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For a natural Parisian look

Make-up artist from “Emily in Paris” reveals: “I use this instead of foundation

Emily in Paris Looks
The looks in "Emily in Paris" are breathtakingly elegant. Make-up artist Aurélie Payen is responsible for this Photo: Getty Images

October 21, 2024, 10:37 am | Read time: 3 minutes

There is always a lot of furor surrounding “Emily in Paris.” Most recently, even French President Emmanuel Macron was in the news for saving the series character Emily from emigrating to Italy. The Netflix production is rightly popular, especially because of the iconic “Emily in Paris” looks, which oscillate between expressive US kitsch and French elegance. Now make-up artist Aurélie Payen has revealed her trick for natural Parisian make-up.

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In a large-scale production, one might assume that there would be an ample budget for the foundation. Nevertheless, Aurélie Payen is happy to forgo this step in her routine. She has now revealed what she uses instead in an interview with Gala.

“Emily in Paris” looks – natural and bold at the same time

Those who have already seen the fourth season of Emily in Paris will probably agree when you talk about the diversity of the new episodes. From the French Alps to the capital of Italy – not forgetting Paris, of course.

The looks of main character Emily (Lily Collins) are as diverse as the filming locations. Aurélie Payen reveals in an interview with Gala that Lily Collins wanted looks for the fourth season that emphasize the character’s development and that Emily is portrayed as a bold and natural person “to emphasize her Parisian elegance.”

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No foundation, but …

To emphasize this Parisian elegance, Payen has a trick: “I often don’t use foundation at all, but just combine different concealers, for example, from Laura Mercier, Clé de Peau, and Nars. A red matte lipstick always, really always, goes well with this!”

For a natural Parisian look, it is therefore particularly important not to rely on thick foundations, but rather to use concealer. While not everyone may have Lily Collins’ porcelain skin, the make-up world is increasingly embracing the ‘less is more’ philosophy. In recent years, the trend towards natural looks has gained significant momentum.

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Aurélie Payen shows how she cares for Lily Collins’ skin before make-up
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The make-up artist had to tremble over this “Emily in Paris” look

Aurélie Payen serves as the lead make-up artist on the set of Emily in Paris and has been Lily Collins’ personal make-up artist for several years. The actress has complete trust in her: “That’s something I’m particularly proud of,” the Paris-born artist explains.

Nevertheless, the artist was nervous about one look: “I was worried that it would look overdone and wouldn’t go down well.” We’re talking about make-up with a 1980s aesthetic in the first half of the new season. “I put rich green accents on the eyes and gave the hair a wet look. Lily dons a stunning Balmain dress. Fortunately, everyone was happy.”

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of STYLEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@stylebook.de.

Topics Beauty-Hack Gesichtspflege Make-up Retro
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