'Red Carpet' Comes Home

If actress Araya “Chompoo” A Hargate felt any nerves at all strolling down the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time last week, she certainly didn’t show it, instead outshining the likes of Hollywood superstars Julianne Moore and Milla Jovovich.
In the southern French resort not with a film of her own but as the l’Oreal Paris cosmetics firm’s Thai “ambassador”, Chompoo was there to look good – and that she did, on two consecutive days, for the world’s photographers and TV networks. The first Thai woman on the red carpet at the planet’s premier cinema show was beautiful and graceful.
“It was an amazing moment,” she said at the Bangkok unveiling of a new makeup collection earlier this week. “I thought I was well prepared, but it was just so overwhelming, especially when I heard the international press calling out my name to pose for them.”
L’Oreal has been a co-sponsor of the Cannes festival for 16 years, but this was the first time it had any of its Thai presenters there.
“Araya was absolutely a VIP, with a personal bodyguard, a world-famous fashion stylist, her own makeup artist, and more,” said Panida Pairojkitja, brand manager of l’Oreal Paris (Thailand). “Since it was the premiere of ‘Beyond the Candelabra’ [the Liberace biopic], there was a moderator announcing everyone’s names as they arrived. When she stepped up in her pastel-green Zac Posen gown, Araya was really outstanding. She was dubbed ‘the Cleopatra of the Cannes Film Festival’!”
“The second day was even more exciting,” Chompoo said. She turned out to see the premiere of Robert Redford’s “All is Lost”, but nothing was lost on her team. “Everybody said I had to ‘top up’ my look because I’d been so successful on the first day!”
That’s where celebrated stylist Michael Angel stepped in, with a gorgeous Ferragamo gown for her. Afterward someone thrilled her by saying, “You rocked the carpet!”
“So this was truly a memorable experience,” she told the press in Bangkok. “I remembered how I used to be just a typical fan surfing the Net to see what everyone looked like on the red carpet.”
Having won hearts in Cannes, Chompoo’s next assignment was to return home with the new makeup lines. She and L’Oreal makeup director Karim Rakman
 presented two “Red Carpet Glam” collections that go on sale in July.
“Red Carpet Glam I” covers both day and night. Ready for a new day, Chompoo wore Colour les Ombres in Brown on her eyelids and Shine Caress Faye Shade on her lips. For evenings she showed the more intense Colour Riche Peach Dream lipstick, ideal for eye-catching facial expressions.
“Red Carpet Glam II” is smoky and thus even better suited to Thai complexions. Les Ombres Hidden Gem and Disco Smoking eye shadow offer glamour and elegance for any “red carpet”.
“I think Thai women have two concerns – their yellowish skin and eye shape,” Chompoo said. “That’s why we created these collections, which truly take into account Thais women’s needs.” Rakman pointed that smoky eyes look a bit softer this season, less sharp lines and more blending.
Chompoo had her nails done by popular manicurist Tom Backik – 22 shades “with a special brush in just one stroke” – and introduced a new mobile application to ease the worries at makeup time.
“Many times when I’ve chosen my outfit I get in a real fuss about my makeup,” she said. “Well, if you really don’t know what to do, this amazing application called Colour Genius has the answers.
You get dressed and take a picture of yourself, and then the app helps you decide what makeup to wear – day or night, how to |avoid a clash, how to blend – very special!”