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‘Denim used to be a very masculine, only associated with workwear, but at Chanel, we can always use our magic twist to make everyday pieces really refined and luxurious,’ says Valentina Li, one of the three visionary make-up artists behind the brand’s beauty think tank, the Cometes Collective. That ‘magic twist’ is how Li transformed a potentially unremarkable idea, denim-inspired make-up, into a standout beauty collection that infuses the versatility and casual coolness of the fabric into eyeliners, nail polish, lipsticks and more.
Blue is a notoriously difficult colour to wear when it comes to make-up, limited exclusively to the eyes (unless you’re really bold) and, if not applied tactfully, it easily looks tacky or unflattering. Chanel’s Denim make-up line is impressive because it not only features blue that can be worn everywhere from your cheeks to your lips, but it does so in a way that, as Valentina says, is ‘refined and luxurious’.
Take, for instance, the Coco Denim Illuminating Powder, a highlighter which comes in a washed denim shade with a thread-woven logo embossed onto it, and leaves behind a slightly metallic flush of blue and pearly pink highlights. Or the Rouge Coco Flash lipstick in ‘Baby Blue’, which leaves behind a sheer pearlescent glow with a delicate tinge of barely perceptible blue. There are three other Rouge Coco colours in the collection as well – ‘Washed Beige,’ ‘Faded Orange,’ and ‘Raw Brow’– inspired by, according to Li, ‘girls in the 1990s who wear a lot of denim and a lot of brown lipstick’.
Browns and blues also feature heavily in one of the two ‘Les 4 Ombres’ eyeshadow palettes in the collection, ‘Coco Jean’, while the other, ‘Denim Dream’, blends shimmery blues with a dusty pink and a pearl coloured highlighter. Rounding out the line are two blue eyeliners, an indigo mascara, a shimmery blue nail polish and the brand’s classic La Creme Main hand lotion in a limited-edition denim pouch.
For Li, this collection is designed to be played with. ‘At Chanel Beauty, we don't set rules. We allow you to set your own rules and embrace the colour in your own way – just like how you wear your denim.’
The Chanel Beauty Denim Collection is available for a limited time, on counter from 20 February until mid-April 2026, and at chanel.com
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