Cecile Paravina Unveils Bold Beauty Vision Through Chanel Collection
An individualistic, statement-making beauty look often brings to mind a riot of colour. Chanel's latest makeup line and the edgy, free-spirited makeup genius behind it seek to change that. We get an exclusive interview with Cecile Paravina – the second artist from the maison’s Cometes Collective (think of it as a coterie of rising creative talents roped in to help shape the direction of its makeup studio) to launch a collection – on changing the standards of beauty and glam.
This month, Chanel launches Ombre Essentielle, a collection spotlighting 14 single eyeshadows in rich yet wearable hues inspired by the maison’s heritage. Think Ble d’Or Antique, a metallic gold with a hint of green that’s reminiscent of wheat, which the superstitious house founder Coco Chanel saw as a symbol of luck; Rouge Cuir, a matte dark red that mimics the colour of the lining of the 2.55 handbag; or, for something even more enigmatic, Beige Suede, a matte camel-like tone that references – get this – the sofa in the late designer’s apartment at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris.
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Available in a matte, satin or iridescent finish, each eyeshadow has been formulated to be creamier so that it can be blended effortlessly to adjust its colour intensity. The idea is that with a single shade and plenty of freedom, one can make a strong “monochrome is not monotonous”.
Emerging makeup artist Cecile Paravina is one-third of the Cometes Collective – a forward-thinking initiative announced by Chanel in 2022 that focuses on bringing a pluralistic vision to how the maison envisions beauty.The 30-year-old Paravina’s first collection for Chanel beauty, Ombre Essentielle, launches in stores this month.
In fact, the maison offers three different application techniques to help users better express themselves. First, one can wear the colour all the way to the base of the brows – a bold look that accentuates the peepers. To add structure to the eye area, apply the shadow to the brows using a tapered brush with a dampened tip. And to intensify the eyes, why not wear the eyeshadow on the lids as well as the lower lash lines?
The whiz behind these editorial-esque makeup tips and the entire Ombre Essentielle collection is Cecile Paravina, the Serge Lutens-trained, Paris-based makeup artist who’s a favourite collaborator of some of fashion’s most poetic and playful image makers (Lea Colombo, Drew Vickers and Charlotte Wales, to name a few). She’s also one of the three rising stars in beauty who’s part of Chanel’s Cometes Collective, an initiative revealed in 2022 that aims to work with independent-minded talents such as Paravina to create seasonal collections and help expand the creative breadth of the Chanel Makeup Creation Studio. (Completing the trio are Valentina Li, the in-demand Chinese makeup artist known for her daring manga‐ and sci‐fi‐inspired looks, and the sophisticated, pop culture‐influenced Barcelona-born makeup maestro Ammy Drammeh.)
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Ombre Essentielle, which also includes Chanel’s signature Noir Allure mascara in three new shades (brick brown, an orangey red and a pastel lilac mauve), is the second collection from the Cometes Collective and Paravina’s first for the house. (Li was behind the debut Cometes Collective collection that launched in stores at the end of February this year.) Here, Paravina shares more about her vision of beauty.
Cecile Paravina made a name for herself with her surrealist, colour-drenched makeup looks. Fittingly, Ombre Essentielle features 14 single eyeshadows that span from versatile earth tones to more experimental statement hues such as lilac and celadon green across three finishes: metallic, satin and matte.“Working with a single colour gives you the choice to concentrate on the shape and the application style,” says Paravina.
What did beauty look and feel like to you when growing up?
“I remember being completely fascinated by products and their packaging. I’d collect the skincare and perfume samples my mother gave me in a massive case and play with them without ever opening them. I also loved the little drawn instructions that came with eyeshadows back in the old days.”
How has your journey and understanding of beauty changed over the years since you became a professional makeup artist? Has social media such as TikTok impacted your view of beauty and the looks you create?
“Social media has not really brought anything to my understanding of beauty. Collecting vintage books has widened my vision of beauty way more than social media has.”
The colours chosen for the 14 single eyeshadows each pay homage (obliquely or directly) to Chanel’s history in one way or another.Take,for example, Ble d’Or Antique (second row from top, second from right), a silky gold that suggests wheat, house founder Gabrielle Chanel’s ultimate good luck charm; or Blanc Perle (bottom row, first from left), a sheer, shimmery white with hints of pink and peach that nods to the pearls so synonymous with Mademoiselle Chanel. Jade Facette (top row, first from left), meanwhile, is a pastel green that references the lighter tweeds used in the couturier’s summer collections.
