Chérie: One Brand, Four Ways
A few years ago, I took a packaging design class, and one of my favorite projects was creating a line of packaging for a made-up brand. I came up with Chérie—French for “darling” or “beloved.” The name felt intimate, a little playful, and deeply personal. It sparked the idea of a cosmetics brand centered on femininity, not as one fixed aesthetic, but as something open to interpretation. I wanted Chérie to embrace the many ways people express softness, boldness, and everything in between. As a long-time makeup enthusiast and former makeup artist, I was excited to explore what that could look like visually and conceptually.
Mockup of Chérie Satin Chroma Balm (lipstick)
Final packaging for the Chérie Satin Chroma collection (top row: lipstick, bottom row: eyeshadow and blush)
Now, as I get ready to graduate, I’ve been revisiting this project with fresh eyes. I’d be lying if I said everything I made back then was great, but Chérie still stands out to me as a valuable learning experience. I got to create dielines from scratch and build a cohesive brand system. That said, I played it safe. I was so focused on nailing the technical details that I didn’t take enough risks with the packaging itself. The bold, minimalist look is everywhere in beauty now, and I started wondering—what else is out there?
To reimagine what Chérie could be, I created four creative manifestos, each exploring a different brand voice and visual direction. The challenge? I made them all using only stock footage. Take a look at the videos and let me know—which one feels most like Chérie to you?
The Offbeat Edit
The moment I came across this footage, I was struck by the boldness of the red and intrigued by the symbolism of the pomegranates. This direction imagines what Chérie might feel like if it chose to step back and let creativity speak for itself, quietly luring in the viewer. It plays like a high-fashion fever dream: sleek, minimal, and deliberately offbeat. There’s a refined editorial polish layered with a mysterious undertone. Each shot is meticulously composed yet slightly uncanny, with figures drifting in and out of shadow and faces seemingly poised but unreadable.
The film noir music heightens the tension, making the viewer feel as though they’ve wandered into something intimate and strange. The lighting, framing, and styling create an atmosphere that feels both elegant and eerie, suggesting a confident femininity that doesn’t reveal itself easily. This is a direction meant to provoke.
365 Party Girl
This direction captures the magic of getting ready—the ritual, the energy, the quiet anticipation. When I found these clips, I immediately imagined a story unfolding: a night out with your friends, full of possibility. I was inspired by Charli XCX’s breakdown of her song “365” on the Tape Notes podcast, where she describes each section as a different moment in a night out—from walking into the club, dancing, taking a bathroom break, hyping each other up, to re-entering the dancefloor like it’s your stage. I wanted to channel that spirit.
Due to limited stock footage, the narrative stays grounded in the pre-party moment—the styling, the posing, the glow of soft lighting. But the energy is already alive. There’s a quiet confidence that builds with each shot, and the ending is left open-ended: It was so fun to get ready for this night out—let’s see where it takes us.
The visuals are modern, bright, and feminine with a touch of surreal glam, like flipping through a fashion editorial that’s less about clothes and more about mood. It’s sweet, stylish, and self-aware, embracing the joy and intimacy of shared moments before the night really begins.
The Power Sequence
This direction asks: What if Chérie ditched softness for something sharper? Shot entirely in black and white, this concept strips color away and replaces it with punchy contrast, movement, and attitude. It explores what the brand could feel like if it leaned into boldness—high energy, high impact, and totally unapologetic.
There’s a certain nostalgia to it—reminiscent of early 2010s beauty ads from brands like L’Oréal or Maybelline. It excited my inner teenage self, who grew up watching those dramatic hair flips, smudged eyeliner close-ups, and taglines whispered in voiceover. While this direction doesn’t show the color of the products, it conveys a different kind of power: one rooted in confidence, speed, and drama.
It’s editorial-meets-commercial. Flashy in the best way. The kind of campaign you’d see on a big screen at the mall or in the opening break of a music awards show. This direction is all about making you look twice.
In Full Bloom
This is the softest and most introspective direction. It treats beauty not as performance but as a personal journey. Inspired by the idea of being called to express yourself through makeup, this story follows a quiet path–running through fields, connecting with flowers, and slowly arriving at a moment of self-discovery.
It feels ethereal and feminine, but not fragile. There is strength in the softness. The natural world and the act of getting ready are part of the same ritual. Makeup is not about transformation here. It is about exploration, curiosity, and connection. There is no pressure, no perfect mirror moment. Just movement, wonder, and a gentle kind of becoming.
The tone is dreamy, emotional, and calm. It captures a moment where beauty feels intuitive and found, not forced. This is Chérie for those who feel most like themselves when they move slowly, reflect deeply, and create with intention.
Final Thoughts
After exploring all of these different directions, I can genuinely see Chérie taking on any of them. There were definitely challenges, like working with stock footage and figuring out what story I wanted to tell, but this exercise reminded me just how powerful branding is, and how important it is to find the right positioning for a brand.
While I didn’t conduct full audience research here, each direction opens up its own possibilities. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d say “365 Party Girl” stood out the most. It felt the most complete and left space for the audience to imagine themselves within the brand.
Which one felt the most Chérie to you?
