Makeup superstar Dick Page refuses to judge a reality show, but loves a good leg of lamb

Sadly, no XXs or Oos included. Photography by Kira Crugnale

When you’re based in Toronto, it’s not often that you get the privilege of encountering your idolized beauty rock stars in person, since so few of the major ones ever cross our border. Please, Pat McGrath or Guido Palau in our city? Never happening. The only way you’ll get face time with these power players is by going to New York, where I was lucky enough interview the almighty Dick Page at a Shiseido event back in May, about eyeshadows he designed for the brand. I’ve spoken before of my admiration for him, but this launch was a chance to interview him for more than the few minutes you get backstage at New York Fashion Week, where you’re expected to clear out as soon as you have your quotes. I’m already giddily anxious in his presence, but what elevated the night to a whole other level was the fact that the president of Shiseido Canada invited Dick for drinks with us afterwards—and he accepted! We ended up at some random champagne bar, and while I didn’t get to sit next to him (that honour went to an editor from Montreal), I learned a few things about him that have nothing to do with makeup:

-When not travelling for work, he cooks at home every night. (If he’s away too long, he gets a serious itch to get busy in a kitchen) On the day of the event, he had just flown in from Berlin and had prepared a leg of mutton that morning that was slow-roasting all day for his dinner that night.
-His husband, James, does the baking—but not desserts, just bread.
-He has a herb garden in Long Island. They don’t do so well on Manhattan apartment balconies.
-He works a lot with Catherine Zeta-Jones, and even did her makeup for an Elizabeth Arden ad.
-His favourite models are women like Raquel Zimmermann and Charlotte Rampling, because they have “depth” to their faces.
-He’s been asked to be a judge on fashion reality shows and flat-out refuses.
-He will give you a hug and a kiss when you part ways, if he’s asked to by Shiseido Canada’s director of marketing and communications….

EARLIER: Dick Page: Shiseido’s beauty tour guide
Dick Page: Beauty hero
Backstage video at Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez and Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2010

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