I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to makeup. I spent most of my late teens and early 20s with not much except a few lipsticks and coloured kohl pencils in my arsenal. That was until my best friend dragged me to the mall and insisted I invest in a foundation. And therein was my introduction to Chanel Beauty.

Chanel’s Vitalumière foundation became my first-ever ‘big girl’ beauty purchase. For someone who was worried about makeup becoming a shield to mask what I really looked like, this product worked because it felt like an ally rather than armour. I didn’t know it back then, but the former is exactly how Gabrielle Chanel, founder of the storied French House, wanted her beauty line to feel. She believed that, in essence, makeup is the art of being yourself.  

Over the years, I’ve gone on to add many products from the brand to my staple kit — the CC cream, the Baume Essentiel multi-use glow stick, the Les 4 Ombres multi-effect quadra eyeshadow palettes, the buttery Rouge Coco Flash lipstick in the shade ‘Jour’ and the nail polish in the shade ‘Emotion’— all signatures of my beauty regimen, as I often like to think of them, all which make me feel a little bit more like myself every time I put them on.

Without consciously being aware of it, these tools have been my ways to express the allure that is at the heart of the brand’s beauty collections. It’s the very concept they zoomed in on with a sensorial experience called ‘The Colour of Allure’ in London this November, also coinciding with a hundred years of Chanel Beauty. Through a maze of rooms spread across two floors in the heart of the British capital, journalists and influencers from around the globe were invited to dive into an immersive space that spoke to the intent behind Chanel’s beauty launches, its dynamic legacy, the symbiotic relationship with colour, and how it all comes back to the idea of allure. 

From video installations and hanging prints to iconic archival products, it became apparent how colour is both a language and a choice, and there is a certain charm in discovering it for yourself.  Some of the most striking to my eye were a lipstick glass case inspired by the staircase in Gabrielle Chanel’s Parisian apartment, the introduction of electric and denim-inspired hues of blue in makeup when navy was the norm, the Les Beiges line as a manifesto of effortless beauty, and a penchant for ballerina tones of beige and light pink

. 

The event also brought to the forefront Chanel’s Cometes Collective trio — makeup artists and Chanel’s global makeup creative partners Ammy Drammeh, Valentina Li and Cécile Paravina — who play a pivotal role in capturing this allure into the bottles and tubes that finally end up on the brand’s shelves, and in turn, our beauty cabinets.

If you’re wondering what role makeup has to play in conversations around allure, Li is quick to point out that they are two sides of the same coin. “Applying makeup is like a ritual, an act of self-love. You're taking this precious time to have a conversation with yourself,” she believes. “Sometimes people think that makeup is to cover things up. But the real allure of makeup is in uncovering things and using it to express various parts of your personality,” adds Drammeh.

The allure of expression

So, what exactly is this elusive allure we speak about? The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘allure’ as ‘the quality of being attractive and exciting’, but it goes well beyond a textbook definition in this case. 

Instead, here is an idea steeped in Gabrielle Chanel’s belief that “in order to be irreplaceable, one must be different.” So, allure, then, is a concept that is as abstract as it is exacting and individualistic. An idea whose interpretation will (and should) differ for everyone.

In that sense, the Cometes Collective trio liken makeup, and its resulting allure, to the ultimate freedom — where you can be the “five-minute girl” who only needs a quick swipe of lipstick to wake their face up in the morning, or you can be the one who spends hours on it, putting on every individual eyelash with great care. Or better still, why choose? Be a bit of both, let your mood on any given day decide.

Colour therapy

That explains why allure is intrinsically linked to individual expression and colour at Chanel. “Allure is the assertion of one’s singularity, and colour is the way to express it. And there are a thousand ways to wear colours, just as there are a thousand ways to express allure,” Blandine Velin, international head of influence and brand engagement at Chanel, explained as we gathered for the event on a snowy London morning.  

“The word I associate with allure is spirit. It can be hard to perceive, but simultaneously, it’s a word that connects to your soul and deeper self,” said Paravina. For Li, it’s something that draws you in. “Allure can’t be defined. You find it when your heart is sensitive, and your eyes are alert to the beauty around you — it’s almost spiritual in a way.”

Shades of India

India is no stranger to colour, it seeps into every aspect of our being. That hasn’t gone unnoticed by the brand. “People are my biggest inspiration. Since I live in London, I'm quite exposed to Indian culture. I love the bold colours — not just in beauty but in Indian textiles, silks and embroidery too,” says Drammeh. Nathalie Lasnet, Vice President of the makeup creation studio at Chanel, recalls being inspired by Holi pigments on her visit to India during the festival about a decade ago, and she even went on to create a sparkly shade of pink inspired by a sari at the time.

Indian actress Rekha instantly jumps to Paravina’s mind. “I am a huge fan, she’s iconic. And so good with her makeup. I love that she wears all these metallic tones,” she smiles. “In fact, when I watch Indian movies or celebrities, I keep looking at their eyes. The eye makeup is so different. They seem most comfortable with black, but I’m curious how Indians would react to small changes while still being classic — a deep purple mascara, perhaps,” Paravina muses.

Ultimately, the artists have a global approach to creating their colours in order to work for skin tones across the world. Especially for countries like India, where the spectrum is wide. “We prefer making buildable shades. It gives one the opportunity to modulate the colours for themselves,” says Paravina. Ultimately, the idea of allure rests heavily on how the wearer chooses a colour and gives it life rather than just the other way around. Because if you didn’t already know it, the secret ingredient has always been your own, inimitable je ne sais quoi.