ’80s glam works today because we don’t need to directly copy her to feel inspired. But we’ll definitely be taking notes from the ’80s on how to make bold glam the focal point.