Each Collection Libre is linked to the Chanel world. In these focused annual collections, Mademoiselle Chanel’s enduring visual signatures and codes are adopted as talismans and then made contemporary for the season ahead.

“By pinpointing and intensely researching a classic symbol of the house, I’m able to invest those existing images and ideas with new energy and spirit,” makeup creative director Lucia Pica explains.

For Collection Libre 2018, Pica adopts Gabrielle Chanel’s beloved lion icon as her talisman, capturing the grandeur and emotional intensity of the holiday season.

“The woman who wears Maximalisme de Chanel doesn’t hide, she loves being looked at,” Pica says. “She treats makeup almost like she would an accessory – an adornment that brings subtle drama to the mix without necessarily drawing attention to itself. She chooses between products to create striking oppositions.”

Starting with the sophisticated golds of the leonine colour palette, Pica’s collection builds into a deeper investigation of metallic textures and the feelings of wonderment and inner confidence they inspire.

In harnessing metal’s strength and resilience while reflecting the delicacy of its polished surfaces and imperfect patinas, the Maximalisme de Chanel metallics map out unprecedented polarities of light and shine. Dichotomies of effects are encouraged – the sheerest pale gold highlighter shimmers against the mesmerising gloss of a shimmer nail varnish, perhaps, or a slick of deep copper eye pencil crackles against the glint of metal in a rich, black-green eyeshadow.

Heightened, at times subversive, these are not polite pairings for the faint of heart.

Celebratory spirit runs through Maximalisme de Chanel, meanwhile. Limited-edition lip palettes and highlighter compacts are designed for gifting – the latter featuring the noble lion motif engraved into the glistening product inside. Decorative and jewel-like in their packaging yet bold and outspoken when applied, Pica’s new metallics empower women to take pleasure in their visibility.

Chanel’s Collection Libre 2018 is a limited edition collection available at selected Chanel retailers only.

Chanel is distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd.

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