Few beauty shades have achieved the cultural permanence of Chanel’s Rouge Noir. First launched as a nail polish in the mid-’90s, it was once considered confrontational, “a bit crazy” even. But today it sits comfortably within the global make-up canon: elegant, gothic and instantly recognisable. For its latest evolution, Chanel places the colour at the centre of a full, limited-edition make-up collection for eyes, lips and nails, developed with global make-up creative partner Ammy Drammeh.
For Drammeh, the project – which also boasts exclusive make-up cases – was personal. “Super exciting, actually. I’m a big fan of Rouge Noir,” she says. “When I was told that the collection was inspired by and to celebrate the shade, I was just really, really happy because I love this shade so much.” The challenge, she explains, was not nostalgia but reinvention. “It’s really hard to come up with a collection that is inspired by a shade that everybody knows and is really familiar with and try to do something different. But it was a great challenge.”
Rather than simply expanding Rouge Noir across formats, Drammeh approached the colour analytically. “I needed to go inside and dissect what Rouge Noir really is,” she says. “Everyone knows that Rouge Noir is like red and black, but it’s not just red and black. The nuances in shade are really vast and ample. [Holding it up to the light] I could see all these exciting, younger, vibrant, electrifying shades that I hadn’t really paid attention to before.”
That exploration becomes most visible in Rouge Noir Confidence, a multi-use palette combining magenta, pearly rosy white, sienna red with pink shimmer and mauve pink. It’s the collection’s anchor and, for Drammeh, its most versatile piece. “I love a palette that you can use on your face and eyes, and this is it,” she says. “You can use it super transparently, but also you can build the colour. So if you want to create a more editorial look, you can really get that pigment to shine through.”
This idea of adaptability runs throughout the collection. Rouge Noir is presented not as a rigid statement but as something adjustable to skill level and mood. The matte Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick, intimidating at first glance, is a case in point. “It looks like you need to be an expert,” Drammeh admits. But, her application solution is deliberately imperfect: “Dab it, dab, dab, dab, dab, make it blurry. Make it almost like a beaten lip.” The effect, she explains, adds volume and softness without precision, making the shade wearable rather than severe.
Elsewhere, Baume Essentiel in Cute – a baby pink glow stick – offers contrast and relief. “The texture is super shiny and hydrating,” she says. “You can use it on cupid bow, cheekbones, collarbones… everywhere really.” Even the Noir Allure mascara offers a low-commitment way into the colour story. “If you are not that type of bold person… use the mascara,” she suggests. “It’s like an aura of Rouge Noir, without going all the way in.”
That aura – dark, glossy, slightly dangerous – is part of the shade’s enduring appeal. “I think its the deepness of the colour [that people love],” Drammeh says. “It’s a black that is a bit red, but it’s also a red that is very black… it just gives you this mysterious, vampy look.”
And the wearer? “Someone who is really confident,” says Drammeh. “Someone who is not afraid of risk, someone who appreciates being different.” Like Rouge Noir itself, the collection isn’t about blending in – it’s about understanding depth, and choosing how far into it you want to go.
Out today, the limited-edition make-up line is available online and in stores. Shop here.
Photography courtesy of Chanel Beauty.
