Chanel's Trailblazing Make-Up Artist Trio Share Their Best Products For S/S25

Harpers Bazaar Arabia

14-05-2025

Cécile Paravina, Ammy Drammeh andValentina Li together form Chanel Beauty's formidable make-up creative force, the Cometes Collective. Natasha Faruque speaks to each artist about the inspiration behind their new collections and which products to add straight to bag…
Cécile Paravina
Camélia Futura Collection
There is something very soft and gentle about the camellia's aesthetic… which is particularly surprising when you know that it is actually a very hardy plant that adapts and manages to flower even in extreme conditions. This duality is the basis for the collection, marrying soft, romantic qualities with colder, more futuristic and modern codes,' Cécile explains, when asked about the flower that deeply inspired the work of Gabrielle Chanel, and the muse for Cecile's latest make-up drop.
The detail in this collection is extraordinary. Aside from the shimmery, pearlescent palette – that looks firmly to the future – with peaches and pinks joining mauve grey, and hints of green, hand-sewn camellia are embossed in the Camélia Futura Exclusive Creation blush trio. The Les 4 Ombres Utopia eyeshadow palette features the camellia motif too. 'I think for me, Les 4 Ombres is something that is so iconic and so Chanel,' the former fashion design student at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp tells us when thinking of her favourite items from the range.
Working for Chanel has been a real privilege, as the Maison operates in its own unique way. 'Other brands tend to satisfy clients and give them exactly what they want,' she tells Bazaar Arabia. 'Since Gabrielle Chanel founded her brand, she had a very strong approach to her craft. Everyone adhered to her idea. She didn't feel the need to satisfy everybody. She made something that made a lot of sense with the lifestyle that she aspired to have – many, many women followed. I think Chanel still has this essence – to do something that can be adopted by many people, but that is still strong and has its own very potent identity.'
Ammy Drammeh
Spring/Summer 2025 Collection
Barcelona-born Ammy might have made her mark on the make-up scene in London – where she still resides – but now the Gambian-Spanish artist is firmly in the Cometes Collective fold. Known for her mastery of – and appreciation for – colour, she cites the music industry as being a key inspiration for her aesthetic, and is keen to bring conversations about diversity and inclusion into the industry. She argues all top artists are 'so familiar with the Chanel colour vocabulary. 'You dream of having all the Chanel range. I'm just trying to keep exploring more of the DNA of the House and that beautiful mix of unexpected beautiful shades.'
Ammy loves that fact that the Maison carves its own path. 'There is not an idea of following trends. It's more the concept of timelessness,' she says. 'It takes so long to develop a product at Chanel that trends don't make sense to us. We start thinking about what we are going to design more than two years in advance. So how can I give you a trend? I'm not a fortune-teller. I think that's a pretty important part of Chanel as a whole. Individualism. You focus on needs and wants and that then really relates to others.'
This season her collections traverse colour blocking, twin sets and mixing-and-matching – where clashing and complementing both work. Deep purple, mint green, matt warm beige and satin coppery pink lend themselves to endless combinations. The star product? The illuminating Jeux De Lumiéres palette – a combination of four shades which magically suit all skin tones and can be worn solo, blended together or paired as a duo.
Valentina Li
Les Beiges Summer 2025 Golden Hour Collection
Her star was already shining bright, as one of China's most lauded face-painters (her preferred job title), but Valentina admits to being utterly elated when Chanel Beauty reached out and embraced her as part of the Cometes Collective three years ago. The Paris-based Guangxi native, known for her work on countless fashion shows, shoots and social media posts, isn't one to try to replicate trends; 'Hopefully we can be the ones who create them,' she says confidently. She adds that individuality is key, and there are no hard-and-fast rules; 'If you want to wear a black smokey eye for spring, be my guest, go ahead. We appreciate it!'
What drew Valentina to join the Cometes Collective? 'The story that colour represents in Chanel. Each time we design a collection; we are not just bringing a beautiful combination of colour to the table. We bring the audience a story. When you add a story to make-up, people remember it. That's what I think make us so special, and makes Chanel colours, Chanel.'
Beauty is of course big business, but Valentina is keen to stress the joy of it all, insisting she creates from the heart – and it shows. 'The fun thing about make-up is to experiment and to keep trying until you find your perfect shade; you learn from the mistakes that you make. If you fail, remove it and just start again. That's the great thing about it.' She adds, 'Make up is a very positive thing. Enjoy it. Play with colour.' With her new Les Beiges Golden HourCollection for Summer 2025 – she is basically allowing us to capture and emulate the most flattering of light constantly – we are sure we will.
Photography by Vladimir Martí, Creative Direction by Marne Schwartz, Styling by Imogene Legrand. Make-up by Ammy Drammeh, Cécile Paravina and Valentina Li Members of the Cometes Collective in Collaboration With the Chanel Make-up Creation Studio. Models: Raissa Santos at Fashion League Uae;Tatiyana Hadunova & Anna Matti, Both at Motion Models. Hair: Alireza Mousavi. Make-up Assistants: Kavya Rajpowell, Sarah Saya & Kenza Bia