Francois Nars

“Wearing colourful eyeliner in a graphic shape is the epitome of make-up as an accessory.”

“Makeup is very important for a show. It's really an accessory on the runway. You have to be sure that it fits the clothes.”

“In a lot of cases, makeup is a fantastic help, and that's why women love makeup in general. It's a fantastic way to help somebody look great. It's not the only way, of course, but it's a maj...”

“Makeup is an accessory to fashion. You buy a bag, you buy shoes, you put on eyeliner, you buy a lipstick, makeup compliments the clothes.”

“I had no connections, and the fashion world was a closed elite. So my mother made appointments for herself with three top Parisian makeup artists and spoke highly about me... she was my firs...”

“I never thought make-up was like brain surgery.”

“From the start, I used a different kind of girl in Nars campaign images. My choice to use models of colour such as Alek Wek, Naomi Campbell and Karen Park Goude was absolutely a deliberate o...”

“Even with - the best make-up in the world won't look good if you don't cleanse and exfoliate and have a good basic regime. This is why one of my goals has always been to create a skincare li...”

“I think less is more when it comes to make-up; this really helps achieve a lighter complexion. Heavy make-up creates a canvas and can dull the skin.”

“I'm always scared of trends. The runways are always so trend-oriented, but I always feel for the women. The real women that buy cosmetics want to see the trends, but they don't necessarily g...”

“I'll keep creating modern, deep, rich and adventurous colors and products that inspire creative expression every day.”

“I love the architecture magazines and all of the French magazines for decoration or whatever. I end up enjoying them more sometimes than the fashion magazines.”

“I really wanted to have a different approach of beauty because when I came to America, they were still heavily, heavily plastic. The ads were so heavily retouched.”

“My mother and my two grandmothers, I was lucky to have three women around me growing up that were very special, very elegant women, very beautiful women. They were my first step into the bea...”

“My vision was to create makeup that was more transparent but with formulas that last. I follow my instincts - it's all very spontaneous!”

“I've always loved the way movie stars in the Forties looked when they were off set. Shot poolside or at their home, they always wore a matte red lipstick with practically no foundation - it...”

“Some people put a lot of fuss around them. I'm not an entertainer. Let's not get things confused.”

“I remember this time I worked with Linda Evangelista on a shoot for Richard Avedon. I just put grease on her face, and it was beautiful.”

“It's more fun to have a name rather than a number. I think this gives our products a personality. I get the names from literature, movies, opera, traveling, nature, poetry, sometimes even th...”

“Kate Moss makes you dream. She has such a passion for art and the creative process.”