Julia Restoin Roitfeld

“When I was first pregnant, I Googled a maternity website, and there was nothing that spoke to a girl with my lifestyle who had kids - everything was very boring and very pinky. I wanted to create a platform for all those amazing, beautiful, sexy, hands-on mummies and for them to share their lifestyles, their beauty tips.”

“Girls are having babies when they are younger and combining kids with work. I don't know if it's always been there or if I'm just more aware because I'm in this situation.”

“My parents were strict with school, strict with grades. I had piano classes, horseback riding, dance.”

“If a French woman wears jeans, it's never with flats - always heels.”

“You don't have to wait for your career to take off to become a mum: that's kind of what I want to show. Becoming a mum made me even more driven, and I think it doesn't stop your career - it just boosts it. It makes you well-organised, and with a little bit of sacrifice, of course you can do it all.”

“I sometimes apply eyeliner - Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in #1 Black - and smudge it with my fingers really quickly to give it a little lift, almost a cat eye. It's all about giving a lift now.”

“My dream job would be to design a sexy maternity collection, maybe also beautiful lingerie for expecting women. It's impossible to find nice sexy lingerie anywhere for pregnant or nursing women, which is when you actually need an extra boost of confidence and feel sexy.”

“The French like to play the intellectual card; they don't like to be over-sexy. The sexiness comes from the way they walk and hold themselves.”

“Sometimes, being a single mother, I miss the freedom. I see my other friends with kids, and when they go out for a drink, it is the dad that stays in.”

“Being pregnant was the best time of my life because nothing could affect me. It was like a detox - I ate healthy, I slept a lot, and I didn't drink. All of my hormones were at the perfect levels.”

“I'll be so excited to take my daughter to her first fashion show, but I think, for her, it's best to wait until she's old enough to appreciate it. Or, at least, until she can pronounce the designer's names!”

“I'm addicted to online shopping.”

“For me, beauty is more about prevention than anything. Especially now that I've hit 30, it's more about being careful and maintaining my skin. I want to keep my youth and freshness and be wrinkle-free as long as possible because I don't want to have to cheat - that's what I call any cosmetic surgeries: cheating.”

“Baby fashion has become such a big thing. It used to be that everything had to be pink or blue or cute - you know, very precious - but not cool. But now, my friends who are mothers really want to dress their kids just like themselves.”

“For my eyes, I think an eyelash curler makes me look much more awake, even when I haven't gotten much sleep. It's a really important tool for a mom to have. The MAC one works for me.”

“I'm inspired by all those women in the '60s - they look so put-together and cool at the same time, and they all were moms - moms and career women. I do wear heels, though. Pretty much always. I need to feel good about myself, so even if it's casual, I'll slip them on.”

“What I find is that you don't need to go for fancy mascara - I always get the L'Oreal ones from the drugstore. I get the gold tube, Voluminous Million Lashes in black.”

“I recently signed on with Lancome, and I guess it's any girl's modeling dream come true. Especially being in a beauty ad, more so because I'm French. There are so many girls out there, and I'm just so flattered they picked me. The Tom Ford fragrance ad was the first thing I did. Black Orchid is my winter scent and of course it has a nostalgic feel.”

“I'm always building images. Even when I go out and put a look together, it's in my head the whole day, like, how I'm going to create this whole story. But I'm never satisfied; it's always a work in progress no matter what. Every day is working.”

“Even on the red carpet, French celebrities keep it minimal. Think of Charlotte Gainsbourg - the look can be quite undone.”