How To: Audrey Tautou in Coco Avant Chanel

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I saw this film, (translation, Coco before Chanel) the other night and loved it so much that I intend to spend much of Sunday finding a wonderful, stylish, crisp white shirt so that I may emulate CC’s signature man-style look, which when you see the movie, will understand how it originated. (Chanel ain’t all pearls and pink blazers, baby.)

But on with it!

How To: Audrey Tautou in Coco Avant Chanel

Don’t wear any makeup.
Grow out your eyebrows.
Pop on a straw hat.

Seriously. That’s Gabrielle (Coco was her nickname) Chanel’s take on hair and makeup for the majority of the film. You have to remember that she was fighting the establishment at a time women were overdressed, corseted, wore ridiculous, fluffly, lacy hates and dripped with trinkets and jewelry, and her low-fi take on cosmetics and hair was a reflection of that.

Here’s a shot of Ms Tautou from the film, wearing more makeup than what she really did in the film for the sake of a publicity still, but you’ll get the idea. Her hair was very long, and wavy and always looked kind of fluffy and freshly-washed but was usually either pinned up and jammed under a hat, or casually pinned into a bun up like this. There’s something to be said ("hooray"?) for that freshly-washed fluffiness. Or maybe I’m confused and there’s nothing to be said for it, only Tautou makes everything look chic, rather like the character she played.

It was only later in her life, when she moved to Paris and opened her boutique that Coco chopped the mop and had her stylish wavy, brushed-back bob, (and started wearing her trademark red lipstick) that we all think of when we think of Coco Chanel.

To get the no fuss French girl look, go for a lightweight foundation with a semi-matte finish (try Clinique Almost Makeup) run some tinted brow gel through your brows to get them a bit thicker and bushier (Try Benefit Speed Brow) and dab on a teeny bit of red lip/cheek stain on your lips. (Try Pop Beauty Apple of The Cheeks) Voila! Tres bon!

And finally, to finish a fun comparison image of Coco and Audrey.

Honestly, could anyone else have played the role of Coco Chanel but Audrey Tautou? Aside of Denzel Washington?

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