Stacy Martin Has a “Very French” Approach to Drinking Wine and Eating Bread

Model-turned-actress Stacy Martin starred alongside the likes of Shia La Beouf, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Christian Slater, and Uma Thurman in her breakout role in Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac films. But for in the Steven Meisel-lensed ad campaign for Miu Miu’s new fragrance, L’Eau Bleue, she shares the spotlight with more of an unknown star—an adorable black-and-white kitten named Truman. (All three of them—Martin, Meisel, and the cat—first worked together on the brand’s debut fragrance campaign, as well.)

“I was kind of mad because you spend hours in makeup, doing this whole pre-preparation and thinking about how to represent the brand in a good way and go through this whole process and meanwhile, the cat doesn’t know anything about it and has no clue what’s going on,” said Martin, as she sat in a room (which had the faint smell of the fresh fragrance wafting throughout) in New York’s Bowery Hotel when she was in town last month. “He just walked right in…but it was really fun and weirdly it worked really well.”

In the images, Martin looks playful and youthful, just like the new, effervescent scent smells. With the fragrance ($68 to $118, available at Sephora in February 2017), perfumer Daniela Andrier wanted to evoke that experience when you realize spring has arrived. To create that, she expertly blended lily of the valley, honeysuckle, and earthy Akigalawood and dressed it in the Miu Miu L’Eau Bleue signature matelassé blue bottle, only this time around it’s a transparent blue glass.

Martin sat down with us to chat about the campaign shoot and talk all things beauty, from her biggest makeup frustrations to good hair days, as well as her upcoming films with Rooney Mara and Kirsten Dunst.

You got to work with the same feline co-star from the last campaign. Are you a cat person? I’m not. I mean, I don’t mind them but I am really so much more of a dog person to be honest. One day I really want to get a one, maybe the next big birthday.

What do you think about the new scent? I love it. I really only wear one scent, I don’t do the whole mix-and-match thing. I love it because it still has lily of the valley and it’s so fresh and spring-y.

What’s your first memory of scent or the first fragrance you remember wearing? Nina Ricci—the apple one. Also, in France there is this baby fragrance (or, I guess I would call it a children’s scent) and it is a very specific smell. Someone had it the other day and it brought back so many memories. I remember one of my aunties giving it to me when I was younger. That was definitely the first scent I remember…

When it comes to your beauty routine, do you mix it up a lot ? I stick to the same thing. I like to wake up and just do it, no thinking. I have found products that work really well for me and I stick to those. I am just realizing I need to have products that are more specifically for winter but other than that it’s the same. Especially in the evening when I am tired sometimes you really just want to go to bed and not want to have worry about taking your makeup off but since I have this routine it keeps it easy. I have the Kiehl’s Calendula face wash, the crealine Bioderma, and then the oil-free Kiehl’s moisturizer.

Anything in particular that you add into the routine during the winter, especially on really cold days like today? Serums. Much more than in summer or any other season, because your skin is so dry. I like the Midnight Recovery one from Kiehl’s.

Is there a product you always have to have on the plane with you? The Elizabeth Arden eight-hour cream and the travel mist. I used to have a really good one from Clinique but I can’t seem to find it anywhere. I hate when you have a product you really like and then they take it off the market. Now I need to find another good one, but I haven’t found one yet.

What’s the key to a good hair day for you? When it’s clean. I don’t really do much to my hair or put products in it.

It just looks that good all the time? Yeah… I have virgin hair, basically. I have never dyed it or anything. I am trying to see how far I can go like that. Weirdly, with this haircut, it looks better if I don’t brush it.

Have you been asked to dye your hair for previous roles? Not really. They sort of suggested it but I said I would rather not. I have done films with wigs, I was blonde once, which was weird. I realized I could never be a blonde, I have the totally wrong skin tone for it. But another time I had this really amazing ginger wig and I just loved it. Red hair is so, so beautiful!

Your nails must be…? Clean. When I come to New York I do love to get a mani and pedi. I love how you can just walk in, they tell you to ‘sit here and take your shoes off,’ there are loads of people. I just love the whole experience. The machine of it is really fun. Quite simple. The last manicure I did was when I was in New York for Thanksgiving and I got the one-week varnish. I hosted Thanksgiving and I cooked and cleaned and it still did not come off for like four or five days. When you see the sign and it says ‘one week’ and ‘more money’… get that one!

It sounds like you enjoy cooking and eating. What’s approach to your diet and eating? I do, I enjoy the whole process of bringing everyone together over a meal. It was amazing, it was really fun. I might need a year to recover but it was worth it. I really nailed Thanksgiving. I love food too much, I am such a big foodie. If anyone told me to go on a diet, (I mean, I don’t think I would have to lose weight but maybe if I had to gain weight), I don’t think I could do it because I already don’t watch what I eat. I just love sitting down with people and eating together, it’s very French. I find it very difficult to eat on the go or when people give you like a 50-minute break for lunch and tell you to grab a sandwich or something. I’m like, no, I need an hour.

Do you find the hard when you are filming? Really hard. Funny enough, French productions are very good about letting you eat. Legally they are obliged to supply a bottle of red and a bottle of white, it’s a tradition and it’s been the case forever. Also, bread is a requirement, they have to have bread. I think it’s important because you need to sit and take a pause from the intensity and you can sit and chat with the other actors and really get to know them. I don’t always talk to everyone in the group because I am focusing on doing my own thing.

What are you focused on right now, career-wise? I just finished a film called Redoubtable about a month ago with Berenice Bejo, another called 3 Way Junction, and I did Rosy with Nat Wolff last year. Then I am starting again next year, a film with Rooney Mara and Jude Law. Then I am also doing The Bell Jar, which Kirsten Dunst is directing.

Those are some exciting projects. How are you preparing? Yes I am really excited. I am learning how to play piano right now. It’s really fun but sight reading is so frustrating. It isn’t a big part of the film but I do have to play piano so I feel like if I can not think about it, it will be a lot better. I love learning something new for a new role and I want to be really good at whatever that is. I don’t ever want to be average in it.

Is there a good beauty tip or product you learned about from the pros on set? I learned about Tracie Martyn. Someone gave me the Tracie Martyn face wash and everyone was saying how incredible it is. You know when people really hype things up? Well the products really are amazing. Then everyone said I had to go [for a facial] so I went for my first time before the Met Ball and it was truly amazing.

If you could ask any beauty pro a question, what would you like to ask them? How do you do eyeliner? I find it so difficult. I try it at home in the mirror and before I know it I have black everywhere.

Next time you are on set, maybe you can have someone teach you… I have tried that and I just can’t do it. It’s so frustrating.

Favorite mask? Tracie Martyn’s enzyme exfoliating mask. It’s the best.

Watch up-and-coming singer Banks get ready for a night with Dior: