There is one universal truth we live by at Teen Vogue: Everything is better when GIFs are involved. Whether used in an email, a text, or to launch our new, kickass beauty vertical on our shiny, new website, nothing brings a message to life quite like them.
Combine this theory with the vision and creative force of French makeup artist Violette and the technical know-how and overall wizardry of seasoned GIF-maker Elle Muliarchyk, and the Internet’s most addictive medium is elevated to pure art form.
Guaranteed to inspire, these bite-size beauty gems are more than just eye candy. “It’s a new way to tell a story visually,” notes Violette who got her start as a classically trained painter at the prestigious École du Louvre in Paris. “And it’s a door to speak to the new generation that I think uses makeup to express themselves more than to just look pretty. It’s about being free from habit or routine or fear. What I’m trying to express is about celebrating femininity by accepting who you are.” Here, Violette takes you inside her beautiful mind—and the madness of our 12-hour GIF shoot—to reveal share-worthy beauty tips and to decode the hidden messages buried within these mesmerizing mini movies. A feast for the eyes, right this way…
When Liner Takes on a Life of Its Own
To translate the most artful liner looks from fall runways, Violette designed a self-directed doodle that slid across model Jin Wen’s freckled face like a snake, tracing her lids with intricate, dueling wings, and even leaving the word “pretty” in its tracks. “This expresses how liner can be treated in a very artistic way, like a piece of fashion,” Violette explains. “I used my all-time favorite product ever, Dior Diorshow’s Art Pen Liner. It looks more like an art tool for calligraphy than makeup.”
To set the tone for a cooler take on the cat eye, Violette adds: “I was very inspired by FKA Twigs. I think she is a modern artist who really plays with and enjoys her looks without going over the top. She isn’t following any trends, she is just her. I think we captured that vibe.”
The Curious Case of Less is More
“What is the ideal beauty? That perfect girl you see on TV or being yourself?” It was this lighthearted yet poignant question that launched Violette into a five-hour investigative transformation on model Irina Shnitman, from new Hollywood’s glammed-up, heavily contoured look du jour to a rarefied pared-down pretty. Violette’s message: It’s up to you to see who you like best in the mirror.
“Beauty has become so celebrity-driven that sometimes we forget to see who we are before following trends,” Violette says. “If you keep hiding yourself behind makeup, you will never truly appreciate your beauty. So, sometimes you have to just forget about all the techniques, wash the makeup off, see your face in the mirror and say ‘what do I like about myself?’ It’s fun to be someone else. But being uniquely you is real freedom and real beauty.”
However, the makeup maestro is quick to point out that, “This isn’t meant to criticize or to say going glam is wrong. Irina looks amazing with the contouring, and the double lashes, and the overdrawn lips. But she is also amazing with no makeup on.”
90 minutes in and 24 products deep, Irina’s va-va-voom look was nearly ready, but not without a final spritz of MAC Fix Plus. According to Violette, this is the key product for making a full-on look less “makeup-y.” “It sets everything beautifully, plus it gives a glow and a very fresh feeling to the skin.”
“When I first did her makeup, Irina couldn’t stop taking pictures of herself. She had never seen herself that way. She was having fun being someone else,” Violette recalls. “But it was a costume. And at the end of the day she was happier to remove it all and be herself again.”
Starry Eyed
“We all were little girls once who believed in magic. We all want to blink and have something magical and amazing happen to us,” says Violette. “So, in that spirit, I wanted to play with this idea of raining stars that create an amazing shiny lash look. It’s a way to say it’s OK to dream and to have a fantasy…beauty is a celebration, it’s not a code or a rule to follow.”
Violette adds: “The model Dalianah Arekion was perfect for this look because her eyes were so powerful, but also very kind. There was something very mysterious about her. Almost like she had a secret power.”
To create this sparkly beauty dream world, the team scoured art supply stores around New York City and lugged a dozen bagfuls of metallic stars and glitter to set. “We had a full table covered with all sizes of glitter and stars – it was insane,” Violette reveals with a laugh. “It was really a team effort. Everyone was involved. That was the fun part. The rest of the night was spent vacuuming!”
