How top make-up artists find a creative reset

Last week at Chanel’s Haute Couture spring/summer 2025 presentation, models snaked their way through a helical runway, set in the form of the house’s interlocked CCs. Amongst the happy pastels of outfits and the stark white set, what struck you first was the bright red on the models’ lips—an electric jolt of colour against its soft, muted surroundings.

Those colours were vaguely reminiscent of the surprisingly sunny winter morning at London’s Space House, a stark, brutalist façade overlooking the city’s skyline, where we were late last year for the brand’s Colour of Allure showcase. In a contrast like the one on the runway, against the pale blues, greys and whites of the interiors and the city, a bright red book was the focus of attention: The Allure of Makeup, a recently-launched tome capturing the brand’s century-long exploration of colours and attraction through make-up. Journalists and influencers who had been flown in for the COA event were gathered round the book, taking turns to photograph it against the skylines; casually staging it with a cup of coffee and a Rouge Allure from their bag; or flat-laying it with the table and fresh flowers.

Right before we entered the room, we had been herded through an immersive maze; a walkthrough TL;DR of the brand’s make-up history. One room displayed some of their most iconic products in glass cases, along with campaign imagery that avid fashion magazine readers—those extinct creatures—will remember flipping through over the decades.

In another room, walls turned from grey to powdery yellow to red, as giant LED screens displayed models’ faces in different stages of getting their faces made up, as neon heat maps and hyper close-ups.

Soon after, we were introduced to the Cometes Collective, the ace team of make-up artists appointed by Chanel to act as in-house creative collaborators-slash-think tank. Ammy Drammeh, Valentina Li, and Cécile Paravina—all exceptionally talented make-up artists with diverse backgrounds and individualistic styles, are working with the brand on everything from creating product collections to campaign imagery. On display were some of their latest launches, and as I stood slightly hypnotised by a holographic hot pink-blue nail colour from their most recent drop, I was startled by a, “I love that one too!” Introductions exchanged, Valentina Li, who had created the colour as part of their Winter Tale 2024 collection, shared how she was originally a journalist, was dying to visit India (“during Holi!”), and how she loves the way Indian women carry bold hues (“obviously, I love a bright colour”, she said, pointing to her cobalt blue bob). 

After a bit of milling about and chatting (for the rest of us) and back-to-back content creation and interviews (for the Cometes), we sat down for a freewheeling conversation. Edited excerpts ahead:

What is it like being part of the Collective?

DRAMMEH: I think it’s such a wholesome experience, because when we started, I thought, oh my god, this is going to be so intense, and it is intense, but in a very different way. The three of us have done a lot of editorial work, working on big fashion sets, but it’s very different to actually create a product and cater to a massive audience.

LI: I think before when we were working, mostly the goal was to get great make-up for a show, or an image, or a client. It was like focusing on this, like, tiny fashion moment. But now that we are creating colour and texture for a super large audience, like Ammy said. Also, we learn so much about colour, everything that goes on in the lab, we’re familiar, more familiar with the ingredients and things like that, so it’s quite interesting.

PARAVINA: The way that the three of us now work together was really new for each of us. When you work as a make-up artist, you don’t get the chance to work with other artists. And, you know, you have your good day, you are very confident, you are happy with your work, but sometimes you have doubt. And at that moment, you don’t know who to turn to. You want a little bit of advice, but you don’t know who to ask. But thanks to Nathalie [Lasnet, vice president of the Makeup Creation Studio at Chanel], that she brought the three of us together. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure, like if our characters will get along, but unfortunately—I mean, fortunately…

DRAMMEH [laughs]: Unfortunately, we get along! [all three laugh]

PARAVINA: Every time we meet each other, I have this feeling that I found a family, people who share the same passion about a single goal. Like we love make-up, share the passion of beauty, and we put our ego aside when we work together.

So much of your work in make-up is rooted in fantasy. Where do you find inspiration?

DRAMMEH: It can be a book I’m reading; it can be like an old movie that I used to watch over and over again when I was a kid, or it can be things that I see. There are these videos of people when they get like, their lashes done? And they put a lot of lashes. And it actually looks painful, and they do this for the video and the eyes are kind of red, and it’s so not appealing. But I was kind of mega inspired by it so then I just did like a crazy lash. Super over-the-top heavy. So it can be from anything.

LI: Yeah, it can be from a trip, you know, like when you see some amazing colour in the ocean or in the desert, you grab it, you take it and use your own way to blend it into your work. I think it’s a bit like cooking? Taking an ingredient that you like and adding something to make it more, you.

PARAVINA: For me it’s not a thing but a person. It’s this person in Japan that I have developed a friendship with, his name is Shusuke and he’s based in Hakodate. He’s been selling me vintage books for about six years now. Before I used to ask for a specific book or maybe buy something that he had in his online shop. But now I have this thing where I’m like, “hey, I’m interested in this theme” or “I’m interested in this approach to art, do you have recommendations”? And he always gives me the best books because he knows my taste.

What’s your way of dealing with creative burnout?

DRAMMEH: This year, I really learned that I needed a holiday, like a proper holiday! When I came back, I was so refreshed, my ideas were renewed. And I think like taking time to remove yourself [from work]—because it’s something that we really, really, really love to do—but when you do it, continuously, it can get to a point where you feel like there is nothing else left. So removing yourself, either with a holiday, or finding something that it is really like, meditative, to you, something that can kind of remove you from that state of mind, and let you come back recharged.

LI: Similar—I either go on a holiday, or I just watch a movie or do things that I love, like cooking. Something not related to fashion or beauty. Also, I feel like we get inspired by our life in general. So we need to first enjoy life; the creative idea comes when you appreciate your life.

PARAVINA: Lately, I’ve been doing ceramic class, which I really love, because when you work with earth it’s very forgiving. You can try something, and if it doesn't work, you can smash it all up. Add a little bit of water and start again. The earth itself is not precious. How do you shape it to being precious? That is the most, like—removed from the industry, from social media, from even capitalism, you know…removed from society—thing. That’s my main “touching grass” activity that I’ve included my routine now.