Entertainment
Francois Nars Reveals Celebrity Inspo in New Documentary on September 18, 2023 at 10:31 pm Us Weekly
Courtesy of François Nars
Before there was a universally-beloved blush called Orgasm, well before that inky black cult-favorite mascara known as Climax landed on the lashes of It girls, a young Francois Nars frolicked on a beach in Biarritz among breathtaking beauty.
This is just one of many telling, captivating scenes in the new documentary Unknown Beauty: Francois Nars that takes viewers directly inside the mind of the legendary makeup artist, photographer and cinephile.
The film, lovingly directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, is a non-linear compilation of scenes that dreamily bring to life — and clarity — Nars’ very singular vision as inspired by moments, images, film, art and, above all, strong women including his mother, Claudette, grandmother, iconic models Lauren Hutton, Isabella Rossellini and starlets Catherine Denueve, Josephine Baker, Lauren Bacall and more.
Clips of over 50 of the movies that sparked Nars’ curiosity can be seen in the film as well as a peek behind-the-scenes of the high fashion photo shoots he creatively directed. There is a certain vibe to Nars Cosmetics makeup products and this vibe can be felt throughout the film, which is narrated by another muse, Charlotte Rampling.
The film just dropped and is available for purchase to download on Apple TV, Amazon and Google Play. But before its release, Us Weekly sat down with Nars to chat about his love for film, his favorite decade and exactly how Orgasm got its name.
Francois Nars. Courtesy of Fischio Films
Us Weekly: Who was your first major beauty icon?
Francois Nars: My mother, for sure. I had all these beauty icons on the celluloid screen, but she was the first one I could touch, and express myself with makeup. She was the first one, for sure.
UW: The ‘70s part of the film is just magical. I could really feel the brand come through.
FN: That was really a fun chapter to create because it was really the time I grew up, I was a teenager at the time. I started watching movies when I was eight years old, but the seventies for me was a wake-up call, an eye-opener to the dream life that I wanted to have and I wanted to get into. That was really a dream world that I wanted so bad. That was my obsession. It became an obsession. So the fashion world, the seventies, really. And in a way, I’m thanking the people in the movie by featuring them. It’s an homage. I honored them and said, “Thank you for being so fabulous.” I don’t know if they really knew how fabulous they were. Did Jerry Hall know she was really that fabulous? Probably she did, especially Jerry.
UW: When I think of your products, and the lens through which you see things, it’s that Studio 54 vibe, with bronzer and pops of color — it’s bigger than life, super glamorous, but effortless. What did beauty say in the ‘70s?
FN: The sophistication level was very high in the ‘70s, but there was a lot of freedom. It’s linked, of course, to the Sexual Revolution. In France, we had Brigitte Bardot who did all those scandalous movies at the time. That was the liberation of women.
UW: Then there was the ‘90s, the models were bigger than life, too. Cindy, Christy, Naomi…
FN: I’m glad because I arrived at the right moment. I had just started at the end of the seventies, but then I came into the ‘90s and the supermodels were born. The word supermodel, I guess they always say it was created because of Cindy, Christy and Linda. It’s not really true, because in the seventies, Jerry Hall was a supermodel already. Lauren Hutton was a supermodel. I think the money came along with the term ‘supermodel.’ Before, they were not willing to pay that much but in the ‘90s, they started making millions and millions of dollars.
UW: Who do you think are the big models of right now? Are there any young actresses you want to work with?
FN: There’s nobody that will compare to the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. No, nobody. It’s a different thing today. They’re great actors, they’re very good-looking people, but it’s a whole different bargain, so we can’t compare. Today the models I love, usually are all the models that I work with in the campaign for Nars, you know? I think they’re amazing. We, I’m very selective, so I usually always pick people that, first of all, I fall in love visually. That I love their face. And hopefully the personality goes with it. That’s important.
UW: So, what does it mean to be a star today? How has stardom changed?
FN: It’s a totally different thing. It’s a different world, a different planet. I think, what it means to be a star today, I guess we should ask people like Tom Cruise or Nicole Kidman. I think, to me, a great star is the one that takes risk. No matter what. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, if you don’t take any risk, I don’t consider you a great actor or an actor at all.
UW: One last question. We have to talk about Orgasm.
