Beauty
The style lessons that Charlotte Olympia gives you
Believe me, from now on no day without glamour
You think Charlotte Olympia, then you think of the most fantastic heels and clutches that will make a huge impression. Charlotte Olympia brings the fifties back to life in the coolest way. The fact that she has now developed a makeup collection together with M.A.C Cosmetics only brings us more retro-glam and pin-up style into our lives. Do you want to.
Last year I was in London to be the first to sniff at the collection that M.A.C Cosmetics and Charlotte Olympia have developed together. Coming April 1st in stores, but believe me; it's something to long for. When I walked into the store, where the interview took place, I immediately felt incredibly underdressed (jeans, sneakers, white shirt is not quite how Charlotte has the dress code), but anyway, enough potential to grow into the style icon that Charlotte Olympia has in mind. I can tell you, since the interview I have been spotted more and more often with a red lip and glamour has taken on a totally different essence for me. Actually, it's just an added value. Glamour is not something for a moment, glamour is forever. Oh, just read my chit-chat with Charlotte and suddenly you will also step out the door in high heels and well-applied makeup.
Old Hollywood glamour is the theme of your collection. Now you breathe that in every way, but how is that reflected in the beauty collection?
“For all my designs, I am inspired by the old Hollywood style. It just fits very well with my personal style and that's why it's something I can easily design. You understand, when I was going to design a makeup line, I wanted it to align with my brand, both in items (because which old Hollywood icon would leave the house without red lipstick and good eyeliner?) and in packaging. I really went all out on that.”
How come you are completely immersed in the atmosphere of the past?
“I used to watch all those old movies with my mother. My grandmother is also a truly amazing glamorous woman. She is naturally very authentic, always wears red lipstick and always goes to the hairdresser to have her hair done. So it has been ingrained in me from a young age. Besides, everyone has a time they find interesting and for me, that goes back to the forties and fifties. I find the glamour of the forties and the playfulness of the fifties such a fun combination.”
My muse
“My grandmother, she is really my biggest style icon. Besides that, almost all the movie stars from the forties and fifties. I find it difficult to name a style icon today. I really only look to the past. There were such cool people back then.”
Lessen van mijn oma
“So, I really learned an incredible amount of style lessons in beauty from her. For example, I was really never allowed to pluck my eyebrows. Thank God, because now I only need a brush to shape them and don't have to deal with pencils and fuss. Besides, I always had to clean my skin very well. Never wake up with makeup on your pillow. Well, that has never happened. And for the rest, I had to keep my makeup very natural. Then you can't regret it later, was the thought behind it.”
The Charlotte Olympia woman
“There is not specifically one woman who may wear my collection. It's more of a feeling. The collection may breathe Hollywood glamour, but I believe that every woman should be able to wear it. Red lipstick is of course very old-fashioned and glamorous, even if you wear it with jeans and a white T-shirt. I actually love to see how that can be worn in different ways. It is the woman who makes the products or collection sexy or elegant, not the product itself. The makeup items can help to emphasize your style, but that is so incredibly personal.”
Verlaat nooit het huis zonder…
“I really never leave the house without red lipstick. I generally don't wear much makeup, but whether I'm grocery shopping or going to work, red lipstick it's a standard part of my outfit. It's what completes me and I feel immediately dressed up. Even if I don't have any powder on my face. Red lipstick is part of my uniform.”
That red lipstick, huh… I understand that it's part of your look, but how do you keep it looking really nice without it smudging?
“Always keep a mirror in your bag so you can keep an eye on it. You only need to open one of my bags and you'll see that there's a mirror inside. Also a tip: don't keep layering and layering and layering. Sometimes it's just better to completely remove your lipstick and reapply it. It looks so much fresher.”
You have very playful designs in your bags and shoes. Do you think that with playful designs you should downsize your beauty?
“No, I think it can really go well together. I never change my look. Beauty is so personal, it fits you and it really makes someone ‘you’. If you start adjusting that, you immediately look very different, but it becomes very impersonal. You shouldn't want that.”
You have to choose. Shoes or bags for the rest of your life, which one of the two?
“Hmm… That's a tough one. Or actually not. It will be red lipstick. I can live without shoes. I can live without bags too. But without red lipstick, I really will never leave the house again.”
