Happy Birthday, Coco Chanel! 5 Beauty Rules From a Legend—In Her Own Words

Today marks the 133rd anniversary of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s birth, reminding us that the mold-breaking couturier is still influencing our take on personal style and functional elegance more than a century after opening her first shop on Paris’s Rue Cambon. Aside from iconic quilted bags and white camellias, Chanel’s above-the-neck influence is nothing short of astounding—thanks in part to a rule-breaking attitude responsible for everything from the popularization of the once unfashionable suntan to the widespread cult of the everyday red lipstick (an early 2.55 bag even featured its own compartment for your favorite bullet). From a chin-length bob to a do-your-makeup-for-yourself philosophy, her forward-thinking instincts have perhaps never felt more relevant than in this very cultural moment, with its focus on individuality. Need proof? Here, five life beauty lessons from the legend herself, in her own words, that still ring remarkably true.

1. On the Triumphs of Lipstick:
Always an advocate for a classic tube of crimson, Chanel’s rouge mouth was a talisman that functioned like beauty armor—one she used to look good and feel even better: “If you’re sad, if you are disappointed in love, put on your makeup, give yourself some beauty care, put on lipstick, and attack.”

2. On the Importance of a Signature Scent:
“A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future,” proclaimed the designer, who believed in the importance of a lasting impression and finding a soul-defining signature scent. Proof that she was onto something: Her own revolutionary Chanel No. 5 fragrance—launched in 1921, emblazoned with her rumored favorite number, and radically different in its mysterious aldehydic structure—was a dramatic departure from the overt florals of the day. A bottle of it reportedly sells every 30 seconds and it’s recognized as one of the most iconic fragrances of all time.

3. On Embracing Individuality:
Whether liberating women from restrictive clothing with sportswear or pioneering the idea that what makes a woman look comfortable is feeling comfortable, Chanel’s life was a study in bucking the social norms. Or, as she put it, “in order to be irreplaceable, you must be different.”

4. On Picking the Right Shade:
Once the color of mourning, Chanel brought black into fashion in 1926, but her love for a bold palette is also well documented. Whether choosing a crisp day dress or the best shade of blush, the shade of the moment came down to one simple precept: “The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.”

5. On Aging Gracefully:
“At 20, your face has been given to you by nature; at 30, your face has been fashioned for life; but at 50, it is up to you to deserve it,” said Chanel. Offering what can be interpreted as a refreshing counterpoint to today’s obsession with cosmetic contouring and artificial fillers, here’s to embracing a full life of experience—and the beauty of the lines that come with it.

 

 

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