Amanda Aldinger, Editor at M.A.C Cosmetics

Photo: Danny Kim

Your nails match your necklace.
Yeah, I picked it up in Paris when I was there studying fashion.

Did you have the requisite French love affair?
No. French men are really aggressive.

And New Yorkers aren’t?
Men don’t give a shit here—they know they’ll get what they want. One time in Paris, my girlfriend and I were sitting by a fountain and these French guys kept trying to get us to go home with them. When we wouldn’t, one called us “American cunts.” It was totally bizarre. That happened a couple of times. It was like they could smell the American on you.

What else did you learn abroad?
I went to a nude beach in Monaco, which was a first. In front of me was a 65-year-old woman with sagging everything, and behind me were these two gorgeous models, and everyone was topless. It’s definitely not the Rockaways.

Interview by Tory Hoen.

Amanda Aldinger, Editor at M.A.C Cosmetics