When Gabrielle Chanel created her first lipstick in 1924, she envisioned an evocation of power and freedom in movement and thought. To encapsulate this ideal, she looked to the colour of passion, of a red that bore a propensity to be loud and diffused enough to invite mystique. In the decades to come, the colour red has become inextricably linked to Chanel’s history, reinvented and developed in different textures, finishes, applications, and shades.
For Spring Summer 2023, Chanel Beauty revisits the house’s infatuation with the shade, to canonise it as the centrepiece and focus for the seasonal launch of its beauty collection. As inspired by a society evolving at a women’s pace, and of eras to come, Chanel Beauty delivers quantity without compromising quality, introducing never-before-seen shades of reds—think sienna red, warm rosewood, peach, rose gold, rosy beige, and “tomette” tile red. Red is dreamt up in dichotomies, to be striking yet soft, and a statement but also a staple.
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“If you’re sad or heartbroken, make yourself up, dress up, add more lipstick and attack”, said Gabrielle Chanel, as she designed the house’s first lipstick to combine aesthetics, simplicity, and practicality.
In alignment with this philosophy, the house’s iconic Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick is thus transformed with 20 hues and two interpretations that, according to the brand, “demonstrate[s] its singularity and plurality”. This idealised duality signals this season’s sizable range, designed to suit the many facets of femininity, from understated to fierce or soft to strong. The velvety satin shade provides long-wearing colours to suit, as the six mainstays—Libre (62), Abstrait (69), La Favorite (43), Rouge Charnel (56), Rouge Feu (57), and Rouge Vie (58)—are among the scale of 20 colour variations, which varies from soft and delicate beige and rosewood to intense crimson. Today, the formula is crafted with ultra-fine and pearlescent pigments for intense and long-wearing colour, with an unprecedented luminous quality. Castor oil and shea butter are also infused into the mix, for comfortable application and wear.
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Leaning into the achromatism and flushed-face beauty looks inspired by the summertime heat, Chanel Beauty isn’t just stopping at lipstick. Instead, the brand has unveiled a full arsenal of beauty products, in palettes, eyeliner, mascara, nail polishes and highlighting balms.
The multi-purpose Chanel Beauty Les 4 Rouges Yeux Et Joues (S$149), which flexes the functions of blush, highlighter, eyeshadow, and eyeliner, is reimagined in two new seasonal releases. The seasonal palette’s matte and satin pigments can be blended, paired or worn solo, to achieve a full spectrum of looks, from subdued to striking.
And if striking is the aim, brighten the eyes with the red-toned Stylo Yeux Waterproof liquid liners (S$40), and the Noir Allure mascara (S$68) to achieve a cherry-on-top, vermillion-forward smokey eye. Drive home the colour-oriented tribute by topping off the monotone with more tone—via the highlight balm, Baume Essentiel in Rouge Frais (S$70), for a nuanced addition of coloured glow.
To purchase Chanel Beauty’s limited edition Spring Summer 2023 collection, head online or to any Chanel Beauty boutiques and counters islandwide.
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