Say “oui” to effortless beauty.
Award-winning celebrity makeup artist Aurélie Payen, who creates Lily Collins’ “Emily in Paris” looks, spoke with Page Six Style about her vision for Season 5 and her go-to products for looking just as chic as a Parisian.
Surprisingly, the beauty pro switched from the red lip that’s synonymous with a French aesthetic, instead opting for smoky eyes, contoured features and lip liner sans lipstick — with only balm on top — for a modern, yet timeless, feminine style.
She also embraced the color brown as a “central theme” throughout the looks, telling us her inspirations included the “1990s, the golden age of supermodels and iconic female figures like Victoria Beckham.”
Beyond cosmetics, the artist says skin preparation was key, including using a Gua Sha or a beauty-tech device daily, exfoliating lips with a scrub and using makeup with skincare benefits.
“As a French woman in the industry, I think that we look forward to having the most beautiful, healthy and glowy skin,” she says. “For [us], makeup includes a skincare routine … so that is really important.”
“We know how to master the chic,” Payen quips, while dishing on the below universally flattering products for effortlessly pretty glam.
Payen leans on creamy formulas to help give skin luminosity, including Glowy Super Gel, which she says is “very glowy, not too shiny, not too much.”
“[There’s a] good amount of product inside, and so then you have this sensation of having this very healthy skin,” she explains, saying the skincare-hybrid makeup can be mixed with foundation and concealer, or layered underneath.
The makeup artist relies on contour, calling it “on trend” and “very important because it helps to structure the face.”
While she contours not just the cheeks, but also the eyes, face and lips (with a lip liner), her complexion go-tos include Merit’s creamy Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer.
This wallet-friendly, nourishing, thick formula is another of her favorites on set. It also works as a long-wear balm over lip liner for a healthy pout that feels as good as it looks.
Payen used lip liners from Nars and Glossier, in shades from walnut to wine, to create the characters’ looks.
Mascara is a must for casual and elegant looks alike, and Payen name-checks Yves Saint Laurent Lash Clash as her favorite “to enhance natural beauty.”
“Emily’s famous short haircut in Season 5 inspired me to create an image of a strong, confident and unmistakably feminine woman,” Payen says. “The eyes are meticulously crafted, featuring modern smoky effects and bold liners, all imbued with the signature French touch that defines my work.”
Her preferred eyeliner for creating a sultry eye is Dior’s On Stage Crayon Kohl Liner in black.
The celebrity MUA uses Touche Éclat Awakening Concealer for camouflaging under-eye darkness and spot-concealing any issues — though she says she applies it sparingly and only uses foundation when necessary.
“If you have beautiful, healthy skin, you don’t need foundation at all,” she explains. “Only concealer can be enough, and you can still do the contour and blush. You can just take 10-20 minutes to do your makeup; you don’t need an hour.”
“Having the best skincare … will help you to have the best makeup, because it will stay on during the day without [causing] a breakout,” she says.
“The best serum, the best moisturizer, eye patches and lip scrub are really important,” adds the makeup expert, who used Lampyris Divine Lip Scrub to keep the cast’s lips smooth and soft.
Hydrating sprays are a must for French skincare regimens, and this Yon-Ka Paris mist makes a special appearance in Season 5 — but we’ll leave out the spoiler.
Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping
This article was written by Erica Radol, Page Six Commerce Reporter. From identifying the top anti-aging skincare secrets the stars trust to pinpointing the season’s next big fashion trends to finding a great deal on all of the above, Erica has a knack for reporting on – and even testing – Hollywood’s bestselling fashion and beauty products. Before joining Page Six in 2025, she wrote about entertainment, lifestyle and shopping trends for Us Weekly, The Daily Beast, Entertainment Tonight, Well+Good and Hearst.
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