You were trained in fashion design. How has that background informed your work as a makeup artist?
“Back when I was studying fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in 2016, I had unintentionally amassed hundreds of backstage shots of models wearing runway makeup through visual research. I think these images, coupled with painting my own face, slowly became far more exciting to me than whatever I was doing in school. Some of my classmates noticed this new interest of mine and asked me to do makeup for their school projects. Eventually, I quit school to become a makeup artist. I think I’ve nurtured and perfected my methods of research while transitioning from fashion to beauty, and this has been a precious skill for working at Chanel.”
In an interview in 2021, you mentioned that you had only been in the industry for two years at that point in time. Fast forward to 2024: How do you feel about debuting under Chanel’s Cometes Collective initiative?
“I’ve been working at Chanel for two years (the collective was revealed in 2022) and so far, it has been very stimulating to be part of this collective. The three of us share a lot in common, yet have our own very distinct styles. I feel grateful to be a part of the brand, that I can bring something personal to the collections we create at the Chanel Makeup Creation Studio.”
Cecile Paravina's Ombre Essentielle also includes Chanel’s signature Noir Allure mascara in three new shades: brick brown, an orangey red and a pastel lilac mauve.
It’s significant for a house as big as Chanel to launch an initiative such as the Cometes Collective. What do you think this signals for the future of the beauty industry?
“I think Chanel knows that a collective can be a great asset to tackle a global and diverse market. I don’t think every brand can make a collective of creatives work as well as Chanel can. It might become a tempting trend to hire several people to work for a beauty brand, but the house has such a deep history and this helps to provide structure and, in turn, meaning to our ideas as a collective.”
What was your first Chanel makeup product and what drew you to it?
“It was Rouge Coco Gloss in Caviar, a limited-edition shade. On the lips, it was a transparent black gloss, and I bought several tubes and finished all of them. At the time, I was especially drawn to versatile products like that because I had to make the most out of what I had in my kit. I could use it on its own, but also on top of other products to transform them into new, darker colours.”
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The makeup you do for editorials look amazing, but the fact is that Ombre Essentielle is meant to be used by people who might or might not be makeup pros such as yourself. How did this affect the way you worked on this collection?
“I usually say that makeup is a language and colour can convey a message faster than words. For this collection of single-colour eyeshadows, I wanted to create new classics, so I selected colours that exist in my world – green jade, grey concrete, beige velvet, brown leather, et cetera – but these hues are free for people to interpret and use however they want. They can convey different emotions depending on one’s experience and background, and how one uses them on the eye. I’m excited to see how they’ll be interpreted by each user.”
I’ve noticed you seem to enjoy using saturated Gattaca-esque colours in your personal work, and these also appear in the campaign for Ombre Essentielle. What draws you to such cinematic hues?
“I was born in 1994. Perhaps this inclination is a nod to the general look and mood of the movies and ads that came out when I was a teenager.”
If you had to pick one product from Ombre Essentielle, what would it be and why?
“The eyeshadow in Jade Facette, which is the one colour I’d wear the most myself. It’s great worn on its own on the lid, but it also pairs well with all the colours I love to use, especially when placed at the inner corner as a highlighter.”
The Jade Facette eyeshadow is Cecile Paravina's must-have product from the Ombre Essentielle collection for how versatile and fun it is.
Sum up your philosophy when it comes to makeup.
“The easily removable quality of makeup makes it the perfect medium to experiment with. Beauty is a space in which it’s beneficial to make mistakes. This is something I rely on when creating looks or colours.”
What’s your favourite makeup hack?
“Using a light concealer as an eyeshadow base before applying colourful or pastel matte eyeshadows. It makes the eyeshadow pop.”
And what advice might you have for aspiring makeup artists?
“Look elsewhere for inspiration other than social media, which tends to erase individuality. My personal approach to beauty is treating it like a puzzle, made up of pieces of references that span from movie icons to archival runway looks, photography and art books. I really encourage others to do the same and cherry-pick references to create their own world and beauty ideals.”
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
This article first appeared in the May 2024 Beauty Edition of FEMALE