Emily in Paris is back for a second series - and with it, an abundance of quirky fashion looks and oh-so-perfect makeup. We dived into Lily Collins' beauty and wellness stash to find out how she gets those defined brows, her porcelain complexion and ever enviable eyeliner
From Bridgerton to And Just Like That , TV has been delivering some seriously covetable beauty looks over the last year, but none more so than Emily in Paris, which returns to our screens today (hooray!). So loved is fictional influencer Emily's beauty look, Lancôme paired up with the show to create a beauty collection, comprising of a palette, lipstick, mascara and more in Emily-inspired packaging.
Not a scene in Emily in Paris goes by where we don't admire Emily, played by Lily Collins, 32, be it for her low-key, fresh-faced makeup look (nobody wears a statement brow and smudged wing quite like her) or her outlandish outfit choices.
Off-screen, Lily is just as much a beauty icon as her character Emily. She's been the face of Lancôme since 2014 and whether she's pulling out all the stops for the red carpet or rocking a chilled off duty vibe, she's a constant source of makeup inspiration. Lily champions subtle makeup day-to-day, and told Vogue "The less you have on your face, the less there is to go wrong throughout the day." A sentiment we can get on board with!
We did some serious research to find out all the makeup, skincare and wellness essentials Lily (and her glam team) use to keep her looking so perfect and feeling on top form at all times.
The skin prep: Lancôme Advanced Génifique Serum X Emily in Paris, £83.50
Lancôme-devotees will already be familiar with this classic serum, which has had an Emily in Paris packaging revamp. It uses hyaluronic acid to plump and prebiotics and probiotics to look after the skin barrier and keep the complexion looking fresh and healthy.
When asked what her favourite Lancôme products are in a video on Instagram, Lily namechecks this serum (and the matching Génifique Hydrogel Sheet Mas k, £18) saying: "I've been using it for years, I love using them at night before I go to bed, I've even got my husband to start using them. We use them whenever we're travelling or whenever I have a big job coming up. I love the hydration it adds and how much of a healthy glow we have afterwards."
Makeup artist Fiona Stiles worked on Lily's face for the LA screening of season two of Emily in Paris this week and also did her wedding makeup for her marriage to director Charlie McDowell in September. She used this to hydrate and soothe Lily's skin before applying makeup.
The statement brows: Lancôme La Rose Highlighter, £35
In a video on Instagram, Lily shows how she does her strong brow look. Rather than starting with a brown pencil or pomade, she goes in with highlighter to highlight her brows.
"I take a brush and very lightly swipe it across my eyelid and I like to make sure I'm putting it just under the brow to enhance and highlight the shape because for me, the shape is key," she says. The product she uses in discontinued, but this one is remarkably similar.
Lily is known know for her killer brows, but she admits this hasn't always been the case and she once overly plucked them. "I embrace them now and they're one of my favourite qualities about beauty and skincare because they say so much about your personality and help accentuate your emotions. They're so fun to embrace and enhance."
The immune support: Beekeeper's Naturals, B. Immune, Propolis Throat Spray, £7.71
Lily shared her morning routine with Vogue and said that she starts every day with two spritzes of this throat spray which she says helps with a scratchy throat. "It has propolis which is an amazing immune system booster and it has a lot of antioxidants."
To soothe headaches: Saje Peppermint Halo, £30.22
"I'm obsessed with essential oils so I always use this, which is a little touch of magic," Lily says of this rollerball. She rolls it from temple to temple, over her forehead, saying "it really helps to wake you up and alleviate headaches."
The budget face wash: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, £7.19
Lily told Vogue she uses this basic cleanser in the morning with a facial brush which she says 'really gets in there'. "I started taking care of my skin when I was really really young," she says. "I wear so much makeup for my job so I'm really vigilant with cleaning my skin every night."
The toner: Thayers Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Toner Original, £9.59
Lily follows her cleanser with this toner, wiping it all over her face with a cotton pad.
The beauty tool: Jade roller, £7.49
To work her serum in, Lily told Vogue that she rolls a jade roller over her skin after applying her serum in the morning. "Sometimes I keep it in the fridge to make it extra cold. It really helps lock in the moisture. Roll it outwards towards the lymph nodes, not back and forth, until your skin feels firm," she says.
The hydrating face spritz: Herbivore Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Mist, £14
"Because my skin isn't as hydrated as I'd love for it to be, I love to use this spray with coconut water. It smells like I'm on vacation," Lily told Vogue.
The lip prep: Burt's Bees Lip Balm, £2.99
To make sure her lipstick applies evenly, Lily told Vogue she uses a lip scrub (Handmade Heroes Ultra Sexy Lip Scrub, to be exact. It's not available in the UK, but we love the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish , £15), followed by Burt's Bees Lip Balm to make sure her lips stay extra hydrated.
The SPF primer: Estée Lauder Perfectionist Pro Multi-Defense Aqua UV Gel SPF 50, £36
Acting as both sun protection and primer, this is Lily's SPF of choice because it sits under makeup well. "I swear by SPF and use it every day,' she told Vogue.
The subtle gloss: Lancôme Juicy Tubes, £20
Juicy Tubes were one of our first ever makeup buys and the same goes for Lily, who told Vogue 'They're super-reminiscent of my childhood. They were my way of getting away with wearing makeup in school," she says. "I like to just put it in the middle of my lips."
The hair fixer: Dry Bar Detox Dry Shampoo, £13
Lily keeps it low key with her hair, telling Vogue she simply sprays it with this Dry Bar dry shampoo, which recently launched in the UK.
