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 go for them. And I always encourage women to find what looks best on them.

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.

I never thought make-up was like brain surgery.

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 beauty world, let's say, and then the fashion world, of course.

There was a time when you would dream about, say, movie stars. Now, you virtually follow them into their bathroom when they're going to the loo.

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

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.

It really has stayed practically the same. It wasn't like I used to do wild punk make-up: no, I always had the same vision.

I never stop thinking about names of products. It's a process that happens 24 hours a day.

Women are being more experimental with eye color.

Women have to find their own personality, their own style, and what suits them the best.

When you photograph someone, you have to make them feel good, and you know that they want to look good. It's the same relationship that you have when you apply makeup on somebody. We're almost like shrinks.

Women don't want to feel like they're wearing makeup. I hope I was partly responsible for that.

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 the street. I keep a small book that I write in. I wake up in the middle of the night and jot down a name for a lipstick or an eyeshadow.

My interpretation of the word 'ugly'... I like ugly beauty. That can happen. In France, we have phrase 'jolie laide.' We like certain women who are not pretty or cute - it's the opposite in France of pretty. It's more strange and interesting.

I don't think there's a major change between runway and real life anymore.

Sometimes I'm attracted to more odd girls with stronger faces and features or a softer beauty with a lot of character.

It's not that I'm easily shocked. It takes a lot to shock me. And wildness I like. But vulgarity shocks me.

I'm not so interested in perfect, plastic beauty, and I think it translates in the girls I've shot over the years for Nars, from Guinevere to Iris to Mariacarla. I love those girls. I love the more interesting faces, with maybe a strange nose, not just the Texan blonde. By picking those girls, I think it's changed what I've seen in other campaigns.

It was the early Seventies, and I discovered makeup by going through my mother's fashion magazines. I fell in love with the photos, the models, the fashion.

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 line.

We love those under-eye circles. It's real life.

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.

I always had a vision about beauty in general, so probably that's what really drove me into that direction of creating a makeup brand.