Jessica Kahawaty On Make-Up Tips, Guerlain Memories and French Girl Beauty
Harper’s Bazaar Arabia spoke candidly with Lebanese-Australian model, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Jessica Kahawaty about Guerlain’s new Make-Up Creative Director
The naming of Violette Serrat – known professionally by just her first name, Violette – as Guerlain’s first new Make-Up Creative Director in 20 years caused such a stir in the beauty world. It marks the start of an exciting new era for the legendary and revered luxury house.
Guerlain recently hosted an intimate dinner in honour of the new Rouge G: Legendary Reds collection. At the event, Violette, alongside the house’s muse Natalia Vodianova, welcomed an elite number of guests, including Jessica, to Paris’ iconic Restaurant Lapérouse. Celebrating the soul of the maison and highlighting its expertise in lip make-up, the limited-edition Legendary Reds collection features three iconic reds reinterpreted by Violette in two emblematic finishes (matte and satin), making up six iconic lipsticks, which have been inspired by the house’s most iconic creations.
A true Guerlain make-up aficionado herself, Jessica was naturally thrilled about the appointment of Violette to the helm of the luxury make-up brand.
Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): What surprised you the most about the Guerlain make-up line?
Jessica Kahawaty (JK): I loved that it was full of colours and life, so vibrant and really a line that focused on an elegant sense of self-expression through make-up. There was so much freshness in the make-up line and versatility amongst the products that I can wear from day-to-night. I always knew of Guerlain as an incredible heritage brand, but the formulations of the make-up line are also so cutting edge, with incredible pigmentation and colour pay-off.
HBA: What did you and Violette bond over when it came to make-up?
JK: I felt like I’ve known Violette for years! We hit it off immediately and she is such a warm and down-to-earth character. It’s something that’s also reflected in her make-up style which is effortless yet daring. Her use of colour is so modern and wearable, and of course, classically Parisian, just like Guerlain.
HBA: Did Violette give you any cool new make-up tips or tricks?
JK: She taught me how to use shading on my lips to enhance their natural shape, which I loved learning about. Violette has a very cool, French-girl way of applying lip colour where it looks incredible without being too polished or traditional, much more about a perfectly-lived-in lip effect that I really loved, and the Rouge G lipstick worked really well to achieve it.
HBA: What product from the collection is the one you will be taking with you no matter where you go?…and why?
JK: The Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing powder has to be my absolute staple from the range, it’s such an absolute icon in the beauty world, and with good reason. It’s a make-up bag must-have.
HBA: What was your first-ever connection to the Guerlain brand?
JK: I have such strong memories when I was just a child of my mother using the Terracotta Bronzing Powder, so it has a lot of sentimental meaning for me, and I love the idea that through different generations of my family, women have loved the same iconic beauty product. It was my mother’s go-to for an effortless bronze look and looked beautiful with her Mediterranean olive skin, it really complemented her natural beauty.
Synonymous with embracing a creative, daring, Parisian chic, it seemed destined that Violette would join a beauty house whose ethos is intertwined with the City of Lights. Given Guerlain’s impeccable credentials as the inventor of the lipstick bullet in 1870 and its reputation for constant innovation that emphasises modernity while remaining steadfastly true to its 190-year-old history, it’s a perfect fit.
Watch Jessica and Violette in conversation below.
Discover the Guerlain make-up collection at Harvey Nichols at the Mall of Emirates.
For more information, visit guerlain.com