ELLE Exclusive: The CHANEL Drop That’s Changing How We Wear Colour This Summer

Colour rules? CHANEL just broke them. The Spring-Summer 2025 collection is an unapologetic playground for tone-on-tone clashes, electric contrasts, and unexpected pairings—all designed to rewrite how we wear makeup this season.

For Spring-Summer 2025, the house isn’t merely introducing new shades; it’s throwing out the rulebook. Mix & Match—the latest collection from the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio, co-created with Ammy Drammeh, takes the idea of coordination and turns it on its head. “No combination is off-limits,” says Drammeh. “We wanted to give carte blanche to create technicolour makeup looks.”​

This isn’t just about colour—it’s about movement, texture, and personality. Some pairings feel almost too effortless, others deliberately clashing—but that’s the beauty of it. CHANEL is handing over creative control, and the only rule is that there are none.

Why CHANEL’s New Monochrome Is Anything But Safe

Forget everything you think you know about monochrome makeup. In Mix & Match, CHANEL reworks the idea of ‘one shade, one mood’ into something far more compelling: tone-on-tone sets that look intentionally styled, not subdued.

Each twin set pairs an Ombre Essentielle eyeshadow with a Stylo Yeux Waterproof liner, creating a fresh take on monochrome that’s anything but predictable.

• The Unexpected Neutrals – Latte Frappé & Brun Pourpré (a warm beige meets deep brown—effortless yet sculpted)

• The Romantic Rebel – Mauve Sucré & Mauve Intense (a shimmery lilac and a deep, matte purple—dreamy with an edge)

• The Burnished Bold – Pêche Glacée & Rouge Fauve (coppery pink and sienna red—a modern take on a sun-kissed look)

• The Future Classic – Menthe à L’Eau & Vert Lagon (mint green meets metallic blue-green—unexpected, yet hypnotic)

My Take: The smartest way to wear this? Layer textures, not just colours. A matte liner with a sheer wash of eyeshadow makes the monochrome feel less ‘matchy-matchy’ and more runway-ready. Or, press a bit of Jeux de Lumières highlighter onto the lids for dimension without adding another colour.

Clash or Complement? The Art of the Unexpected Pairing

The magic of Mix & Match lies in its deliberate unpredictability. CHANEL understands that contrast is just as powerful as cohesion, which is why this collection is built to do both.

Think a sienna-red liner against a cool lilac lid or a nude base disrupted by a streak of metallic green. The result? A curated clash that feels intentional rather than chaotic.

My Take: If you’re used to safe colour combos, flip the script—pair opposites on different features instead of stacking them in the same area. Example? A deep plum eyeliner with warm peachy lips, or a bold mint-green eye balanced with just a soft hint of pink highlighter on the cheekbones.

Beauty Editor’s Picks: The Standout Must-Haves

While the collection is filled with editorial-worthy moments, two standouts deserve a permanent spot in your beauty arsenal:

1. Rouge Coco Baume – Think of this as the perfect ‘thrown-in-your-bag’ essential. A sheer caramel swipe for brunch, a bold berry layer-up for after-dark—this lip balm doubles as the easiest on-the-go statement. My favourite shade for the season, Honey Bliss.

2. Jeux de Lumières – If there’s one product that sums up the entire mood of this collection, it’s Jeux de Lumières—CHANEL’s oversized illuminator designed for face, eyes, and décolleté. Because a lit-from-within glow never goes out of style. Most highlighters are either too shimmery for day or too subtle for night. This one shifts with your application technique—dab it on with fingers for a dewy skin finish or dust it over lids with a fluffy brush for an ethereal, soft-focus eye look. It’s not just highlighter—it’s polish in powder form.

With Mix & Match, CHANEL isn’t just playing with colour—it’s changing how we wear it. Whether you lean towards refined monochromes or fearless contrast, this collection hands over the creative reins.

And you heard it here first: This season, colour isn’t just an accent—it’s the whole story.