‘A mascara does miracles’: Dior make-up guru Peter Philips talks taste

My personal style signifier is the simplicity of my outfits. I travel a lot, so I need to pack light. Any combination I make will match and won’t be too complicated so my focus can go on the job I have to do. I have maybe 25 blue and black round-neck sweaters: a bit of Dior, some Jil Sander, some J Crew. Things get dirty quickly – foundation on your pants; glitter on your shirt – so they have to be easy and practical. Not too precious. 

The last thing I bought and loved was a George Nakashima sideboard that’s in my entrance hall in Paris and is stuffed with make-up products. The quality is amazing, and it’s so smooth. When I pass it, I touch it. It’s been a while now, but I remember in [fashion photographer] Paolo Roversi’s house in Paris, the whole stairway was made from terrazzo. I loved walking up the stairs and touching it; I had my whole kitchen done in terrazzo because of that staircase. It feels so cool, but it’s so polished. I get the same sensation from touching the sideboard. 

The most memorable look I’ve created was a combination of a mask I made from lace with simple make-up. It was shot by Irving Penn for Vogue, and it was a magical day. I’ve got the print at home. When I started make-up, I wouldn’t have dreamt of doing something like that, working with Mr Penn and making that image. It’s just beautiful make-up with a Mickey Mouse mask on top. And the picture, I love it. It’s like the girl is there in my dining room when I look at it. 

The best souvenirs I’ve brought home are pictures and memories. Actually, I did a shoot once and there was an amazing Venetian mirror that I bought from the set designer. And many, many years ago, I did a shoot for – I think – W magazine with Lara Stone and Steven Klein in Brooklyn, in sculptor Dustin Yellin’s studio: he puts little paper things in resin and layers them. He said, “If there’s one you like, I can sell it to you.” I liked two – a skull and a little man – which is all I could carry because they’re resin, so they weigh a ton. 

I haven’t read a book properly in 10 years because I fall asleep after two pages as I’m constantly jetlagged. It’s really embarrassing because I used to read so much, but I can’t, I can’t, I can’t! One book that left a really intense impression on me – I read it in one go – was Patrick Süskind’s Perfume, about a man born in a fish market who becomes a nose. They made a movie about it, which is always a bit disappointing because in my head things are so much more wild. It starred Ben Whishaw; I did his make-up with Willy Vanderperre once. He’s a really nice guy.

I don’t listen to podcasts either. For a few of these questions, you’ll think, “My God, this guy lives under a rock.” I’ve also only bought music once in my life – it was when I was a student in the 1980s, a vinyl album of Fame. Karl Lagerfeld gave me a few iPods: one is full of Chanel show soundtracks – really dramatic music by Michel Gaubert. And then the hairdresser Sam McKnight also gave me a little iPod because he thought it was so sad I’d never had music and I always loved his playlists whenever we shot together. It’s got maybe 2,000 songs on it, a mixture of everything – it’s very Sam McKnight – from disco to English pop. 

A way to make me laugh is a good sarcastic joke. I like British humour a lot. It’s in sync with Flemish humour – a bit of sarcasm; a lot of self-irony. People say, “You’re a bit straightforward.” Yes, it’s a joke! 

My style icon is any Hollywood movie dandy – like Gary Cooper. I love old Hollywood men’s fashion. You don’t realise how exaggerated the fashion was in those days – the high-waisted, wide pants, the scarves. I also have a huge admiration for [the designer, perfumer and hair stylist] Serge Lutens, because his work is amazing, and as a person he is extremely elegant, like somebody from a different era.

If I only had 10 minutes to do someone’s make-up, I would say, “Shut up, let me focus.” No distractions! Voilà. 

The things I couldn’t do without are my Moscot glasses, which are very solid. I’m not blind but I need a bit of help. 

The best gift I’ve given recently is a globe to my godson, who is 11. He’s very into cars and mechanics and all that kind of stuff; he’s very clever, not into playing games. The globe sits on a kind of stand, but it seems to be floating – it’s a very strange thing. He was blown away by it. 

And the best gift I’ve received is a black quilted leather Dior bag from the team in Shanghai: I was there for a few shoots and interviews in October. It’s hard work – every day is used to the max – but they treat me like a prince. They gave me my favourite snacks, these Chinese crisps with a herb in them that’s almost like lip plumper – they make your palate tingle. So they gave me, like, 12 packets and then a beautiful bag, which is a very practical size, so I was able to put all the crisps in the bag and go back home on a long flight. 

An indulgence I would never forgo is snacking: I snack all day long. It’s how I keep my round features and curves. I make my bento box to come to work. But in between meals, I’m a disaster. I like anything – savoury, sweet. It comes in waves. I was in Ibiza shooting last week and bought a double pack of After Eights at the airport. A double pack! You think it’s empty – no, there’s another one in the corner. I’m going to finish this box by the end of the week and then I’ll find something else – probably my Chinese crisps.

I snack all day long. It’s how I keep my round features and curves

The grooming staple I’m never without is my Francis Kurkdjian fragrance. He said, “I’m going to make you a fragrance – talk to me.” We had a conversation about what I like – tangerine, vetiver, musk – and he named it Sky Rock. Everybody gives me compliments. I also wear a bit of make-up; because of my lactose intolerance, I get rashes on my face. First I prep my skin with La Micro- Huile de Rose – a nice hydrating product – then I put a bit of Capture Dreamskin foundation on. Dior Capture Dreamskin Moist & Perfect Cushion Foundation SPF 50, £65. Dior Prestige La Micro-Huile de Rose Activated Serum, £220 for 30ml

The key to good make-up is the illusion of healthy skin. Do whatever you need to make your skin look great and then build on that. A mascara does miracles for most people: it opens up your eye. Curl your lashes. Then add a little bit of tint to your lips. You can use the same lipstick to add some blush to your cheeks. I love the process of creating looks and having fun. I love making somebody happy.

In my fridge you’ll always find lactose-free cheese because I’m lactose-intolerant, vegetables and oat milk. Nothing fancy. I don’t drink alcohol, so it’s not like there’s a bottle hidden somewhere. 

I’ve recently rediscovered a lot of old pictures that photographers gave me – shots of looks that I did maybe 20 years ago. I found a picture that David Armstrong gave to me, and prints by Richard Burbridge, Inez & Vinoodh and Willy Vanderperre. I’ve started framing them. 

The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe is a pair of Dior mules – they’re between a slipper and a shoe: very comfortable and practical. You’re dressed, but at the same time, you wear slippers. Dior Boy Mule, £870

I have a collection of little elephants – I think I have more than 280. When I started doing make-up in the mid-’90s, I realised that, wherever you go – Finnish Lapland or the United States – you’ll find elephants. So I started collecting them. And I was stupid enough to tell people that: for a long time, I’d get elephants for my birthday and Christmas. At one point I said, “OK, my collection is complete.” I’ve got vintage elephants from flea markets; I’ve got little toys; I’ve got really nice antique ones in very noble materials, but also in plastic, glass, cork and soap. They bring good luck, apparently.

The shoot that changed everything for me was my first French Vogue cover with Inez & Vinoodh; that opened a lot of doors. But I would never have gotten it if I hadn’t shot with Willy Vanderperre, with whom I did a little underground shoot in Belgium for i-D in the late ’90s. We were in school in Antwerp together. There’s never been a plan – it’s just been me loving what I do, doing the best that I can. I’m a bit of a workaholic and I think people appreciate that. But it’s never the Peter Philips show. We’re all there together: the hairdresser, the stylist, the model, the photographer, the prop stylist. Sometimes you put yourself forward; sometimes you just step back – all in service of the image.

The place that means a lot to me is my house in the Belgian countryside. I used to babysit there when I was a teenager but the people moved out and it became derelict. I redid the whole thing and it was finished just before lockdown, which was nice because my mum didn’t feel so alone. I mean, she knows she doesn’t have to knock on my door every two minutes. We’re Nordic – we’re close but we keep enough distance.

In another life I would have been an architect. Or an archaeologist. Or somebody who restores things – old furniture, paintings, old houses. I love buildings and interiors.

The best bit of advice I ever received was something my grandmother always used to say: “A no you already have; a yes you can get.” Don’t be afraid to ask.