In celebration of the launch of Chanel's latest lip colour Rouge Coco Bloom, Victoria Baron Chanel makeup artist and photographer Eddie New created a photo series. The visual editorial showcases the casting process behind the shoot for the new launch - which ended up transforming into the shoot itself.

Here we see eight new ways to 'bloom' with eight unique, fresh faces, wearing each of the eight signature shades of Rouge Coco Bloom.

Baron says it was a unique experience shooting with Rouge Coco Bloom owing to the versatility and boldness of the product. "The vibrancy of each colour can be adapted and changed. A slight wash over the lip and blending with your finger looks and feels like a natural hydrating tint. The same colour can be easily layered to create a fresh yet bold lip colour that gives the subtle illusion of a more voluminous shape."

Her creative inspiration? It comes from the world around her.

"I find inspiration in everything around me, nature mainly but also the collision of elements. How a colour or shape plays off another," she says.

But the main source of her fuel for creativity in this instance came from the new faces of the project.

"When thinking about how I’d cast for a Chanel beauty story, I thought about the whole casting process. How as a makeup artist, a lot of the makeup inspiration comes from a models personality and spirit rather than just seeing a model card. I wanted to document the process.

"It ended up that the casting for the shoot became the shoot in the end. The faces for the casting were girls that I haven’t met before and the colours and formula of the collection were new too. It was about exploring a new process with all new elements.

"It was so special to be able to get to know the girls before choosing a lip colour and applying makeup looks, that connection is so important. I learnt that Barsha had immigrated from Bangladesh not being able to speak any English and with no family and friends, to study here in Australia.

"Nova and her passion for skating which is why she had a broken arm on set and was happy to keep working.
The struggles Coco has of convincing her pet rabbit to be cuddled and Elise, an amazing drummer, hoping to pursue a career in music.

"Nylow is the eldest of a large family and has the same cheek bones as her mum. These conversations are what mattered on the day. We shot the girls in regular casting format then discussed the many things we loved about each of them. I find the process of shooting with Eddie so unique as we both find the beauty together, with a similar eye and document the journey as we go. There’s something so beautiful about the in between moments."

The story of the new lip colours from Chanel began some years ago.

In 2016, the Chanel research laboratory in Japan accepted the challenge to make a lip colour that offered a colour pay-off, long-lasting hold and glossy shine - all in a single formula. It was a big task.

Now, 140 tests and five years later, these lipsticks are ready to make their debut. Introducing Rouge Coco Bloom. A lip colour with a two-phase technology that secures colour and then produces shine.

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom is available from 1 April.

Photography: Eddie New @ Lion Artist Management

Makeup: Victoria Baron @ MAP

Hair: Michele McQuillan @ MAP

Casting by Eddie New & Victoria Baron

Models:

Barsha @ Five Twenty

Nylow @ IMG

Alicia @ Kult

Elise @ Kult

Anjali @ Priscillas

Annabella @ Priscillas

Coco @ Priscillas

Nova @ Priscillas