FN: Nothing inspired me specifically. It’s funny because everybody wants the magic secret. How did you create that name? What happened was, the blushes had names of emotions and one was called Passion. I always think in America, and in a lot of places in the world, sex sells. I think people love sexy images. Everybody wants to be sexy in their own way. It can be in an androgynous way, it can be a very feminine way. There are many ways, but everybody wants to feel sexy. So I feel like giving names, sexy names. And definitely Orgasm was a very good, sexy name, word. But I never limited it to the sex part. I felt like, “Oh, Orgasm is a great name for an ‘orgasm for life’.” And you can have an orgasm by having a great dinner, meeting friends, looking at the sunset, you know, you elevate it to a different level. But again, to create the product, I felt it was very spontaneous. You can’t explain how you create some stuff. It just happens. I picked this peach color, I picked this pink. Threw some shimmer on it and I don’t know, it felt like, “Okay, feels like Orgasm.” I don’t know why. And then it got picked up by the rest of the world and everybody fell in love with the name.
Courtesy of François Nars Before there was a universally-beloved blush called Orgasm, well before that inky black cult-favorite mascara known as Climax landed on the lashes of It girls, a young Francois Nars frolicked on a beach in Biarritz among breathtaking beauty. This is just one of many telling, captivating scenes in the new documentary
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By Bolanle Media | July 2, 2026
Photo: Tyla at the 2026 Met Gala in custom Valentino — days before making the biggest business move of her career.
There are career moves, and then there are statements. Tyla just made a statement that will be studied in music business classrooms for years.
The South African superstar — born Tyla Laura Seethal, 24 years old, and already the proud owner of two Grammy Awards — has officially signed a multi-million dollar global deal with Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s powerhouse entertainment company, walking away from Epic Records to align herself with the most influential roster in the music business. The signing was confirmed across social media with a major digital announcement this week, and the reaction from industry insiders was immediate — shock, admiration, and the quiet acknowledgment that someone just changed the trajectory of African music forever.
From “Water” to a Global Phenomenon
Let’s not forget where this all started. In 2023, a 21-year-old from Johannesburg released a song called “Water” that nobody could quite categorize and everybody needed to hear. Within weeks, it had sparked one of the most viral TikTok dance challenges of the decade, charted simultaneously across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Africa, and earned Tyla a Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance — the first year that category even existed.
That win wasn’t just personal. It was a signal. African music — Afrobeats, Amapiano, and now what Tyla herself calls A*Pop — was no longer knocking at the door of the global mainstream. It had walked through it. And Tyla had handed it the key.
What followed was a whirlwind two years of sold-out shows, magazine covers, red carpet domination, and a growing reputation as one of the most stylistically fearless artists on the planet. She attended the 2026 Met Gala — her third consecutive appearance — wearing a custom Valentino gown dripping in diamond chains with a sweeping teal skirt, styled by the legendary Law Roach, with beauty by Pat McGrath. The look was breathtaking. But it was also strategic. Every Met Gala appearance, every fashion moment, every carefully placed interview has been building toward exactly this: the infrastructure to match the vision.
What Roc Nation Actually Means
To understand why this deal matters, you have to understand what Roc Nation actually is — because it is not simply a record label.
Founded by Jay-Z in 2008, Roc Nation is a full-service entertainment company with divisions spanning artist management, touring, brand partnerships, film and television, sports management, and philanthropy. Its roster has included Rihanna, Alicia Keys, J. Cole, Big Sean, Lil Uzi Vert, and Megan Thee Stallion — artists who didn’t just sell records, but built multi-decade cultural empires that extended into fashion, film, business, and beyond. The through-line isn’t genre. It’s scale.
For Tyla specifically, the Roc Nation deal unlocks a completely different level of access. We’re talking about premium budgets for music videos and live production, top-tier brand partnership pipelines with luxury and lifestyle companies, film and television placement relationships that most artists spend a decade trying to build, and the kind of media weight that gets you on the cover of Vogue, Time, and Billboard in the same calendar year. Roc Nation doesn’t just manage artists — it engineers icons.
On the African music side, Tyla joins fellow Roc Nation signee Ayra Starr, the Nigerian pop star who inked her deal in 2025, deepening the label’s clear and deliberate strategic investment in African pop as the next dominant global genre. Jay-Z is not betting on a trend. He is betting on a generation.
The Album That Could Rewrite the Playbook
The timing of this signing is not accidental — it is surgical.
Tyla’s highly anticipated sophomore album, A*POP, is officially set to drop July 24, 2026, just three weeks away — a 14-track project that she has described as unapologetic, globally ambitious, and deeply rooted in her South African identity while simultaneously reaching for something universal. The lead single “She Did It Again” features Swedish pop titan Zara Larsson, a collaboration that announces in no uncertain terms that Tyla is not staying in any lane she didn’t build herself.
