The Art of Beauty
What happens when you mix an urgent environmental cause with some of Instagram’s hottest fashion illustrators? You get beautiful artwork pulsing with purpose. When the idea of sharing our Fall 2017 Save the Forest palette with a few of our favorite illustrators and charging them with creating original artworks with the shades first came to us, it was a bit of a pipe dream. Offering these talented artists Chantecaille makeup as a medium instantly sparked their creative spirits—with our fall colors, these four women, who span the globe from Australia toAtlanta, showed us how they see the world of beauty through the prism of their distinct styles.
Blair Breitenstein
Breitenstein’s sixties-inspired illustrations have been commissioned by Prada, Harper’s Bazaar, Christian Louboutin and more.
Q: How has our Save The Forest philanthropy campaign inspired your illustration?
A: Since the forest is an important subject matter I gave it prominence in my drawing... the girl takes second place to the thick, green foliage. This will hopefully remind viewers of how beautiful and lush our forests are when they're protected.
Q: What did you learn from working with Chantecaille cosmetics as your medium?
A: I was surprised with how pigmented they were. I was afraid that everything would be sheer, but the colors of the product are rich and youthful which made them really fun to paint with.
Q: Does the beauty look you created with our shades mirror the way you apply your own makeup? Are you wearing any of the shades from the collection yourself?
A: I don't wear much on my eyes (my eyes are very sensitive) but I am obsessed with the cheek tint- it makes me look awake and glowy.
Kelly Smith
Quirky realism is Smith’s forte. Her illustrations, which blend hand-drawn lines with digital accents and ink, have been featured in Vogue and Elle.
Q: Is there an outdoor space that is close to your heart? Tell us about it.
A:
I live in the southernmost part of Australia and it's very green and dense in natural beauty. There are a lot of national parks and untouched wilderness areas which I consider myself so lucky to be able to see up close and visit in person whenever I want to. There are sprawling beaches and coastlines, but also incredibly lush forests and wetlands. One of my favourites is the Freycinet National Park on the east coast of Tasmania.
For us, it's so important to keep our national parks and rainforests protected and preserved.
Q: How has our Save The Forest philanthropy campaign inspired your illustration?
A: For me it was important to bring the campaign's philosophy to life while incorporating a sense of the fantasy that comes with beauty and fashion. I wanted to create a sort of super-chic wood nymph, standing on the forest floor, surrounded by, and holding close to her, foliage and products from the collection. It was important to me to show in some way that we have to nurture the environment as best we can which I hope was shown in her posture and expression.
Q: What did you learn from working with Chantecaille cosmetics as your medium?
A: Painting has never been my forte as I am so much more in control with a pencil. There's a certain level of realism and detail that I always strive to achieve. But it has been so much fun to loosen up and focus more on the pigment and texture that make up and paint as a medium can allow you to build.
Meredith Wing
Wing’s signature #SomeFlowerGirls mash up her linear figures with fresh petals to beautiful effect.
Q: Tell us about your creative process while working on this campaign.
A: First I looked at the STF collection and mood images to gauge the feel of Chantecaille and this particular collection, which I subsequently evaluated to be rich in texture and color but delicate in application. I sourced tropical flowers and fauna from the NY Flower District that fit these criteria while considering how these could be elements in a rainforest scene. The stamens (structural inner part) of the floral buds were naturally curves for a parrot’s feathers so I decided to include a parrot. Gloriosa lily petals were just the right length for a skirt and the “Mist” eyeshadow was the perfect shape for a summer handbag… et voila!
Q: Is there an outdoor space that is close to your heart? Tell us about it.
A: My childhood home north of Boston is surrounded by three acres of woods. The property was as a summer house with a working farm in the 1840s, so there are pieces of dilapidated old fence, mossy stones overgrown with grass, and other wild elements that are the opposite of manicured Suburban lawn. It’s unruly and a bit wild but I find it very poetic.
Q: Does the beauty look you created with our shades mirror the way you apply your own makeup? Are you wearing any of the shades from the collection yourself?
A: Yes. I am drawn to to the aesthetic of #SomeFlowerGirls as far as it applies to real life application. “Parrot Girl” I think is lovely in her highlighted cheekbones and stained lips as well as defined eyes – I would like to think I am as meticulous when it comes to myself but I am unsure! For everyday use, I am obsessed with the “Dawn” pigment as I am half Chinese and have olive skin. This shade creates an elegant contrast and the shimmer feels just right for day or evening.
Jessica Durrant
Collaborations with designers like Oscar de La Renta and Ellie Saab prove Durrant’s fashion-forward drawings are the epitome of chic.
Q: Does being an illustrator also make you a good makeup artist? Do you try the makeup on yourself as part of the development?
A: I was so excited to get the makeup and try it out! I think my passion for makeup artistry, is an extension of my love of take a blank canvas and make it beautiful. Chantecaille eyeshadows can be lightly layered just like watercolors, which I love. I am constantly watching beauty tutorials...I think they are relaxing and of course give me thousands of tips and ideas to apply to my makeup routine. I love that as women can do something simple, like take 10 minutes a day, put on a little lipstick and mascara and just feel good about ourselves.
Q: Is there an outdoor space that is close to your heart? Tell us about it.
A: I love being outdoors, I usually workout daily outside. It centers me to be outside in nature. And Georgia is so lush and green, and full of beauty. There is a gorgeous trail I go to close to my home, that is quiet, and serene that I love going to for a run. I have been fortunate enough to travel all over the world and see some beautiful places. I did volunteer work in Fiji teaching art in schools for 6 weeks, and I think I saw there some of the most beautiful landscapes, mountains, rivers and waterfalls I have ever seen.
Q: What did you learn from working with Chantecaille cosmetics as your medium?
A: Chantecaille has finely milled, high quality, beautifully pigmented shadows. I am a bit of a makeup junkie, and I love that I can take actual makeup and apply it to my watercolor paper and add finishing touches to the portraits using Chantecaille. I think Chantecaille has made makeup that seems flattering, and easy to use and blend. Which makes application so much more flawless and easy to do.
