Allure, the first and only magazine devoted to beauty, is an insider's guide to a woman's total image. Allure investigates and celebrates beauty and fashion with objectivity and candor, and places appearance in a larger cultural context.
After Chanel’s haute couture show—yet another dazzling display of set design (a re-creation of the Eiffel Tower) and those signature tweeds—house perfumer Olivier Polge explained the impetus behind the brand’s latest scent, Gabrielle: “There’s a larger way of putting on fragrance [today] that calls for a more stretched identity,” he said. “You influence the breeze.” Scrolling through Instagram, it eerily feels as if everyone is following the same algorithms and formulas to, well, “influence the breeze.” That’s why actress Kristen Stewart, a Chanel ambassador and the face of Gabrielle, feels like (forgive me) such a breath of fresh air. Stewart has carved her own distinctive path, forsaking her Twilight years for an impressive list of smaller projects (Clouds of Sils Maria, Still Alice) that have won her critical acclaim. But…
With her melodic name and sultry vibe, you might think French makeup artist Violette is a master of smoky eyes and smudgy red lips. You wouldn’t be wrong, just like you wouldn’t be wrong if you said Einstein was good at math. It’s when you see Violette reach into her kit and pull out a turkey baster, some scraps of denim, and sidewalk chalk that you realize this 33-yearold has a whole lot of tricks up her Isabel Marant sleeves. The newly appointed global beauty director for Estée Lauder is not short on surprises. She’s been known to splatter neon powders across models’ eyes and cheeks until the features morph into abstract art and to pile on glitter until eyelids look like miniature disco balls. In “Mouthing Off” (page 100),…
it’s like the Serengeti,” Kerry Washington said, arriving on set of what was definitely not a desert in sub-Saharan Africa. We were on location for Allure’s November cover shoot at the Joughin Ranch in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Or, on that day anyway, the San Holy Moly It’s Hot Here Valley. Washington’s Shih Tzu– Yorkie mix, Josephine Baker (“Josie B.”), sat next to her as the crew battled the stifling heat—and, unexpectedly, extreme fatigue—with water and handheld fans. “Kerry [told me that she] worked all night long on Scandal and came straight here,” makeup artist Francelle Daly said. And then added, referring to Washington or possibly her famous alter ego, Olivia Pope, “It’s amazing how resilient she is.”…
Makeup “Kerry has perfect skin,” said Daly, who used the palms of her hands to heat up a tinted moisturizer before applying it to Washington’s skin. On the lids, she blended gold eye shadow with another shade that approximated Washington’s skin tone. Daly then groomed the brows and finished the look with a mauve lip color. “We wanted to make little changes—like eye shadow, eyeliner, or lipstick—each time to keep it fun,” said Daly. Hair Hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew blow-dried Washington’s hair, keeping the integrity of the actress’s naturally curly texture. Then the fun began. She adorned Washington’s hair (which she first braided and then brushed with a toothbrush to look undone) with gold before transforming her with wigs that she’d made (from her line, TSD Hair Extensions). The final look…
What does your daily skin-care routine look like? “I have eczema, and I’ve been going to a dermatologist since I was eight years old. I’ve had a long time to think about moisturizing and things like that. The routine that I stick to religiously is that I never, ever sleep with makeup on. At the very least I take it off, but I try to really wash my skin after that.” And your daily makeup routine? “Well, I’m lucky that I get to wake up and put my shoes on and then go sit in a chair and have somebody make me look beautiful, you know? When I’m not working, I try to not wear a lot of makeup. I have my foundation and moisturizer, and that’s it.” What hair…
What’s your go-to scent? “I always use fragrance as a way to find the characters I play. I usually wear the scent of whatever character I’m working on. When I did Confirmation, I wore Trésor because that was the actual scent that Anita Hill wore at the time. And when I did Ray, I used to wear rose oil all the time because that was the real Della Bea’s favorite flower, and she loved roses, and it was a scent that helped me find that character. But I decided really early on that Olivia Pope was somebody who doesn’t wear perfume because working with so many different kinds of clients, it just felt she needed to be more neutral. So I haven’t had a signature scent for seven years.” Do…