With Roc Nation’s full machine now behind the album rollout — promotional infrastructure, media relationships, tour routing, brand activations — A*POP arrives with a runway that Epic Records simply could not have provided at this scale. The industry is already paying attention. For music supervisors, film and TV executives, brand marketers, and entertainment investors reading this right now — put A*POP on your radar immediately. This is the kind of release that shapes culture, not just charts.
The Bigger Picture Nobody Is Talking About
Here is what gets lost in the excitement of a big announcement: the systemic significance of what Tyla just did.
The music industry’s historical relationship with African artists has been, at best, transactional — major labels slow to invest, quick to cash in on a viral moment, and consistently reluctant to build the kind of long-term infrastructure that turns an artist into a brand. Tyla has navigated that system with remarkable intelligence, refusing to be reduced to a trend, building her artistic identity on her own terms, and now — at 24 — arriving at the negotiating table with enough leverage to choose Roc Nation on her terms.
That matters. Not just for Tyla, but for every African artist watching this unfold from Lagos, Accra, Nairobi, Cape Town, and Houston. It is proof that the path from regional phenomenon to global superstar is not only possible — it is being paved right now, in real time, by a young woman from Johannesburg who refused to shrink.
For media companies, content platforms, entertainment executives, and brand strategists operating in the African diaspora space — this is your data point. African pop is not a niche. It is not a trend. It is not a moment. It is a movement, and Tyla just secured the most powerful co-sign available in the global music business to lead it.
Watch this space. Very closely.
Follow @bolanlemedia on Instagram for real-time music, film, and entertainment industry news. Read more at bolanlemedia.com
AfriqueFest: Pan-African Musical Experience — World Cup Edition is set to take over Noto Houston on Sunday, June 28, bringing together East, South, and West African sounds in one immersive celebration of music, culture, and connection. Presented by Experience Noir and Bolanle Media, the event is designed as a cinematic night for the culture, blending global energy with Houston nightlife in a way that feels elevated, intentional, and deeply rooted in African creativity.
Spotlight on DJ Shinski
At the heart of this year’s experience is DJ Shinski. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya and now based in Houston, DJ Shinski has built an international name off high-energy sets that move effortlessly across Afrobeats, Amapiano, hip‑hop, dancehall, reggae, and electronic sounds.
He has also become Africa’s most‑subscribed DJ on YouTube, crossing the 2‑million‑subscriber mark and turning his mixes into a global destination for music lovers.
DJ Shinski’s style is precise but unpredictable: one moment it’s classic Afrobeats, the next it’s East African anthems, then a run of throwback hip‑hop or R&B that still feels fresh. That ability to read a room and connect multiple worlds in a single set is exactly why AfriqueFest is building so much of the night’s energy around him.
At AfriqueFest, DJ Shinski helps drive the Safari Grooves segment, representing East and Central Africa from 4 PM to 6 PM. Expect a journey that moves from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Addis, and beyond, all filtered through his signature “vibes on vibes” approach behind the decks.
DJ Tunez and the rest of the night
Supporting that energy, DJ Tunez leads the Gold Coast Beats chapter from 8 PM to 10 PM, bringing his own Nigerian‑American Afrobeats pedigree to the stage. Together with the Diamond Rhythms segment (South) and a curated roster of DJs, the night stretches across the continent in three distinct musical chapters, all connected by a single dance floor.
Hosted by @chris_gone_crazy, @kingdrewwskyy, @roselynomaka, and @samsnewleaf, AfriqueFest is positioned as more than a party—it’s a celebration of sound, style, and Pan‑African identity in Houston, with DJ Shinski anchoring the experience from the moment doors open.
Brought to you by Bolanle Media & Experience Noir
Brought to you by Bolanle Media and Experience Noir, this World Cup edition of AfriqueFest is crafted as a night where global DJs, storytellers, and music lovers collide and create a shared cultural memory. With DJ Shinski front and center—and DJ Tunez helping close the night—guests can expect a show that reflects both the future of African nightlife and the power of the diaspora to create unforgettable live moments.
If you want to experience DJ Shinski live at AfriqueFest, now is the time to lock in your spot. Purchase your tickets now at AfriqueFest.com and get ready for a night of music, movement, and culture at Noto Houston.
Laughter Meets Inspiration: Our Ladies Show Lands on The Roku Channel
A bold new sketch comedy series for women premieres June 13 across the U.S., U.K., and Canada — arriving on the back of a festival-winning run that has critics and audiences already paying attention.
