Lily Collins' MUA Worked Classic French Beauty Trends Into Emily In Paris Season 2

Picking a favorite beauty look from Emily In Paris Season 2 can be likened to picking a favorite child — a.k.a near impossible. But if Aurélie Payen, Lily Collins’ makeup artist on the set of the hit Netflix series, had to pick one, it would be the season finale look at Versailles.

“Definitely the Versailles look,” Payen tells Bustle. “With [hairstylist] Mike Desir, we were inspired by the Renaissance era with a little more modern twist.”

A dark red lip, glowing complexion, and chic updo adorned with bejeweled barrettes. Lily Collins’ Emily Cooper has made quite a beauty and fashion transformation from Season 1 to that stunning Versailles look. Though Emily is still making some questionable life decisions (i.e. sleeping with her friend’s boyfriend, leading on a charming and relationship-material British man, etc.), fans will notice that her beauty look this season strikes the right balance of French sophistication and American boldness — something Payen was very intentional in showing.

“In Season 2, Emily’s makeup is still natural glam with a little more French style,” Payen tells Bustle exclusively. “I further spotlight the subtle French art of revealing and enhancing the glow of natural beauty.”

As for the makeup, she looked to Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot for Emily’s beauty inspo. This meant keeping eye makeup soft and gentle with lip colors — deep brown shades in the daytime and bold red (which Payen says is “so characteristic of the Parisian aesthetic) — having matte finishes. The key to showing off a luminous glow on the skin was using a very light-coverage foundation.

Payen explains she wanted to keep Emily’s makeup light in contrast with her bold and colorful fashion. “I wanted to keep a very light makeup to balance with the quintessential ‘French girl’ beauty,” she says. “Emily’s makeup is always perfectly done but faithful to the habits of French women.”

Emily isn’t the only one with beauty looks to admire. Payen points to Ashely Park’s character Mindy Chen for some of the most fun makeup on the show. “Her beauty looks — [which are] very pop and colorful — perfectly reflect her creativity and optimism,” she says. “I love the daring looks and colored tones [that are] faithful to her radiant and very fun character.”

And one can never count out Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu’s Sylvie Grateau, whom Payen says is the character most representative of French beauty. “[Sylvie] assumes her age and feels pretty by keeping natural,” she says. “I truly believe in the natural beauty of individuals and, through my work, I always try to promote a standard of beauty that is more diverse, closer to everyday reality, for whom Sylvie is the perfect example.”

If you haven’t already, you can binge the second season of Emily In Paris on Netflix now to catch all the glam beauty looks. It will hold you over while waiting for Season 3.