Behind the Beauty at Chanel Métiers d’Art 2026

Since Gabrielle Chanel first introduced cosmetics in the 1920s, beauty at Chanel has never been about excess. Rather, it celebrates clarity, impeccable textures and colours that feel timeless, instead of trend driven. The house’s approach to beauty is to enhance one’s natural features, to refine rather than disguise.

Backstage at Chanel’s Métiers d’Art 2026 show in New York in December, beauty took on a quietly powerful role, polished, graphic, and rooted in exceptional craftsmanship. The makeup echoed the collection’s codes: precision lines, luminous skin, and subtle gestures of luxury that felt modern rather than nostalgic.

At the heart of every look was skin – perfected, not overworked. Models were prepped with Chanel’s Sublimage ritual, beginning with L’Extrait de Nuit smoothed across the cheeks, forehead and neck, followed by La Crème Texture Universelle, massaged in signature circular motions from the centre of the face outwards. The result was skin that caught the light effortlessly. Throughout the day, Sublimage L’Extrait Huile Lèvres and La Brume were applied for comfort and a natural-looking luminous glow.

Complexions remained sheer, ensuring the models still appeared in their skin. The strategic use of La Base Matifiante softened the T-zone, while Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch delivered a skin-like finish. A touch of bronzing cream sculpted the face subtly, and Baume Essentiel Transparent added a quiet sheen to cheekbones to add depth and a natural warmth to the face.

Brows were brushed and softly defined, nails immaculate: a camellia-treated base finished in either Le Vernis Pompier or Incendiaire, sealed with a glass-like glossy shine.

The eye makeup really set the tone. Across multiple looks, the graphic cat eye reigned supreme – bold, elongated, and assertive. Drawn with Signature de Chanel, the liner stretched outward into a precise wing, transforming the eye into a statement. In its purest form, lids were left bare, letting the deep black curve speak for itself. Elsewhere, a soft wash of nude shadow or a gently defined lower lash line added depth without distraction.

The detail in the lips played between nourishing balms providing a natural sheen and harsher lipsticks for an arresting moment of colour: beauty playing with contrast. One standout look on model, Heather Strongarm, paired luminous skin and lightly defined lashes with Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick in Rouge Feu for a bold red that felt confident, enduring, and oh so utterly Chanel.

In true Métiers d’Art spirit, backstage beauty for Chanel was less about excess and more about mastery. A reminder that modern glamour often lies in precision and acknowledging that a classic red lip and defined liner really is effortlessly timeless.