Coco Baudelle
VIOLET VANITIES:
COCO BAUDELLE
The model, actress, and filmmaker recreates her beauty icon signature makeup look. VIOLET GREY was there to lend a hand—and capture all the action.
- Photography By
- CARRIE BARBER
- Written By
- AMBER KALLOR
Name: Coco Baudelle | @cocobaudelle
Job Description: Model, actress, filmmaker
Before her face was plastered across buses and billboards, Coco Baudelle—a multi-hyphenate model, actress, and filmmaker from Montreal—attended law school, worked at a bank, and spent some time behind a Dior makeup counter. “At the time, Dior only hired trained makeup artists,” says Baudelle. “I never studied makeup artistry, but I loved doing it on myself and my friends—and I desperately needed a job.” She was put to the test when an employee called out sick and she was tasked by her “very serious” boss with a bride-to-be. “They gave me a belt full of brushes and the wheel was mine. I probably took double the time it would take anyone else to do her makeup, but the woman was thrilled, she looked exquisite, and I got the job,” she says.
While Baudelle often still moonlights as a makeup artist for friends when they come over to her New York City apartment, her full brows and naturally lush lips serve her even better on the other side of the counter—and attract plenty of attention from beauty addicts who want to replicate her features. After being discovered on Instagram by Glossier founder and CEO Emily Weiss, Baudelle can now be found starring in beauty campaigns and, even at 5’2” and a half, walking the runway.
While she loves an “effortless look,” she is a self-proclaimed “makeup collector” who keeps her stash stored in Glossier’s pink, bubble-lined pouches under her bathroom sink. “It’s my little heaven,” she says. By day, you’re likely to find her sporting perfectly curled lashes, a bit of blush, and flawless skin (with help from some strategically applied concealer). “I definitely get excited about makeup as the night falls,” she adds. “I like to play with colorful eyeshadows, lip liners, and gloss.” The one thing that remains consistent, however, is her beauty icon: Bianca Jagger. “She fascinates me. When I see photos of her from the ’70s and from today, it seems like she’s always doing what she wants,” says Baudelle. “There is also something about her features that are unusual, a bit quirky, and uneven—just like me!”
Naturally, VIOLET GREY challenged the actress to channel the Studio 54 legend and let us photograph the process every step of the way. We also provided Baudelle with a few product picks guaranteed to make a major statement after dark. No white horse required.