Today, Lancôme reinterprets Versailles and creates a new cult lipstick: French Touch Absolu.

From nude to the purest cherry, it is available in four shades:
• 300 Beige Edith
• 302 Rose Daria
• 304 Cherry Sarah
• 306 Cherry Kiki.

Aaron De Mey’s expert advice: apply French Touch Absolu with a fine brush for an intense, slightly retro finish, or use fingertips for an infinitely sensual result.

Lancôme’s very own artistic director, Aaron De Mey, has been named a “beauty genius” in the April 2010 issue of Elle, which celebrates the talents of today’s most in-demand beauty experts. In this annual celebration—titled “The 2010 Genius Awards”—De Mey is credited for his artistry with vividly colored makeup. De Mey, who also made up model Anne V. in the story using a variety of Lancôme favorites, reveals his love for dramatic, playful makeup. “It adds electricity to the face,” he says. Congratulations, Aaron!

In the studio, scattered with countless roses, Aaron De Mey and Elettra Wiedemann reveal their deep connection.

Radiantly showcasing the collection’s shades, the blossoming young woman, dazzlingly graceful in this garden of roses, is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER OF ALL. With striking modernity, she embodies the natural elegance of both the sixties woman and her contemporaries.

Soft yet sophisticated make-up heighteins her natural beauty, with vibrant coral tones taking centre stage. Enhanced with deep aqua green, her doe eyes, candid and mischievous, shine bright with natural sparkle…

She reveals a joie de vivre, resplendent in floral hues… a truly fresh feminity, infinitely LANCÔME.

Aaron de Mey et Elettra Wiedemann. Photos by Raphaël Creton

In Tokyo, there’s a respect and a sophistication and quietness. In America, women use style as more of a vehicle to be heard and to speak and pronounce their feelings. In London, style is extreme. They are not scared of fashion and they love to represent fashion. It comes from more of a street level.

Describe your personal style.

I like street, skate and sport style mixed with high luxury. I like designer things, but I never want anything to be too designery. I like disheveled chic. When it comes to accessories, I’m like a magpie. I’m always attracted to something that sparkles or something that has originality to it.

This sophisticated and original visual has been photographed in Paris by Ruven Afanador, famous for his feminine portraits of women. He captured the natural beauty of the Lancôme ambassadress, for the essence of pop sensuality! In the studio, Aaron De Mey was creating Elettra’s fresh look among thousands of roses.

Wearing the collection’s pop shades, intense coral tones and deep aqua green, Elettra represents the grace of the sixties woman. She portrays French and fresh joie de vivre…

Covered with roses, she appears as the most beautiful flower of all!!!

Make-up credits:

-  Pop n’ Palette (Pop n’ petrol)

-  Crayon Khol 04 Pop Petrol

-  Ink Artliner 04 Pop Petrol

-  Hypnôse Drama Pop Petrol

- La Touche Pro 02

- Pop n’ Cheeks 01

- B.B Kiss

- Color Fever Gloss 120

Her inspirations for the collection were eclectic: from her garden in London, scenes from the French novel Madame Bovary, peonies, lace, silk, to the “Elizabethan” look, and even the character of Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons.

The show had an arty touch, as it took place in a monolithic art gallery in Chelsea/West Village.The setting was extremely original, as the designer decided to expose the backstage workings of the fashion show itself.

Consequently, the audience could watch Aaron creating the make-up look on the models; before and actually during the show!

As the models wore hats with peonies and a veil, the make-up had to be a true statement. For the skin, Aaron chose to do a very pale skin, so the girls looked fragile, elegant and like they never went in the sun. He then sculpted the eyes with a taupe eye-shadow and with a coat of Definicils mascara only at the root of the lashes, to define the eyes.

He also, as one of his tips, put a small amount of a clear Color Fever Gloss to the center of the lid, to make the eyes appear dewy, glowing and sexy….For the lips, he chose a beautiful dark rose lipstick, and applied a touch of it on the cheeks.

Finally, the nails were painted in a glossy shade of deep burgundy to contrast with the soft, gorgeous shades of floral in the collection and make-up.

Thanks to Aaron, beauty and fashion blended perfectly to present the collection of L’Wren Scott!!!

For this catwalk look, Aaron recommends using:

- Definicils, 001 Noir Infini

- Ombre Absolue, F30 Moonlight

- Ombre Absolue, G40 Erika F.

- Color Fever Gloss, 021 Sparkling Light

- L’Absolu Rouge, 131 Pense à moi

- Le Vernis, 307 Depeche Mauve

He has done all the make-up for Riccardo Tisci at GIVENCHY, one of the trendiest shows of the season!

He has reinvented the Nude make-up, to embellish graphic clothes with neutral colours.

- Construct your own Fashion Nude, by first applying a shade of liquid foundation just paler than your natural skin-tone. If you want the total look, add foundation on your eye-brows and try the hype “bleached” effect, for an enigmatic gaze.

- Open your gaze, with using an highlighter under your eyes.

- Add just a touch of mascara, black or brown; the closest shade of your natural colour.

- To finish your nude look, draw your lips’ shape with a crayon, and put a clear or light beige gloss on your lips.

As the winter comes, enjoy a sophisticated nude skin!!!

For the Lancome Nude Look, Aaron De Mey recommends using:

- Color Ideal, SPF 15, 010 Beige Porcelaine

- Flash Retouche, 001 Voile de Lumière

- Hypnose, 01 Noir or 02 Brun

- Contour Pro, 310 Rose Anémone

- Color Fever Bitten Lips Gloss, 254 Fairly Beige

What do you think of Paris?

Paris is like a fairytale for me. I come from a very young country, so to go to a place with so much history is inspiring and magical.

What are your favorite places in Paris?

When I’m working in Paris, I’ll stay in the first arrondissement because it’s very chic and beautiful and it’s the center of everything. St. Germain des Près is another favorite because I find more of an artistic feeling there. I love the Café de Flore and the Café Les Deux Magots and the connection those places have to Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. I love visiting the Louvre to see art that most people only get to see in picture books. To experience it for real is so beautiful and inspiring. I love the Marais for its history and architecture and the interesting people who live there today.

Where do you go to relax in Paris?

The Tuilleries Gardens. Just walking through the streets in Paris is relaxing because there’s so much to see.

Describe the style of the women in the cities you travel to most frequently.

With European women, there’s a charm and an elegance. Parisian women in particular manage to be discreet and elegant at the same time and make it look effortless.