Season of Rouge
There’s something rather poetic about the timing of Chanel’s new Rouge Noir limited edition collection. Launching ahead of both Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year, it arrives when the world is particularly receptive to red’s many moods.
Rouge Noir has always occupied an intriguing space in Chanel’s beauty universe. A shade that’s neither purely red nor entirely black. Born backstage at the 1994/95 autumn-winter show, it was initially created to complement the burgundy lining of the house’s iconic 2.55 handbag. What started as a nail polish for that single runway moment became a cult phenomenon, even earning the moniker ‘Vamp’ in the United States.
The legendary Chanel Rouge Noir expands into a full makeup collection. Limited edition palettes, lipsticks and nail polishes for this February’s festivities.
Now, creative director Ammy Drammeh has reimagined Rouge Noir across an entire make-up wardrobe. The result is a collection that captures the shade’s inherent duality: romantic yet rebellious, classic yet contemporary. It’s the kind of versatility that makes perfect sense for this season, when celebrations call for both elegance and a touch of mischief.
For The Face
The centrepiece of the collection is the Rouge Noir Confidence Palette, a generous four-pan palette that unpacks Rouge Noir’s DNA. Inside, you’ll find an electric magenta, a pearly rose-tinted highlighter, a sienna red with pink shimmer, and a mauve pink. Together, they allow for everything from soft, diffused washes of colour to more dramatic, high-impact looks.
Our highlight of the collection is the Baume Essentiel in Cute. It’s a soft balm that introduces a fresh, soft mauve pink that applies sheer and pearlescent. It’s the collection’s softer side, and perfect for a subtle glow.
Three essential brushes arrive in a limited edition pouch: a touch-up face brush, an eye-contouring brush, and a rounded eyeshadow brush. Each handle is finished in the collection’s signature shade.
For the Eyes
The house’s beloved click-mechanism mascara gets dressed in a Rouge Noir case, with a formula that coats lashes in a deep, almost-black shade that intensifies the eyes. There are two Ombre Essentielle eyeshadows in the collection: Gris Rose, a metallic grey, and Brun Rose, a satiny mauve brown. And the Stylo Yeux Waterproof eye pencil launches in Rouge Noir itself, plus Gris Graphite, a satiny silver grey that adds an unexpected rock-and-roll edge to the otherwise romantic lineup.
For The Lips
For the first time, the beloved Rouge Allure matt lipstick formula comes in Rouge Noir, housed in a matching limited edition case. Three additional shades expand the story: Irrévérente, a mauve, Effrontée, a crimson pink, and Audacieuse, a brick brown. Then two Rouge Allure Laque lip colours provide contrast: Ultimate, an intense warm rosewood, sits alongside Rouge Noir for those who prefer a glossier finish.
For The Nails
The nail polish that started it all returns in its original Rouge Noir shade, joined by Moderniste, a neutral grey, and Performer, a vibrant magenta.
What makes this collection particularly clever is how it interprets a single shade across different textures and intensities. You could wear Rouge Noir dramatically on the eyes and keep lips nude, or reverse the formula entirely. It’s make-up that understands nuance, which feels rather appropriate for a shade that has always existed somewhere between two extremes.
To learn more and to shop the newest Rouge Noir collection, click here!