The natural deodorant: Corpus Santalum Deodorant, £23
It's not every day you learn which deodorant an a-lister uses! Lily told Vogue this natural deodorant is her choice. It has notes of sandalwood for a luxury scent to mask any odour.
The hand cream: Weleda Skin Food, £8.25
The final step in her beauty routine, Lily told Vogue she finishes with this cult hand cream, loved by beauty editors far and wide.
The Paris in a bottle perfume: Lancôme La Vie Est Belle, £78
A classic scent, Lily told Vogue she wore this the whole time she was in Paris filming Emily in Paris and it immediately transports her back there. We love this scent too; it has top notes of bergamot and pink pepper, heart notes of orange blossom and jasmine sambac and base notes of iris, patchouli and musk for an alluring fragrance with intriguing depth.
MORE GLOSS: Read our review of Lancôme La Vie Est Bell
For glowing skin on set: Payot Paris My Payot Concentre Eclat: Healthy Glow Serum, £18.45 and Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, £13
Aurelie Payen mixes a few drops of this with Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré for a "perfect fresh and healthy glow”. She calls it her favourite product to create Emily’s look and achieve the ultimate French-girl, barely-there skin finish.
The soft liner: Lancôme Le Crayon Kohl in Brun, £19.50
Fiona Stiles used this pencil on Lily for her recent Series 2 screening appearance. "I wanted to create a playful look with flawless skin and a sexy, flirty 60s' eye. A little Sharon Tate, a little Francoise Hardy, a little Jean Shrimpton," she said.
"I used a dark brown pencil to do her liner versus black to keep it a little softer feeling. My holy grail is the Lancôme Le Crayon Kohl, a super-rich dark brown that glides on really smoothly and is easy to work with. I love love love a kohl pencil (I prefer them to gel liners which can drag and skip and I can’t ever get them to a super sharp point). It’s a subtle difference using the brown but I feel like it softens the vibe and added to the sweetness of this look."
For a red carpet canvas: Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation, £29.30
Fiona used this non-cakey liquid foundation in shade 090 for Lily's screening makeup. It comes in 40 different shades and Does. Not. Budge. Ideal if you're wearing a crisp white shirt a la Emily and don't want any telltale tide marks on the collar.
Lily told Vogue that she mixes this with the Génifique Serum to make it a medium, glowy coverage. "It's super versatile for the no-makeup makeup look," she said.
For a radiance boost: Dr Barbara Sturm Glow Drops, £40
In series one of Emily in Paris Emily attended the opera wearing a striking red lip and bold brow complete with luminous skin, which Aurelie created with these Barbara Sturm Glow Drops. Simply pat onto the skin after moisturiser before foundation for a lit-from-within glow.
The on-set foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup, £40
A favourite among beauty editors and makeup artists, this is the second skin foundation Aurelie used on Lily in the opera scene. It gives an other-worldly luminosity to the skin, especially when combined with the Sturm glow drops.
The blurring concealer: Laura Mercier Secret Concealer, £24
This creamy concealer blurs dark circles in an instant for a fresh-faced, wide-awake look. It's Aurelie's concealer of choice for filming, though Fiona Stiles uses the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer , £25, for Lily's red carpet looks, applying it under the eyes and anywhere else that needs a little extra coverage.
The radiant blush: Lancôme Blush Subtil in Rose Sable, £27.20
For Lily's subtle flush at the Emily in Paris screening, Fiona used this powder formula on the tops of Lily's cheekbones for a subtle, lifted, youthful-looking flush.
The statement rid lip: Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red, £19.99
The classic red look that Lily is rocking in the opera scene was down to this Sephora liquid lipstick that Aurelie used on set.
To banish shine: Lancôme Long Time No Shine, £32.50
Fiona used this setting powder on the centre of Lily's face at the season two screening to create a soft velvet finish on the skin.
For glossy hair: Pureology haircare
Whether styled in loose waves, poker straight or in a chic updo, Lily's brunette hair always looks sensational and her stylist Gregory Russell (who also created Lily's incredible wedding hair) said he always uses Pureology products. He hasn't divulged which, but we personally never style our hair without using the Colour Fanatic Spray, £20.10.
The brow definer: Lancôme Brow Define Pencil in Dark Brown, £21.50
Lily's known for her impressive, always defined arches and this is the pencil Fiona reaches for to fill them in, which Aurelie recommends a brow mascara for a dense, contoured look.
For full, fluffy lashes: Lancôme Cils Booster XL Enhancing Lash Primer, £25.50 and Lancôme x Emily in Paris For the Love of Paris Monsieur Big Mascara, £22.50
This was Fiona's mascara of choice for Lily's appearance at the LA screening of Emily in Paris season two. “I used one coat of mascara and then brushed on the lash primer before adding another coat or two of mascara as I wanted Lily’s lashes to feel very full.”
Lily told Vogue mascara has always been one of her favourite beauty items. "This mascara, along with Juicy Tubes (lip glosses) were among my first makeup purchases as a kid." To keep her lashes looking extra-long, Lily brushes through them with a brow brush to make sure they're all separated. "I love how much volume this adds to my lashes, they just come alive!" she says.
The neutral lip: Lancôme x Emily in Paris L'Absolu Rouge in French Tea, £27.50
Emily flits from ultra-glam red lips to laidback neutral looks from episode to episode, but it was this nude that Fiona opted for on the red carpet this week. "This lip colour is a beautiful neutral that lets the lips look defined but not centre stage as the eyes are the focus of this look."