Chanel unveils Instagram feed for beauty devotees, plans for another beauty pop-up in West Hollywood

In a fashion and beauty world dominated by social media, it should be no surprise to see a major brand embracing user-generated content. However, it’s rarer to see a top luxury brand dedicating an official social feed solely to its fans and ambassadors, but that’s what has happened with the newly launched Chanel Instagram feed, @welovecoco, which brand officials said will be fully populated with content created by the French house’s beauty devotees.

“There’s a vital community of beauty and lifestyle influencers in the U.S. who love Chanel beauty, and the posts they’re creating on Instagram using our products are incredibly inspiring,” said John Galantic, president and chief operating officer for Chanel U.S. “We want to curate the very best of their content on @welovecoco to ignite even more creativity among our fans and deepen their relationship with the brand.”

The feed’s content will be a fusion of images and videos mined from the #weloveococo hashtag, including hyperlapse tutorials, selfies, makeup application Boomerang videos, artistic product shots and more — all featuring Chanel beauty in various creative iterations.

Some of the creatives who will use their beauty know-how to contribute will include model Salem Mitchell, blogger Ann Kim, illustrator Regina Yazdi, French actress and artist Loan Chabanol and Chanel makeup artists such as Kara Yoshimoto  Bua, Fulvia Farolfi, Cyndle  Komarovski and Kate Lee.

“I’m honored a post I created for my own Instagram has been one of the first to be featured on the page,” said Lee, who has been a Chanel partner for more than a decade and boasts a client list that includes Dakota Johnson, Jessica Chastain and Rooney Mara. “It’s a gorgeous platform that showcases how makeup artists, beauty editors, stylists, beauty bloggers, friends of the house, VIPs and everyday people incorporate Chanel beauty into their lives.”

To celebrate the launch on Instagram and inspire content creators, the French brand is opening the Chanel Beauty House, an immersive experience into all things Chanel lip color. The brand’s latest L.A. pop-up will be inside a space on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. There will be a private event at the Beauty House on Feb. 28, and the space will be open to the public from March 1-4. (Admission is free, and reservations can be made at www.chanelbeautyhouse.eventbrite.com.)

“Beauty is  the most accessible  element of style,” Lee continued. “I don’t believe in rules when it comes to makeup. I believe in creativity and individuality.”

Although boldface names will create some of what populates the feed, much of it will be generated from beauty enthusiasts from around the country that hashtag #welovecoco, also giving them the opportunity to be featured on the new feed.

Now, what can you expect? Visitors will be able to take self-guided tours through a celebration of Chanel’s lip shades, specifically red, pink, coral, berry and neutral. Some of the rooms will have themes such as the “Provoke in Pink” bedroom and the “Declare in Coral” bathroom. On-site will be virtual application stations and makeup artists to assist in the beauty process.

According to Chanel officials, there will be Instagram opportunities as well as photo booths and an area where visitors will be able to take their own screen-test shot wearing their favorite lip color against an interactive Chanel backdrop. Also, there will be a space where guests will be able to make a “beauty shelfie” — that’s a photo of beauty products artfully arranged on a shelf.

L.A.’s most beauty-obsessed will be able to explore, play, find new beauty inspiration and perhaps leave with something colorful. Chanel officials said more than 50 Chanel lip products will be available for purchase on site.

Chanel Beauty House, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 1-4; 9169 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood; Reservations: www.chanelbeautyhouse.eventbrite.com, www.chanel.com