Behind the Scenes: CHANEL Makeup Artist Julie Cusson on Creating a Radiant Beauty Look for Spring

When it comes to enhancing natural beauty, a curated range of skincare and makeup are key to achieving a radiant finish. Focusing on a luminous complexion with an ethereal glow, CHANEL Makeup Artist, Julie Cusson, created a refreshing spring beauty look that paired seamlessly with the Spring 2022 ensembles captured in S/ magazine‘s CHANEL Haute Couture shoot. Here, Cusson reveals the inspiration behind the beauty look she created for Minnie, how to prep the skin for spring, and her top product picks this season.

How does Haute Couture inspire you?

“Haute Couture is a form of creation where the inspiration for a collection and the show itself goes outside traditional boundaries. Haute Couture is a moment, a collection where anything is possible! I’m always honoured when I see a piece from a CHANEL Haute Couture collection. When I can touch the creation, I feel all the work behind it; sewed by hand, all the embroidery, pearls, feathers, etc… all so delicately apposed. The thousands of hours that can be involved for each piece. I had the honour to visit some of the métiers d’art workshops that collaborate with CHANEL; Maison Michel, Lesage, Lemarié to name a few. I remember being in these ateliers and being so impressed by every special detail that is made by hand by just a few people. The presentation of a CHANEL Haute Couture collection and the ‘mise-en-scène’ of a CHANEL Haute Couture show inspires me because it’s truly a sensorial experience. CHANEL, Virginie Viard, collaborate with different artists from different disciplines; the merge of all of this is a unique moment. This sensibility is very inspiring for me.”

Minnie’s beauty look is understated with a twist. How would you best describe the makeup look for this shoot?

“I wanted to create a modern approach from the 1920s by extending Minnie’s eyebrows. I sculpted her face with an iridescent finish to create some highlights. I wanted nothing dewy, only highlights on her face with an ivory-rosy hue. My instinct told me that Minnie’s lips needed to be bold; I chose a vivid orange shade. I felt that iridescent highlights on Minnie’s face, the colour on her lips and refined eyebrows were the perfect elements to give a twist to this beauty look.”

The lip colour you selected is a unique hue. It’s impactful without drawing attention away from the other elements of the beauty look. How did you strike this balance?

“The balance is created by playing with different textures: the cheekbones are highlighted by a powdery shimmer, while the lips and complexion are with a satiny texture. Eyes are bare, but eyebrows are underlined. This simplicity is impactful since all the contrasting elements harmonize for one cohesive look.”

Changing from Winter to Spring, many of us are dealing with dry, unruly skin. What is the easiest way of resetting the skin?

“A complete skin care ritual is important to reset and maintain a healthy complexion. This means cleaning the skin, using a lotion to plump and refine the skin, applying a serum to boost cellular activity, using an eye cream to reduce puffiness, smooth wrinkles, and using a moisturizer to restore the radiance of the skin. All these steps will never be too much! Prepping the skin with an anti-aging skincare routine will help with radiancy, minimizing visible pores, elasticity, and smooth wrinkles. It’s the easiest way to deal with unruly skin. My recommendation is N°1 de CHANEL.