We've made it: After weeks of reeling from the first five drama-filled, sartorially thrilling episodes, we're finally able to binge the second half of Emily in Paris season four. Or should I say… Emily in Rome?
While our beloved titular character has been situated in Paris for the past three seasons, she's swapping one capital for another with an impromptu Italian getaway. "She reaches a point when she needs to have some time off from the drama, so she decides to go on a Roman holiday," Aurélie Payen, the show's lead makeup artist, tells Who What Wear. I won't spoil the juicy tidbits leading up to her travels—you'll just have to tune in to part two!—but I do have exclusive intel on Lily Collins's Audrey Hepburn–inspired glam.
Emily, overall, has never been more settled in her American-Parisian identity, and her beauty looks reflect that confidence. "When Emily arrived in Paris, she was not as elevated [or] settled in the industry as she is right now," Payen says. "She also gets a little bit older, so she's more aware of her beauty vibe. She knows what she wants." A nod to Hepburn's Old Hollywood elegance just makes sense, especially when Emily has a little Roman Holiday moment of her own—see below for every product, tip, and detail.
You can't miss it: From her button-down blouse to her striped necktie, Emily is clearly channeling Hepburn's Princess Anne in Roman Holiday. According to Payen, her fresh-faced glam is also a nod to the iconic actress, and it happens to be one of her favorite looks from the season.
"You can easily imagine yourself with this kind of makeup and reproduce it," she says. All you need is a flick of eyeliner—Payen uses the Kitten Flick Liquid Eyeliner from Lisa Eldridge, praising its "very precise" tip—and a matte brown lip. "Matte brown lips are one of my favorites," she shares. For Collins, she uses a mauve-brown Prada Lipstick that beautifully complements the necktie's royal-blue hue.
She finishes off the eyes with a coat of Dior's Pump 'n' Volume Mascara. "This is the mascara I use on myself and my clients," she shares. "[It's] my favorite of all time. The color will stay strong and black, as I like, and it doesn't fall." You know when your mascara flakes off throughout the day, resulting in pesky black flecks underneath your eyes? Dior's doesn't dare.
To groom Collins's enviously fluffy brows (a trait she shares with Hepburn!), Payen grabs a waterproof eyebrow pen from Benefit Cosmetics. It has a three-pronged tip, which helps her create the most natural hairlike strokes. She then locks everything into place with a clear brow gel from Anastasia Beverly Hills. "I also love Charlotte Tilbury's clear brow gel; it's one of the best on the market right now," she adds.
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Emily also takes a trip to the French Alps to visit Camille's family ski chalet, and her mountain ensemble is a dead ringer for Hepburn's après-ski look in Charade—right down to the mod '60s sunnies. Payen, again, pays homage to Hepburn's glam by focusing on a mauve-brown color story for the lips and cheeks. "Those brown-ish kinds of colors really go with the costume created by Marylin Fitoussi," she says.
Rather than dusting on a shimmery bronzer (which tends to read more glowy and summery), she uses Makeup by Mario's SoftSculpt Cream Contour & Bronzer Stick to add some definition to Collins's features. "It's more about having a contour shade to enhance [her] natural cheekbones," she explains.
For the base, Payen uses a light layer of foundation over sunscreen—always sunscreen. "I'm always working with sunscreen products, but when you're at a place like the Alps, which is very high and where the sun is very strong, we had to use really good sunscreen," she explains. Her product of choice? 111Skin's Repair Sunscreen SPF 50. "I love to use this one in particular [for makeup looks] and then apply foundation on top of it," she adds.
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More Beauty Staples Payen Used on Set
Payen is a big fan of skincare tools. "They're one of the best things for makeup artists to work with because they can help make the skin look smoother, more [taut], and easier to work on," she says. "I used a lot of those products on Lily [Collins], and I gave a bunch of products to the cast as well."
She considers Foreo's Luna an essential, as it provides a double cleanse in one fell swoop—perfect for creating a clean, even canvas pre-makeup. "You can put your makeup remover on top of it and cleanse the skin with it," she explains, noting that it makes your complexion feel incredibly smooth once you rinse. "It's one of the best [tools] on the market right now in France," she adds. Sold!
When it comes to makeup removers, she touts this creamy balm from French brand Mimétique. "Use the Luna with this, and you will have perfect, smooth skin," she adds.
Microcurrent treatments are also a must. Foreo's Bear, Payen says, expertly tones the skin, helping it appear a little more naturally sculpted pre-contour.
Curious how Collins appears so glowy in every scene? She used this $799 LED mask frequently on set.
A light, skin-plumping formula like Beau Domaine's Fluid Cream helps lock in moisture and provide a smooth, even canvas. "It's vegan, and it's a French product as well," Payen notes.
Speaking of French beauty staples, you'd be hard-pressed to find a real Parisian (or celebrity makeup artist, for that matter) who doesn't have glowing things to say about Talika's skincare patches. Payen especially loves the brand's Smile Patch to plump the lips before applying any color. Matte lip looks (like the mauve-browns she favors) require extra skin prep to avoid looking cracked, so these hyaluronic acid–infused patches are a godsend.
"We were shooting part one during winter, but part two is spring becoming summertime," says Payen. (Aside from the snowy excursion to the French Alps, of course.) "So we changed the makeup." She gradually started to use more peachy, coral colors during the second half of season four, namely Chanel's gorgeous cheek and lip tint.
What is a French beauty look without a bold red lip? Payen calls this Rouge Dior lipstick her "favorite of all time." It has a matte finish that looks super velvety on Collins.
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