Lucia Pica's Naples Inspiration
Lucia Pica's latest beauty proposition is seaside chic. So much so, you'll want to embrace blue-green. I love the narrative – the Global Creative Makeup and Colour Designer for Chanel took inspiration from her home town, Naples, and built a palette based on childhood memories and a recent visit back, where she took in the city's warm, rich, Mediterranean landscape. Heaven! On the spring/summer 2018 beauty counters, that translates to greens, yellows, golds, reds and blacks inspired by "the volcanic landscape of Vesuvius, the waters of the bay and the pigments of the frescoes in Villa Poppaea in Oplontis." It is unexpected yet delicious, and the accompanying visuals – Pica's photographs from her journey home – are dreamy and exquisite, which only adds to the mood. In a statement from the house, Pica notes: "My hope is that women will be open and spontaneous with the colours. They are buildable, so you can wear a subtle wash of colour or create a more intense effect. I will definitely be wearing the yellow nails in Summer." Me too! Scroll down to see Chanel's gelato-esque colours and Pica's visual storyboards:
Sweet Dreams: for nails, Pica conjured pastel shades, including Nuvola Rosa, a pastel pink cloud, Verde Pastello, a delicate mint green and Arancio Vibrante, a bright orange. For the minimalists, this is where best to start!
The Eye Has To Travel: the eye palette, above right, is a play on texture as well as colour: a bright green compliments a faded grey-green; a luminous peachy beige is tempered by a subtle mink brown. Each colour can be traced back to a visionary moment on Pica’s Neapolitan journey, and each is intended to be "interesting on the skin".
Kiss Me Quick: Lucia Pica's tinted lip powder, above, is inspired by the tempera technique of Pompeiian frescoes in that it is mixed by hand and applied fresh to the lips every time you apply. Each palette contains a clear moisturising balm and a tinted pressed powder pigment. Pica advises using fingertips to apply the balm, then pat on the powder to create "a just-kissed mouth." It is, says Pica, “romantic and fun – something very new inspired by something very old, the very essence of Naples.” I mean!