Francois Nars is one busy man. He recently opened his first free-standing boutique in the West Village, created the Christy Turlington-inspired makeup look for Marc Jacobs' fall '11 show, and just launched three limited-edition makeup kits as part of a collaboration with Sephora—a first for the powerhouse beauty retailer. Nars handpicked the products for each set, creating three distinct looks that draw on elements from his artist history, including Jacobs' spring '11 show, and his legendary, pink-hued, Orgasm range. "You never know which color will be a best-seller," Nars explained when we snagged a moment with him at the Sephora launch. "I designed the first Orgasm blush the way I design all my colors and it just happened that the public fell in love with the name and the color. It didn't seem that daring, but everyone loved it." For more soundbites and tips from Monsieur Nars, read on:
For Francios Nars, fast food is a good thing: "The Nars multiple is the ultimate, triple-duty product. It's my idea of fast food makeup and one of my favorites. It works for eyes, cheeks, and lips—it's really versatile."
For Francios Nars, fast food is a good thing: "The Nars multiple is the ultimate, triple-duty product. It's my idea of fast food makeup and one of my favorites. It works for eyes, cheeks, and lips—it's really versatile."
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He loves fragrance: "It's always been my dream to do a fragrance. I like a bit of weird and eclectic elements—white flowers, musk, smoky scents—all my favorites aren't mainstream…maybe one day there will be an Orgasm fragrance!"
He's all about inspiration: "Even when I sleep, I dream about makeup, and beauty in general. I get inspired constantly, from a million different things. I'm on beauty alert at all times, that's how I have to be."
But he's also about keeping it real: "We always try to do something a little bit crazy and decadent at Marc's shows—something not totally safe—because the runways should inspire. But the idea is to take some element and translate that into real life, like maybe the color of the lips or the shape of the eye….You can lighten up strong colors by keeping them transparent and using a light touch. It just has to fit your personality and be an expression of yourself."
Makeup kit from above: NARS Fashion Icon Set, $59, available at Sephora
Nars Fashion Forward Set, $59, available at Sephora.
Nars Front Row Set, $59, available at Sephora.