It isn’t every day a brand-new comedy arrives already wearing a row of trophies. Our Ladies Show does. The seven-episode inspirational sketch comedy series — created, written by, and starring Christin Jezak — begins streaming on The Roku Channel on Friday, June 13, 2026, available free to viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
Produced in partnership with global media services leader Encompass Digital Media, the series sets out to do something rare in today’s streaming landscape: make women laugh out loud and leave them lifted. In a media moment crowded with noise and cynicism, Our Ladies Show is a deliberate counterweight — comedy with a conscience, built for women of every age and background.
A Show Built Around Real Life — and Real Laughs
Each of the seven episodes opens with a monologue from one of the cast members introducing the theme, then rolls into three or more sketches that hit the subject from every comedic angle. The series tackles the things women actually carry: holding grudges, comparison, beauty, patience, gift giving, the importance of community, and dealing with anxiety.
The comedy comes from a place of warmth rather than mockery — a “laugh at ourselves” spirit that runs through a gallery of unforgettable characters: a nosey neighbor, an overwhelmed mom, relentlessly optimistic flight attendants, beauty pageant winners past their prime, and a crew of unruly campers with a counselor who simply cannot hold it together.
Then the show does something most sketch series don’t. In the final segment of every episode, the cast gathers in a living-room setting and invites the audience in — sharing real inspiration drawn from the theme, the sketches, and their own personal stories. It’s the moment the laughter turns into something that stays with you.
The Women Behind the Show
Our Ladies Show brings together three performers with serious range:
- Christin Jezak — creator, writer, and star (Miracle at Manchester, Raising Hope, Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
- Hillary Hawkins — (Primal, Nick Jr.’s Play Along, Gullah Gullah Island)
- Sarah Hernandez — (Nefarious, Unplanned, House of Payne)
“In a world with so much division and depression, I hope women of all ages and backgrounds will watch this show, laugh, be reminded of how beautiful, unique, and loved they are, and remember how much we need each other.”— Christin Jezak, Creator & Star
Already a Festival Favorite
The series’ recurring long-form sketch, Neighborhood Watch, didn’t arrive quietly. Originally released as a web series and revamped for Our Ladies Show with new footage, sound, and music, it has been sweeping the festival circuit:
- 🏆 Best Webseries — 2026 New Media Film Festival (Los Angeles)
- 🏆 Best Web/TV Series — Paris Film Awards
- 🏆 Best Web Series — Dallas Movie Awards
- 🏅 Additional wins at the London Movie Awards, Florence Film Awards, and Hollywood Gold Awards
- 🎬 Official Selection — 2026 Harvard Divinity School Film Fest
- ⭐ Finalist — Houston Comedy Film Festival
- 📣 Three nominations — 2025 Content Christian Media Conference, including Best Actress in a TV and Web Series nods for both Christin Jezak and Sarah Hernandez
Where and When to Watch
Our Ladies Show premieres Friday, June 13, 2026, streaming on The Roku Channel — the home of premium and free entertainment — in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. All seven episodes deliver the series’ signature blend of sharp sketch comedy and genuine encouragement.
Watch the trailer now on your platform of choice:
For more information, visit www.ourladiesshow.com and follow @ourladiesshow on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
About Christin Jezak
Christin Jezak has worked for over 15 years in the entertainment industry. She created and stars in Our Ladies Show and the award-winning web series Neighborhood Watch. She produced the EWTN TV program For the Sake of the Gospel and the all-women web series Ladies Keepin’ It Real, played Dr. Sam in Miracle at Manchester (starring Dean Cain, Daniel Roebuck, and Eddie McClintock), and voices Agnes in the podcast Confessions of a Catholic Single. She held a lead role in a short film for NTT Data directed by Academy Award–winning cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, has co-starred on Raising Hope, and appeared in Jimmy Kimmel sketches and a Grubhub Super Bowl commercial.
About The Roku Channel
Roku pioneered streaming on TV and is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico by hours streamed (Hypothesis Group, Dec. 2025). The Roku Channel is the home of premium and free entertainment, alongside Roku’s Howdy and Frndly TV services. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, California.
About Encompass Digital Media
Encompass Digital Media is a global managed services company — technology-driven, software-defined, and people-powered. Trusted by world-leading broadcasters, networks, sports rights-holders, and OTT platforms, it processes over 25,000 hours of content daily, serves 850 channels to 84 countries, distributes over 243,000 live events annually, and reaches 400 million radio listeners weekly worldwide. Learn more at www.encompass.tv.
Media & Interview Requests: To interview creator Christin Jezak or the cast, contact Christin at cjezak@p2ptheatre.com.
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