Lily Collins’ Makeup in ‘Emily in Paris’ Season 4 Is Inspired by a French Icon

Paris is having a moment. Okay, fine, the city is always a major player when it comes to culture and fashion, but this summer, it’s more relevant than ever. There’s the ever-popular Euro summer vlogs, a little thing called the Olympics, and, of course, the highly-anticipated fourth season of Emily in Paris. It’s been almost two years since we were treated to a new season, and add in the fact that season three left off with several question marks, and we’re hungrier than ever for Emily Cooper’s (played by Lily Collins) shenanigans.

Know what else we’ve been craving? Emily’s somewhat chaotic fashion choices. While her outfits can be polarizing, her beauty looks—and the rest of the cast’s for that matter—are always on point. She always comes to play with glowing skin, lots of lashes, and a gorgeous bold lips. She can even turn last season’s self-inflicted breakup bangs into a bonafide Jane Birkin moment. While we may be leaving the berets and bedazzled boots to Emily, her makeup looks are absolutely worth copying.

Luckily, we caught up with the head of the show’s makeup department, Aurélie Payen, to chat the inspiration behind the beauty, and how to get the Emily in Paris look.

The Inspiration

If you asked Payen to describe the overall vibe of the makeup this season in one word, it would be “bold.” This is true of all the characters, but especially when it comes to Emily, who’s all-American, girl-next-door beauty has finally been influenced by some Parisian edge. “This character in particular is like a beautiful mix between America and and France,” Payen tells Byrdie. “We have glowy skin, no-makeup-makeup, fresh, natural, skin in the daytime, and then go crazy at night for parties—more than usual for her.”

“It was like a progression through the season, we wanted to go through the season and to see her evolved, and to see her be bold—sometimes with no makeup at all, and sometimes with lots of crazy looks,” continues Payen. “I wanted to have a little bit more of the Parisian style on Emily’s look. And wanted to make her more mature, more self confident, and bold with her choice of life and makeup.” She also looked to French icons like Françoise Hardy and Jane Birkin when creating Emily’s look, as they embodied a classic “French face” and ’70s spirit.

On the other hand, Emily’s best friend Mindy, played by Ashley park, embodies a “100% American” look, says Payen. “She has beautiful skin and contour, she has [fake] eyelashes, she has some rhinestones. We have a lot of fun with her makeup.”

Payen adds that all the main women, including Sylvie and Camille are more bold with their choices and makeup this season. “Sylvie, for me, she represents the Parisian woman the most, and her makeup is bolder this time—but again, very, very French,” she says. “Camille is a mix of French and a tiny bit of America, but not the American with the contour and everything—more the America with colorful eyeliner or things like that. I love to play with culture, and our cultural differences, because it’s an American show, but it’s really filmed in France. So it’s like a mix of our cultures, and taking the most beautiful part of each.”

The Biggest Beauty Moment

While Emily isn’t afraid of a bright lipstick here and there, she tends to keep her makeup classic and feminine. So when I spotted her wearing glossy blue eyeshadow and a bold orange-red lip in the trailer, I was shocked. According to Payen, this look—which occurs at a pivotal point in the season—was the brainchild of the show’s costume designer, Marylin Fitoussi, who chose a gorgeous Balamin leather dress for the moment. Fitoussi wanted to do a wet-look moment to complement the dress, inspired by some of Collins’ past red carpet looks.

Payen says the dress is edgier and sexier than anything we usually see Emily in, so the team wanted to do something just as bold with the beauty. To match the wet-look hair, she opted for an ’80s-inspired color palette and wet-looking eyeshadow, using a custom-mixture of Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix cream pigments, and clear lipgloss on top for a wet-looking shine. She notes that creating a look like this is no easy feat, since it’s hard to keep consistent during multiple takes.

The Skin Prep

Seeing as glowy skin is a crucial part of Emily’s look, Payen kept Collins on a strict skincare routine to “maintain the quality of her skin” during the intense shooting schedule. For the occasion, Payen partnered with skincare tool brand Foreo, and made sure the cast was stocked up on tools. Payen loves the Luna cleansing brush, which she calls “life-changing” when used with a cleansing balm. “It’s the same feeling for your skin as when you brush your teeth,” she says. “Your skin is glowy and feels so fresh and clean.”

From there, Payen liked Collins to use a serum from Mimétique, a new French brand, and then Beau Domain’s Fluid Cream. She also likes Foreo’s Bear tool for sculpting, and the FAQ Swiss LED mask to help calm pimples and hyperpigmentation, and enhance glow. Talika sheet masks and eye patches were also a favorite to keep the cast’s skin on point. “From this [routine] they can they keep maintaining their beautiful skin, and then applying makeup was easier,” says Payen.

The Products

What would be a show about Paris without a red lip or two? Payen’s “favorite red lip ever,” Dior Rogue Dior in 999, is a staple in her kit. “If I want to go with a matte red lip, I will go on with this one,” she says. [It works for] everyone, it fits for blonde, brunette, everyone. And the texture is just perfect.”

In addition to Collins’ skin care routine, Payen relied on a lightweight foundation for a glowy, natural complexion—she liked Cle de Peau’s and Chanel Vitalumière Aqua. She also likes to add in a little Dior or Laura Mercier concealer for some extra coverage.

The secret to French Girl foundation, according to Payen? Skip the sponge. “I love to apply [foundation] with a brush,” she says. “I like to let the skin absorb the makeup and live with it, I barely use a sponge, it’s not my thing. I’m kind of brush girl. I know that in the US, you use a lot of sponges, but it’s because you apply more foundation. But in France, we use a little bit less of foundation, so sponges are not really necessary.”

How to Get the Look

If you want to get Emily’s look this season (or Camille’s or Sylivie’s, for that matter), Payen says to stick to the classic French girl formula. “French girl beauty [is] being self confident enough to go outside without makeup, says Payen, and adds that a good skincare routine is key. “Red lips is a French girl thing, black eyeliner, lots of mascara. Sometimes nothing on the on the face, but just a red lip.”

If you find a red lip intimidating, Payen says to just try it. “When you wear red lips, you feel confident and you feel powerful. So if you need that little bit of confidence when you’re going somewhere, then go for the red lips.” But if you want to ease in, she suggests tapping on a little bit of red lipstick with your fingers for a blurred look. Gradually add more until you’re channeling you inner Emily.