Emma Chamberlain, YouTube phenomenon and fashion darling, can officially add luxury beauty ambassador to her list of occupations. The 21-year-old, who has already partnered with fashion brands like Cartier and Louis Vuitton, is now the new face of Lancôme, becoming the French cosmetics company’s youngest global ambassador.
As Fashionista reports, the beauty brand shared the news of the partnership via Instagram on Thursday, along with a quote from its new young face: “I have always had my own notion of beauty and didn’t project myself within the beauty industry because of the duality that I show, mixing comfort, with being nicely put together…when Lancôme came to me, I felt so honored and excited that the brand understood and appreciated who I am.”
Along with the announcement, Lancôme also released the first of a four-part YouTube video series Chamberlain is set to debut called “How Do You Say Beauty in French?” In the episode, the internet celeb is seen “breaking into” and riding a bike around the company’s Paris headquarters to explore what the office life is really like. She then walks through Lancôme’s diagnosis and skin-care deep dive with International Scientific Director Dr. Annie Black. “Skin care is science, you know?” says Chamberlain in the five-minute clip.
This isn’t Chamberlain’s first foray into beauty: In 2021, she became an ambassador and “creative director” for Bad Habit, a skin-care brand from incubator Forma Brands, the company behind Morphe (that also announced it had filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on Thursday). She “quietly left” the brand when her one-year contract expired, according to Business of Fashion.
Partnering with a young, Gen Z-beloved personality as its latest celebrity face is a clear strategy shift for Lancôme, which has yet to tap into the youth market in a meaningful way. As influencer-driven brands like those under the Forma umbrella flounder, could melding buzzy personalities with legacy brands become the dominant alternative marketing tactic? Lancôme is banking on it.
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