There is no shortage of beauty books to add to your reading list, but if you’re looking for something seminal to grace your coffee table, Chanel’s The Allure of Makeup, is the perfect tome. Inside, author Natasha A. Fraser traces the rich, 100-year history of Chanel make-up through an inspiring edit of iconic campaign photos and seldom-seen product shots from the brand’s archives.
The story starts, of course, with Gabrielle Chanel. The visionary launched her first fragrance in collaboration with the perfumer Ernest Beaux, Chanel N°5, in 1921. Three years later, the Société des Parfums Chanel company was founded to sell more scents and cosmetics, with lipsticks and powders launching that same year.
The rest is history — and the Allure of Makeup outlines every detail of product innovation, featuring iconic imagery and chapters divided by the beauty brand’s key colours: black, white, beige, red, pink, gold and blue. For more than a century, Chanel has led the industry in emerging colour trends with shades like Vamp, Pirate and Black Satin. It continues to do so today with the help of artists Ammy Drammeh, Cécile Paravina, and Valentina Li, who together form the Cometes Collective and are helping to shape the future of Chanel make-up.
Les Noirs Obscurs, 2009.
The brand held an intimate talk at the V&A museum in London earlier this week to bring the pages of the Allure of Makeup to life. The discussion between Fraser and Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Chanel’s head of global creative resources for fragrance and beauty, explored Gabrielle Chanel’s modern and revolutionary ideas around make-up in particular, with du Pré de Saint Maur noting that Chanel took cosmetics from the realm of theatre to something that “aligned with who women really were, without hiding or playing a role”.
“She gave women autonomy and freedom to decide for themselves,” he continued. “She recognised early that there’s something lovely in the ‘contact’ of make-up; touching your skin and engaging in the whole process, which is especially relevant in our virtual environment today. She was never heavy handed but she made women feel confident to move forward in life, and any product that helps you to feel your best, to go out into the world, cannot be superficial.”
Such is the allure of make-up. Though this book would make a thought-provoking accompaniment to your morning latte, you’ll likely want to keep a copy close to your dressing table for when make-up inspiration inevitably strikes.