How to smolder like Jac Jagaciak
The face of Chanel looks classic yet fiery
MANILA, Philippines - The woman in the picture is Monika “Jac” Jagaciak, a Polish model who was once banned from the catwalk in Australia, for being too provocative for a 14-year-old girl. This year she reprises a role she had in 2010 as the face of Chanel beauty for the line’s fall 2012 makeup collection, Les Essentiels de Chanel. Her smolder is older, her face more chiseled, her look, covetable. So how does a woman with average-height cheekbones and not-blue eyes get that “Chanel smolder?” It’s the same look that we’ve seen on Keira Knightley, Vanessa Paradis, Blake Lively and Kate Moss: a classic face, clean lines, fiery eyes, and a slightly parted, precision-painted lip. Jac’s ad is just as memorable as Chanel’s iconic handbag, fashion and fragrance ads, her face, this time, reflecting the slightly dark and seductive themes of fall.
Being a big fan of Chanel Rouge Coco and Chanel Le Vernis in Khaki Vert (it never chips and, like Black Satin, goes with everything), I was drooling over the new fall collection. It’s a generous selection of eye, cheek and lip color with a side order of new nail polish shades to “fall” for like Vertigo, a modern brown; Suspicious, an intense fuchsia; and Frenzy, an icy nude. Even if your style isn’t necessarily Chanel-inspired — little black dress, two-toned shoes, quilted handbag — Chanel Makeup creative director Peter Philips’ update of the iconic house codes seems to be extensive enough to make every type of woman happy. The new makeup collection is the signature Chanel smolder, packed, sealed and ready to party. Here’s how to get the look:
Play up the eyes
The star of the collection is Ombre Essentielle, monochrome eyeshadows saturated with color. This season’s smolder is intense; six Ombre Essentielle shades can get you there. Complice is a very natural, soft peach, ideal for smoothing the eyelid. Éclair is a sheer, golden shade that lights up the eyes, brightening the face. Furtif translates into a soft, romantic gray in one swipe. Infini is a light, eye-opening silver shade that enhances dark tones, while Noir is an ultra-pigmented matte and luminous black.
Style Yeux Waterproof eyeliner in Silver Light can be used to line the inside of the eyelid rim or drawn along the base of the lashes opens up the eyes and makes them appear bigger. You can also dot the pencil (lightly) on the inner corner of the eyes for a fresh look. The liner also comes in Noir Intense, a rich carbon black that you can either line or smudge on the eyelid, super close to the upper lash line, for a dramatic look. Those with smaller eyes can concentrate the color just above the iris, while those who want a more defined shape can swipe the pencil all the way across the upper lid, stop at the outer iris and create a light upward, drawing outward for a modern batwing.
Add warmth to the face
Jac’s face, unlike the models that walked Chanel’s fall/winter 2012 runway donning bejeweled brows on top of a frosty palette, has a warm autumn glow. She has this ‘90s supermodel look — a contoured nose, higher than usual cheekbones, strong brows and bangs to cinch the deal. Her cheeks blush with Joues Contraste Rose Initiale, a shade similar to a natural flush, but more radiant and smelling of Chanel. The color is placed higher than usual, sweeping up to the sides of the face (which I suppose is what happens when you follow that old school trick of sucking in the cheeks when applying blush). Just make sure to blend when so you don’t end up with a random streak of color on your face.
Lumiére D’Artifices gives Jac her radiant complexion. Two shades of beige, one light and one more intense blend together for a sheer, golden glow and helps prolong the impression of sun-kissed skin well into the Ber months. Use it to highlight prominent areas of the face, like the bridge of the nose and apples of the cheeks.
Finish with rich color on the lips
The collection’s Rouge Coco and Rouge Coco Shine shades are simple, “determined” shades that are similar to the natural color of the lips. Caractére is brown shade with a dash of plum; Chic is a sheer beige with fine golden sparkles; Parfait is a classic tender pink with a touch of gold. The defined lip is a key look for fall –– a simple line emphasizes the natural shape of the lips and optimizes the hold of lip color. Le Crayon Lévres in Amarante is coordinated with Rouge Coco Shades.
Touch up while on-the-go with Les 4 Ombres The Premier Regard palette, which carries iconic Chanel colors: intense black, beige, tender pink and slightly scintillating taupe gray. This and your favorite shade of Rouge Coco will fit perfectly in your holiday purse, quilted or not. Now all you need is a little black dress and you’re ready to smolder like Jac.
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Chanel’s fall 2012 makeup collection, Les Essentieles de Chanel, is exclusively available at Rustan’s Department Stores.
