“She’s settled in France now, but she’s still American and we don’t have to forget that,” makeup artist Aurélie Payen said of Emily’s titular character, Emily Cooper Say Paris, played by Lily Collins. Ahead of the new season, today on Netflix, the pro discusses her French-girl makeup tips for on-screen storytelling, like how a Parisian red lip radiates Emily’s newfound confidence. “Emily knows what she wants and she has to make choices in her professional and personal life, so her lips are bold,” Payen says.
Ashley Park, Lily Collins and Camille Razat
Photo: Stéphanie Branchu/Netflix
Of course, crafting each character’s makeup depends on telling a larger story about who they are. Take Filipino Leroy-Beaulieu’s breakout character Sylvie (Emily’s boss, but not the boss, whom viewers dream of starring in a spinoff). Payne sees her as “the perfectly elegant Parisian woman — someone who can live on her own, who doesn’t need anyone, who has her own rules,” Payne said. In terms of makeup, that means “simple, natural, elegant” shades of rosewood, gentle skin and imperceptible false lashes. But for Ashley Park’s character Mindy Chen (a performer who’s always ready for the spotlight), it’s a more extreme, colorful code of beauty that permeates the scene. “It’s really a balance,” says Payen, mixing her Parisian instincts and keeping tabs on the pulse of new products, like lace appliqués for the face and high-powered eyeshadow. “Everything is fine; it’s just a matter of how you use it,” she said.
Here, 5 French Girl Makeup Tips You Can Steal
from Emily in Paris.
1. Beautiful skin is always a priority
Emily in Paris . Filipino Leroy-Beaulieu plays Sylvie Grateau in Emily’s Paris episode . chromium. Marie Etchegoyen/Netflix © 2022 MARIE ETCHEGOYEN/NETFLIX
