Chanel sees red for autumn 2016 makeup collection

The French luxury brand has presented a first makeup collection from Lucia Pica, its global creative makeup and color designer. The collection is based on the color red, reinventing this timeless, sensual and iconic color of passion with both classic and more unusual applications, such as eye makeup.

After famously introducing the beauty world to its now cult "Rouge Noir" nail color at the autumn/winter 1994-1995 ready-to-wear catwalk show, Chanel is striking out again with an innovative makeup collection that's all about red, the color of passion, love, sensuality and, above all, femininity, at its most extreme.

Chanel's autumn 2016 collection -- called "Le Rouge . Collection N°1" -- was developed by Lucia Pica, known for her talent as a colorist. The make-up artist has been working as the brand's global creative makeup and color designer since December 2014.

With this first collection, the Naples native has reinterpreted red, updating this favorite shade for lips, cheeks and nails -- where it has always been popular -- as well as bringing the color to eyes. The range reveals a new facet of the iconic shade, synonymous with power, seduction and fighting spirit.

"In [the collection] there are also ideas of subversion and classicism. It is about the power of femininity, but also the vulnerability. Red is intense, vulnerable, sexual and eternal," explains Lucia Pica.

Refreshing the classics

Red has become the go-to shade for lips, nails and cheeks. Although "Le Rouge . Collection N°1" revisits and subverts the shade, its timeless functions are also celebrated. Chanel's "Joues Contraste Rouge Profond," for example, is a powder blush compact in a brick red shade with a half-matte, half-satin finish. It can be applied in small touches for a natural finish or built up for a more intense effect.

Chanel brings a flash of red to fingertips with two new nail colors, adding a sophisticated touch to this autumn beauty look. "Le Vernis Gloss Rouge Radical" is a bright, orange-tinted red with a gel finish, while "Le Vernis Longue Tenue Rouge Puissant" comes in a deep red shade.

Lips obviously have a key place in the collection, splashed in various shades of red for a desirable and sensual effect. "Rouge Allure" lands in two shades for the season, with "Rouge Ingénue," a pinky beige, and "Rouge Tentation," an intense red. "Rouge Allure Velvet" comes in four shades, with "Rouge Charnel," a flamboyantly striking red, "Rouge Feu," a bright orange shade, "Rouge Vie," a crimson red, and "Rouge Audace," a burgundy hue with chocolate brown notes.

A new take on red

Lucia Pica revisits red in this new Chanel collection, taking the shade beyond its classic roles in the beauty world and reinventing its place in the makeup kit. In this collection, the color of love also comes to eye makeup, notably with the iconic "Les 4 Ombres" eyeshadow palette in "Candeur et Expérience," featuring warm brown shades and an intense brick red color.

Chanel's "Illusion d'Ombre" and "Illusion d'Ombre Velvet" eyeshadows have also gained new red tones. "Illusion d'Ombre" comes in "Rouge Brûlé," a coppery orange to brighten eyes, while "Illusion d'Ombre Velvet" cream eye color comes in "Rouge Contraste," a matte chocolate brown. The two eye colors can be applied individually or together for different effects.

To complete the look, Chanel finishes eyes with "Stylo Yeux Waterproof" in "Eros," a burgundy red, and "Agapé," a red-tinted warm brown, and with "Dimensions de Chanel" mascara in "Subversif," an eggplant-black shade.

The Chanel "Le Rouge . Collection N°1" is due out August with prices ranging from €23 to €51 (approx. $26 to $57).