The recently appointed YSL global beauty director Tom Pecheux takes us through the Fall beauty look and shares the key makeup products to add to your bathroom shelf.
Inspired by Anthony Vaccarello first show and the colours from a Van Gogh painting, Pecheux created a palette that looks at the contrast between a pale, white iris and a deeper violet purple shade. Every creative has a muse, and for this line Pecheux though of Kate Moss and Betty Catroux who capture femininity and modernity. He added:
“I wanted to express an attitude for a woman who is powerful, free, happy in her own skin, and happy with her friendships.”
Read on to see how you can create the YSL look using the latest collection.
What’s a quick look you can create with COUTURE PALETTE COLLECTOR?
I don’t want to kill the fantasy of what a palette can be – there are so many things you can do with this one! But probably the easiest thing to do is take the darker colour and smudge it on its own, to make a smoky eye. Or just use the darker colour close to the lashes and it will look like a dark, smoky eyeliner. You can put colours next to each other, you can put colours on top, or under the eye to create a duo eye colour. There are so many different ways.
Purple has been a signature shade since the beginning of YSL in 1962. For those who are afraid of colour, how do you suggest they wear it?
People who are afraid of purple will be afraid of any colour! But purple is actually an easy colour to wear, because there are so many different shades and it’s a colour which works on everyone.
Whenever you try something new you can go one of two ways: either you are very radical and you go for it, in which case the results might be striking, amazing, or difficult for you to enjoy, but at least you’ve taken a risk, and it’s great to take a risk sometimes. Or if you’re a bit more cautious, you can add a little bit of violet on top of the eyeshadow you might normally use. So if you normally wear a smoky black eye, try mixing some purple with the black.
A lot of the tips are about sculpting and illuminating the eye, why is this important?
Illuminating is important because without light, there is no life! Bringing light to the face is a moment of joy. People present diamonds on a black velvet cushion because it makes them look more sparkly. And that is why sometimes bringing dark to the eye can make your eyes stand out more.
Sculpting the eye is far more simple than many of those video tutorials might have us believe! This palette makes sculpting the eye very easy. When you have very deep eyes, or a very high or flat eyelid, it’s useful to be able to bring a structure to the eye by using colour.
What’s the best way to use the COUTURE CHALKS?
I like to use them directly from the bullet, and either blend with a finger or with a brush. You can layer them on top of one another, or put the lighter shade on top of the others to soften and get a more romantic feel.
What’s a quick look with the COUTURE CHALKS?
To create a shimmering smoky eye, put a few dots of the shade Le Nude over the eyelid and blend it with your finger. On top of this, add a couple of dots of the shade Le Noir, then blend it over your eye with your finger. And your makeup is done in a couple of minutes!
With the COUTURE BLUSH and COUTURE HIGHLIGHTER, what is the best way to apply?
Blush, for the most part, is something that you don’t want to see. It’s designed to give women a very healthy, fresh, natural, youthful glow. If someone says, “Oh I like your blush,” then it usually means you’re using too much. That said, there are times when creating a character demands a bit more blush, in which case, it becomes your statement.
With dry blush, use it on cheeks which are already slightly powdered. With wet blush, use it on top of your foundation but before you powder. The key rule is to treat it the same way you eat at the family table – just remember you can always go back for more. So start small, it’s much easier to add more than it is to remove it. And if you do apply too much, finger blending or a water-based makeup remover will remove it.