LA VIE EN ROUGE

PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN POPOVICH
FASHION DIRECTION: AILEEN MARR
HAIR: TAYLOR JAMES REDMAN
MAKEUP: VICTORIA BARON MAKEUP ARTIST FOR CHANEL
MODEL: VI LATH / KULT
WORDS: EMILY ALGAR

Of all makeup categories, lipstick is perhaps the most glamorous. It’s not really a functional product, but one designed to tell a story; translate a mood; transpose an emotion. Take red. It’s passionate, powerful, and feminine. It’s a makeup move with purpose. And such is the case with any bold color. It’s not a routine but a ritual. It’s a form of self-expression.

Few beauty brands have captured the enduring appeal of a bold lip quite like Chanel. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself was arguably the woman behind the cultural phenomenon of a rouge pout. It was a beauty talisman that said as much about her as her twin-set tweed and strings of pearls. It was a message; a way of communicating who she was and what she believed in. It was also a way to lift her spirits: “If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack,” she famously said.

Wise words indeed.

And now the house has ushered in its latest lip creation: Rouge Coco Bloom. The exclusive formula developed by Chanel Research is designed to marry the richness of a traditional lipstick with the reflective qualities of a gloss. The shine is actually the product of micro-droplets of oil that melt over the lips’ surface, refracting light and in turn creating a beautiful, glassy finish. Moisturizing and highly pigmented, it’s one of those rare products that both feels and looks good, made all the more impressive by the fact it lasts up to eight hours.

For Chanel Makeup Artist Victoria Baron, Rouge Coco Bloom paints a picture of bold beauty that’s rooted in nature. “As soon as I saw the collection, the word bloom stuck in my mind,” she says. “I started visiting florists and reading books that looked at different flowers. I really think Rouge Coco Bloom is all about surrounding yourself with color; I was inspired by the idea of the lips blooming, much like a flower.”

And bloom they did, as demonstrated by Baron’s handiwork in the proceeding images. Four shades were called on to craft the various looks: 138 Vitalité, a classic bright “Chanel red” to use Baron’s analysis; 122 Zenith, a lighter, poppy coral; 126 Season, a pigmented hot pink Baron loves for its multipurpose qualities; and 148 Surprise, a deeper, moody wine-adjacent hue that works incredibly well as a stain.

For Baron, it’s not just the kaleidoscope of colors that’s appealing – it’s also the texture. “You can create so many different finishes with Rouge Coco Bloom. I love layering it onto a matte lip product, blotting it, or wiping it away and leaving behind only a stain.”

It’s a product that lends itself to the creative vision of the wearer, but still remains true to the iconic red lip narrative. “Chanel have the best reds, so that’s no different. But this has such a beautiful, moisturizing feel… plus staying power. It’s a beautiful product.”

And with such a beautiful lip product, not much else is needed. Just luminous skin, radiant highlight, fluffy lashes and a bold brow.

Shine on.