The Chanel Spring 2024 Makeup Collection Captures The Sea
The first collection from Valentina Li, a member of Chanel's Cometes Collective, is a poetic expression of the nuances of the sea.
By Keng Yang Shuen,
Back in October 2022, Chanel Beauty announced the creation of the Cometes Collective - a new initiative that saw the French maison taking a more "pluralistic vision of beauty”. It did so by inviting a trio of emerging makeup artists from across the world - Spanish-Gambian makeup aficionado Ammy Drammeh, the Paris-based talent Cecile Paravina and Chinese journalist-turned-makeup artist Valentina Li - to join the Chanel Beauty family and indeed, lead its future.
This eclectic trio jointly assume the role previously held by Italian makeup artist Lucia Pica, who acted as the global creative director for makeup and color at the house for six years until her departure in 2021 - hence the pluralistic vision of beauty. As the new custodians of Chanel Beauty, they will be creating their own collections for the house, as well as working together on joint releases.
Emerging Chinese makeup artist and Chanel Cometes Collective member Valentina Li, who's wearing the maison's new pearlescent Les Vernis Lagune on her nails.
Now the first salvo from the Cometes Collective has finally arrived, courtesy of Valentina Li. The Chinese "face painter" (as she prefers to be known) is the force behind Chanel Beauty Spring 2024 collection, which was inspired by a striking oceanic blue. If you tend to associate Chanel with more understated styles, get ready for more colours to join its lexicon, especially under the Cometes Collective era.
"Colours are a form of self-expression. They tell the story of a mindset, an attitude, a temperament, and are imbued with meaning and symbolism that goes beyond simple aesthetics. A story of instinct and feeling that no form of logic can justify," states the press notes.
Well-known for her obsession with all things sci-fi, nature and aliens, Li, 32, has poetically translated many nuances of ocean life into makeup. Take for example how the Lumiere de L'ocean - a shimmery white highlighter - was designed to evoke gentle ripples dancing on the water’s surface, or the Les Vernis Lagune - a pearlescent sky blue nail polish (and a stand-out of the collection, in our opinion) - reminds of the sea at sunset. It's not all things blue either. Take the two-toned Roses Coquillage blush compact, which offers two matte shades in warm pink and light orange, which was modelled after the rich hues of corals.
Li based Chanel’s Spring 2024 collection on various aspects of sea life, such as the iridescence of pearls and seashells, and the rich variety of hues found on corals.
"Water has been my inspiration for years. I remember the first time I saw rain when I was a child. I kept asking questions about the colour of the water: why is the ocean blue and the river green? In doing so, I discovered that water and light are magical makers of colour. Water is the source of everything, including us. The appeal of my collection lies in the mystery of the colour blue, its connection to us, and the way it endlessly surprises us," says Li.
The limited edition Chanel Spring 2024 makeup collection by Valentina Li drops February 29 at Chanel's online store, as well as its Fragrance and Beauty boutiques.
Below, a closer look at the collection: