When I wake up I don’t do a cleansing routine I just use water. I think it’s good to keep the skin in balance since there isn’t any pollution on your skin. Then I will either use our Rose Otto Serum and Oil, using more serum because I don’t want the oil to be overpowering. In the winter I use more oil because my skin can get very dry.

I use Kanebo powder as my concealer to cover up any redness. I am a Chanel fan when it comes to makeup and love their new Le Beiges powder; it has a hint of warmth. It’s transparent but still gives you a bit of color on the cheeks rather than using rouge. And of course Chanel mascara is my go to. Lipstick can be nice in the evening but in the long run it can dry out your lips. So I use I use my own lip balm, which is moisturizing with a hint of color.  At night I wear a Chanel lipstick in pink or beige, never red. I have never tried red lipstick actually (laughs). I should definitely try it at some point.

I believe a lot in living a healthy lifestyle; it becomes more important as you get older. I minimize the amount of toxins in my body through reducing my exposure to them; so I buy organic food and exercise to help eliminate the ones I have. I like to play tennis but what I think gives the best results is running. I run a few times a week and I can really feel a difference on my skin afterwards, you get tighter. It’s good for the whole body because you cleanse yourself of toxins and in turn become more toned.  Healthy food is important for the skin as well so I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with a lower carb intake.

I never skip on my cleansing routine in the evening it is very important for maintaining healthy skin. I’ll use either  a gel or a milk cleanser. In the winter time I usually use the Rose Otto Milk cleanser for added moisture but in the spring and summer I use Neroli Gel. I like it a lot and it doesn’t dry out the skin. Of course I use the serum and oil again adding more oil before bed than I would during the day and sometimes I will use Rose Otto Night Cream over that.  FInally I apply my eye cream. I want to prevent aging but try to do it through nurturing all aspects of my body: good skin care, healthy food  and exercise.”

Photos by Aimee Blaut in Stockholm

When we launched Zelens we had this beautiful over packaged presentation, the boxes were just too luxury and didn’t reflect what the products were. I wanted something essential. I don’t want my customers to spend their money on the box. I want to focus on the inside so we repacked everything into a clean almost cosmeceutical look.  Eco responsibility is very important and now we are using completely recyclable material.

The Transformer Mask is something that I discovered while working as a clinician. I needed to give my clients a vibrant glow without down time and it’s been a huge success. I recently decided to repackage the Transformer mask into a pot rather than in individual tubes. Some of the journalists were using one dose three times and raving about it, it was really funny (laughs). But you don’t actually receive the full affect if you are using one mask multiple times. Then again, sometimes people like to use too much, so in all honesty I think it is best to put it in a pot. It also has a beautiful texture with the pearl powder that you are now able to see.

I saw the other day that one brand was launching a stem cell treatment and you had to press a button in order to activate them. I saw this and I was laughing. Obviously being a scientist and medical doctor this sounds absurd. They are using plant stem cells, which are dead, so how could you possibly press a button and activate a dead plant stem cell? At the end of the day you are giving hope to people who are genuine customers and then ripping them off. I prefer to create products through my own research and experience rather than all of this marketing. Z Recovery is my energy moisture infusion. I developed this because I travel so much and wanted to have something that I can apply while flying to hydrate my skin and restore vitality, it’s personal.

I am genuinely interested in people’s skin care and helping them resolve their issues rather than pushing my products. Even here in my office I don’t try to convert one client who is already addicted to a brand to use my product but sometimes I try to correct her to use what is good for her skin independent of the brand. For example people with Rosacea should avoid mineral oils, for them it’s a killer it’s not compatible.”

Photos by Aimee Blaut in London and Stockholm

Tags: Dr Marko Lens, Dr. Lens, Transformer Mask, Zelens

I like to be on the outside of what is expected. In France a perfumer should stay within the fragrance house. Ten years ago I started to do bespoke perfume; I stepped out of the box. So as a perfumer I was working differently than the typical way. When we say custom in perfume it is a unique perfume. I don’t start with a collection that I fit to someone. I start with an empty book, the relationship I have with the client is the inspiration. If I get too intimate with people I can become a little impressed. I couldn’t create a perfume for my mother because I know her too much, I’m emotionally blocked, and it is a very psychological process.

When I create a perfume I think that if you were naked what would be the perfect smell to wrap you in. Perfume is the closest thing you have on your body. It lives on your skin. When you look at a piece of clothing on a hanger it looks empty and your body fills it up and gives life to it. Perfume to me is the same; perfume without skin is just an idea. No matter how beautiful the fragrance is, if the wearer doesn’t have an aura of her own, it is not going to work. You can’t make someone pretty even if the inside is ugly.

I finished an exhibition at the Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent Foundation last month. I scented the exhibit. It was an eighteenth century French painter who was a friend of Proust’s, and the curator decided to hang the paintings the same way they were hung at the time, salon style. So I shrank my palette to that era and removed ninety-five percent of my ingredients. It was a very exciting project. Now I am launching a new collection Oud Mood based on one ingredient, Agarwood, from South East Asia and I also just launched a fragrance collaboration with Carven, Ma Griffe.

I love the art of the craft. I spent my childhood watching my grandfather work, he was a men’s tailor. The work of the hand and the perfection of the craft is the spirit I was raised in. I work with my emotions and love all of little details. I was bicycling with some friends last summer on some tiny dusty roads, it was super hot; in a moment I got the delicate soft, warm and yet fresh smell of the trees and the sun. If I could have a camera to take a picture of the smell I would have done it. This is how my brain works. I have flashes and memorize a scent once I am struck by the emotion. I take a Polaroid of the scent in my head. This was the inspiration for my newest scent launching in September.”

Photos by: Aimee Blaut in Paris

Tags: Agarwood, Carven, Carven Perfume, Francis Kurkdjian, Ma Griffe, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Nose, Oud Mood