As the winter season embraces us with its crisp air and frosty mornings, the quest for maintaining a radiant, glowing complexion becomes a little more challenging. Cue Chanel’s latest collection, Les Beiges Winter Glow, which has been designed to illuminate skin during the colder months with dewy textures and icy hues. Make-up artist Kay Montano challenges traditional colour palettes and embraces the hydrating, light-enhancing properties of sheer products. Her approach is not just about the application of make-up, though: it’s about understanding the skin’s needs, power of colour correction, and the art of creating a look that is both impactful and effortlessly beautiful.
ICE QUEEN
Montano emphasises the allure of a dewy, fresh look that redefines the use of sheer pink on olive-toned skin. “Impact does not necessitate heavy application,” she says. “The foundation of this look begins with the meticulous concealment of blemishes and under-eye circles.” Montano highlights a commonly overlooked beauty secret: the effectiveness of colour correctors. “Olive skin can often appear grey, especially under the eyes.” The solution lies in the use of peach tones for concealing. For this look, Montano masterfully applied Chanel Le Correcteur de Chanel in Peach to neutralise dark areas and revive the skin's natural vibrancy. “Next, using fingertips blend Les Beiges Healthy Winter Glow Primer across the skin, swirl Les Beiges Healthy Winter Glow Blush in Mauve Glacé on the apples of the cheeks, and use the cream hue from the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Cool to enhance the skin's sheen and create a luminous base. Finish with a slick of Rouge Coco Baume in Chilling Pink – a sheer, moist lipstick – chosen for its hydrating properties.
Tip: Montano prefers a direct application from the bullet, eschewing the need for a brush or lip liner.
PETAL POUT
Montano champions the beauty of lip colour used as a stain – a method she adores for its natural, understated elegance. “The 'just-kissed' look is crafted by gently applying a strong pigment, ensuring total control over the colour intensity,” she says. For a harmonious base, Montano suggests using Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Winter Glow Primer and the plum shade from the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Cool to mirror skin’s natural tones. Then, focus on the lips – a process that involves slowly building colour layer by layer to achieve the ideal saturation. For depth and dimension, Montano selects shade 57- Rouge Feu from the Rouge Allure Velvet Matte Lip Colour collection. The application begins at the lips’ centre, mimicking the action of applying lip balm, then refining the final shape with fingertips and a light blot. This approach not only creates a beautiful, cherry-bitten look, but also rejuvenates the entire face, providing a striking contrast to the typical pale, greyness of lips in winter weather.
PURPLE HAZE
This make-up masterfully captures the essence of a smouldering, nocturnal look. As we transition into spring, hydration remains a key focus, so Montano starts with the Chanel Hydra Beauty Crème. “It infuses the skin with moisture while imparting a radiant luminosity, setting the perfect canvas for the rest of the make-up,” she says. For the eyes, the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Cool plays a central role. "The application starts with a base of light pink, then, to add depth and dimension, a darker colour with hints of aubergine and terracotta is applied with a fluffy eyeshadow brush, ensuring a well-defined shape. This technique is relatively effortless, as the light-reflecting eyeshadows are rich in pigment and naturally enhance the contours of the eye.” Structured eyebrows complement this look, too.
“The goal is to correct and define their shape, which is achieved using Chanel’s Stylo Sourcils Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil in Brun Clair. These pencils are notably firm and have a cool undertone, ensuring that the application is precise and natural-looking, without any dense or overly brown appearance on the skin.” To add volume, Le Gel Sourcils Longwear Eyebrow Gel is also recommended. Finally, the look is completed with a few coats of Le Volume De Chanel Mascara for voluminous and dramatic lashes, followed by a slick of Rouge Coco Baume in Keep Cool for a touch of colour and hydration on the lips.
