Make-up supremo François Nars shares his beauty cabinet secrets

The founder of NARS on working with the supers and the magic of a red lip

- BY ROSE BEER

What drew me to the beauty world? I think the answer is in my family. My mother and grandmothers were very elegant, beautiful women. Maybe that was the first wake-up call: the awakening to fashion, beauty and elegance.

Catherine Deneuve has always been a muse. I grew up watching her films and met her much later in life. Charlotte Rampling as well. And a few Italian actresses — Claudia Cardinale, Sophia Loren and Silvana Mangano. This group of women influenced me a lot — their faces, their personalities, their charisma.

At the time I launched NARS, I couldn't find the products I needed as a make-up artist. The textures weren't right, the colours weren't bold enough, or they just didn’t perform. So, I created exactly what I couldn't find. It was about personality, confidence, attitude and a bit of audacity. Not trends. Not perfection.

When I created Orgasm Blush, the name came to me before the colour. I wanted names that evoked emotion — something you could feel, maybe even something that made you blush a little. Not just a description of colour. “Orgasm” was one of those words. It made you look twice. But for me, it was never just about sex, it was about life. Loving life. Enjoying it fully. As for the colour, it came together almost instinctively.

One of the most unforgettable moments in my career was seeing the first lipstick prototype. Holding it in my hands, I realised my dream was becoming a reality — it was the birth of NARS.