It was arguably one of Dior’s most impressive show sets to date: colourful floating lily pads, an immense, sunlit-drenched runway and a giant glass box housed in the middle of the iconic Jardins Des Tuileries.
Jonathan Anderson’s much-anticipated AW26 collection, which drew inspiration from the gardens’ green chairs, had a sense of renewed romanticism – embroidered ruffles that fanned out into the shape of flowers, soft pastels, and painterly prints lending themselves to the unique botanical environment.
Meanwhile, the beauty inspiration was intentionally natural against the theatrical backdrop, yet still drew references to the famed jardins. ‘It’s a very fresh, natural and contemporary look,’ Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Make-up, told ELLE UK. ‘The show, the environment and the unique space within the gardens have all influenced the direction we took for the make-up, skin and hair,’ he added.
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‘There was an impressionist approach for me when it came to the make-up,’ he explained. Impressionists such as Camille Pissaro and Edouard Manet often used the Parisian gardens to inspire their works, depicting the verdure with the heavy brushstrokes synonymous with the 19th-century art movement and a purposeful use of light.
Philips interpreted this via smudged and playful eye make-up placement. ‘I added the Diorshow On Stage Crayon (in shade 099 Black) on the top water line and then I asked the models to squeeze their eyes tightly. The smudged marks created this effortless leftover make-up look,’ he shares. These traces of make-up weren’t just nodding to impressionism; the deliberate nonchalance was also inspired by the modern ‘Parisian girl’.
‘It’s a beautiful fusion of fresh skin, a bit of a leftover kohl liner, and a strong side parting that perfectly embody the Parisian girl,’ he shared.
Matteo Scarpellini//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT
Matteo Scarpellini//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT
‘The complexion is nude with a soft-focus glow,’ he continued. Created using the Dior Forever Skin Glow, the upgraded formula, Philips explains, is brimming with skincare ingredients to help create a radiant, natural finish. ‘It’s skincare first,’ he shared. ‘It creates a second-skin feeling with a luminous glow to it, which lent itself as a natural canvas for the models.’
Matteo Scarpellini//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT
Elsewhere, fluffy brows, minimalist nails and Parisian hair set the tone. ‘The brows were strong enough to frame the eyes but still soft,’ shared Philips. Bold lips were also replaced with soft, glossy barely-there bases, using Dior’s Lip Maximiser for a natural sheen. As for the hair, which was conceptualised by Guido Palau, it was kept tousled, undone, and with a strong side parting and effortless ponytails. ‘The nails were transparent and natural after a treatment routine using Dior Huile Abricot, followed by the Dior Base Vernis and Dior Nail Glow,’ shared Philips.
Matteo Scarpellini//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT
This soft, effortless approach to beauty has been offering up a welcome contrast to the meticulous, multi-step routines picking up momentum on social media. Philips reflects on this change of beauty direction: ‘Filters and the rise of AI are changing everything. This new beauty shift reflects the collective feeling of wanting more realness; it’s a reaction to pervading perfection,’ he notes. ‘That’s why this look is more natural; it’s a little less perfect, more emotional; undone and effortless,’ he concludes.
dior Dior Addict Lip Maximizer
Dior Addict Lip Maximizer
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Amelia Bell is the Multiplatform Beauty Director for ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar, developing beauty strategy, writing, editing, and commissioning, and leading beauty content across both sites. Amelia has a particular interest in wellness and longevity, exploring the skin-mind connection, and decoding the latest treatments, tweakments and runway trends. She also has bylines for Women’s Health, Refinery29, British Vogue, Harrods Magazine, and more.
