I met Francois NARS!

Yes, you read that right. I met Francois Nars. The man, the brand, the legend.

Do you mind if I say it again? I met Francois Nars!!! 

To celebrate the new book Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself, Nordstrom organized exclusive book-signing events at a very limited number of its stores by Francois Nars himself! I don't check the Nordstrom events page often, but I fortuitously stumbled upon this information while I was thinking of ordering NARS makeup. I was hoping to find a NARS artist event, and what I found instead was jackpot--- Francois Nars himself was coming! What are the chances of that? My friend Ponyo and I got there early, of course, to get our makeup done, and stand in line. A good amount of time passed waiting. And then.... we heard clapping! Mr. Nars walked down the entire line of NARS national makeup artists, greeting everyone individually, until he made it to the end.

Then it began. He greeted every fan, asked them what their favorite products were, signed the books. Here's a picture I shot of one of the first few women who made it to the counter (I believe the first person was actually a man). Don't you love her dress? The black and white stripes make a fun complement to the NARS aesthetic. They even had a designated person (in another beautiful black and white dress I might add) that would take your photo with him, whether it be with your cell phone or with your camera.

When it was my turn, I walked up to the table, and said "Hi Mr. Nars, I'm a huge fan of your line" (witty, I know). Before I got to the end of that sentence, I lost my cool and got choked up, eyes brimming with tears, hands waving, trying not to cry (after all, running mascara is not attractive). Fortunately I regained control and was able to answer his question about what my favorite products were: Orgasm, Deep Throat, and Sex Appeal. I babbled on about how I loved his French accent and light blushes for my light skin tone and he recommended that I try New Order.

He was very gracious and kind. He answered my numerous questions, and even stopped to think about some of them (maybe a bit too long for the organizers). I had bought three books, one for me, my mom, and aunt, as well as a face kit, so I had a few moments longer than most. We talked about paintings, inspirations, and recommendations. It was such a special experience, and some of those things are so dear to my heart that I couldn't bear to write them here! However, in the future I do have a tidbit to share about NARS single eyeshadow in Outremer, a ultramarine blue coming out in Fall 2011. I also learned that all the colors and names are all him (dreamed up on his island).

I was totally blown away by the experience of meeting Francois Nars. It was awesome, and better than anything I could have imagined. I think my last picture epitomizes the experience. He's such a warm and friendly person; it's a great feeling knowing that a brand you love is designed by someone like him.

Love, a still-floating-on-air Dovey.

P.S. The NARS love-fest is not over! Coming soon I'll  have a look at the Nordstrom exclusive NARS face kit, my (and Ponyo's) experience getting made over by NARS National makeup artists, and a look at some other NARS goodies I've picked up recently.

P.S.S. You can read more about Francois Nars in this NYTimes article