Beauty
Charlotte Olympia’s lessons in style
Believe me, you won’t go another day without glamour
When you think of Charlotte Olympia, you think of the most fabulous heels and clutches with which you’ll make a great impression. Charlotte Olympia has revived the fifties in the coolest way possible. The fact that she’s collaborated with M.A.C. Cosmetics in creating a makeup line only brings even more retro-glam and pin-up style to our lives. You want this.
Last year in London, I was the first to preview the makeup collection that M.A.C. Cosmetics and Charlotte Olympia created together. It’ll be in stores on April 1st, and believe me; it’s something to look forward to. When I walked into the store where the interview took place, I immediately felt underdressed (jeans, sneakers and a white tee doesn’t quite live up to Charlotte’s wardrobe standards). But that just shows that I have enough potential to evolve into the style icon that Charlotte Olympia thinks everyone can be. Ever since the interview, I’ve made sure to rock red lips more often than none and glam has been given an entirely new meaning in my book. It’s basically just an added value. Glam isn’t just for a specific moment, glamour is for a lifetime. You know what, let’s leave it to Charlotte to transform you into the glamours lady that you are.
Old Hollywood glam is the theme of your collection. We all know you live and breathe it, but how have you incorporated that into your beauty collection?
“All my designs are inspired by the old Hollywood style. It just matches my personal style really well which makes it easy for me to design. You probably understand why I wanted the makeup line that I was about to create to match my brand as well as my items (because which old Hollywood icon didn’t leave the house without red lipstick and a good eyeliner?) and the packaging. I really went all out with that too.”
Why is it that you have become completely submerged into the atmosphere o the past?
“I used to watch a lot of old movies with my mom when I was growing up. My gran is also a very glamorous lady. She’s authentic by nature, always wears red lipstick and frequently visits the hairdresser to get her hair done. So from a young age, it was all I’ve known. I think everyone has a preference for a certain time and mine dates back to the fourties and fifties. I really enjoy combining fourties glam with fifties playfulness.”
Do you have a muse?
“My gran is definitely my biggest style icon. Besides her, almost all of the movie stars from the fourties and fifities. I can’t really think of a modern day style icon. My only interest are icons from the past. They were all really cool.”
Lessons from my grandma
“Seriously, she’s taught me so much about style in beauty. For example, she never let me pluck my eyebrows which I will forever be grateful for because now I don’t need eyebrow pencils and other utensils to shape them – all I need is a little brush. I also had to cleanse my skin thoroughly so I would never wake up with makeup on my pillowcase. Another important lesson was to keep my makeup very natural. The thought behind this was to make sure you would never regret it in hindsight.”
The Charlotte Olympia woman
“My collection isn’t for one woman in particular. It’s more of a feeling. Even though the collection screams Hollywood glam, I believe that any woman should be able to wear it. Red lipstick is very old-fashioned and glamorous of course, even if you pair it with jeans and a white tee. I enjoy seeing all the different ways in which it can be worn. It’s the woman who makes the collection look sexy and elegant, not the other way around. The makeup items can help to further bring out your style, but that’s very personal.”
Never leave the house without…
“I never leave the house without red lipstick on. I generally don’t wear a lot of makeup, but red lipstick is always a part of my outfit, whether I’m going grocery shopping or going to work. It completes me and makes me feel dressed up. Even without any foundation. Red lipstick is a part of my uniform.”
So about that red lipstick… I understand that it’s a part of your look, but how do you make sure it never gets smudged?
“Make sure to always carry a tiny mirror with you so can you check up every now and then. Every bag of mine contains a tiny mirror. Another tip: don’t continuously apply layer after layer. Sometimes it’s better to just take off all the lipstick and reapply. It looks a lot fresher.”
Your bags and shoes are always very playful. Do you think it’s necessary to downsize your beauty when it’s mixed with playful designs?
“No, I think you can do both. I never change my look. Beauty is very personal, it suits you and it makes you ‘you’. If you change that, you’ll look very different, but it’s also very impersonal. You shouldn’t want that.”
So if you had to chose: shoes or bags for the rest of your life, which would you pick?
“Hmm… That’s a tough one. Or not, actually. I’d go for red lipstick. I can live without shoes. And bags. But if I wouldn’t have my red lipstick anymore, I would never leave the house again.”
