FRESH OUT OF LOCKDOWN, LUCIA PICA – GLOBAL CREATIVE MAKEUP AND COLOR DESIGNER OF CHANEL – GIVES NOELLE LOH THE EXCLUSIVE ON WHAT NOW (AND NEXT) FOR COSMETICS
MAKEUP IS FOREVER
“I’m sure that there are women thinking, why would I wear lipstick or foundation or this or that if I have to wear a mask, but I’ve still been wearing lipstick as well as a very light foundation – Chanel’s Les Beiges Eau de Teint Water Fresh Tint... I’ve often said: More than any other factor, I put on makeup for myself. It just plays a role in making me feel good and fresh, and has an influence on my attitude for the day. For example, I find putting on a bright red lipstick really fun. Whatever it is, it’s just something that can’t disappear.”
EYE MAKEUP IS GOING TO GET MORE CREATIVE
“With masks becoming the norm, you’re likely to think about how people are going to perceive you with it on and whether or not they’re going to be able to see your emotions while you’re wearing one. With this, some people might become more experimental with their eye makeup. It can help in opening up the eyes and make them look brighter – or more mysterious, for example… In Chanel Beauty’s Fall Winter 2020 collection, there’s an eyeliner – the Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Psyche, a rich purple-brown – that can be used on the lash line and elongated towards the outer corner of the eyes. Even if done subtly, it’s a very quick way of creating definition… Other ways of emphasising the eyes include applying some colour on the socket and underneath the lash line then blending very well. Choosing the right colour matters too. The pinks and browns in our latest collection work very well with dark-coloured and green eyes.”
BUT NEVER OVER-PLUCK YOUR BROWS
“That would certainly be a look to remember. I always try to emphasise natural beauty and it’s no different with brows. Using our Le Gel Sourcils eyebrow gel, I like to brush the brows of the models I work with upwards and then draw in little feathered hairs instead of thick, straight lines, which would be too heavy for the face. After using a pencil crayon to seal that in, I like to use an angled brush and our La Palette Sourcils (a brow powder duo) to soften up these little hairs that have been drawn in while creating definition, moving from the inner corner of the brows to the middle and then to the outer corners.”
FOUNDATION WILL BECOME LIGHTER AND MORE BREATHABLE
“Wearing a mask can get very hot so you need a base that’s much lighter in texture. Les Beiges Eau de Teint Water Fresh Tint (launched last year and boasting a microfluidic formula made up of 75 per cent water) is a very transparent and hydrating formula that stays on really well, making it great for this time. You want your skin to be able to breathe while wearing a mask. And you don’t want too much residue from your foundation to be left behind on it. At the same time, you want the foundation to be able to conceal slight imperfections and create an amazing skin tone all without being detectable. That’s the most important thing that I work on when it comes to foundations. I want to be able to see beautiful skin radiating through.”
LIPSTICK WILL ALWAYS BE ESSENTIAL
“I called my mother who lives in what was a red zone during Italy’s lockdown on Mother’s Day and she had on a bright red lipstick. Sure, she was trying to support me, but she’s actually a very simple, understated person and she said that she had been putting on lipstick every morning during that period to feel better. This even though she had not left the house in two and a half months because she’s 74 – a vulnerable age. That really sums things up: how a bit of colour can really lift one’s mood… Our Rouge Allure Ink Fusion (available in the matte taupy brown Ambiguite and matte brownish red Idyllique this season) is one of my favorite liquid lipsticks at the moment. I find that it stays on really well. Even if it does translate a little onto your mask, you still have some lip colour on when you take your mask off.”
PINK COULD BE AS COOL AS RED
“With our Fall/Winter 2020 collection dubbed Candeur et Experience (“candour and experience” in English), I wanted to talk about two different sides to a woman – one that’s more innocent and feminine and another that’s strong – and how they can complement one another. With that, I started to explore the colour pink, which I’ve always been afraid of. I thought, how could I challenge myself to subvert it? It explains why the colours in the collection (comprising a multi-use glow stick, three eye shadow quads, two eyeliners, six lip colours in different textures and two nail varnishes) span from a light, shimmery pink to a burgundy to a bright pink to a brown. Besides being able to be mixed together, they suit all skin tones and ages because I gave them all a warm undertone.”
BEAUTY WILL NEVER BE LOST
