NARS

Profile

This flagship boutique of French makeup artist François Nars was opened just in time for fall/winter 2011 fashion week. Nars made a name for himself in the ’90s by collaborating with Madonna, and is the makeup artist of choice for the runway shows of his West Village store neighbor, Marc Jacobs. Now, the Nars brand is famous for its richly-hued, sassily-named blush and lipstick pigments like Damned, Sin, and the multiple beauty award-winning shade, Orgasm. The minimalistic store, designed by Interview editorial director Fabien Baron, is stark and lacquered, the better to display vibrant shades of lipsticks, eyeshadows, and nail polishes. A glossy box in Jungle Red hides the cash register, set against a black wall to evoke the look of his signature compacts, and a marble fireplace displays Nars’s current inspirations, like the 1967 film, Belle de Jour. — Kathleen Hou

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