Make-up plays a huge role in my life. It empowers us by giving us a chance to be someone else. I also love my wardrobe. It takes over the entire house. Courtesy Illamasqua

All About Eve is my favourite film. I love the character of Margo Channing. It shows a feisty, strong woman. AP Photo

My favourite accessory is my cuffs. I bought these in Brick Lane Market in London's Bangladeshi area. Pawan Singh / The National

I wear everything vintage. My favourite shop is So High Soho on Berwick Street in London. It's more of an eclectic costume shop. Getty Images / Gallo Images

The best present I've been given is a genealogy test from my boyfriend that shows you your DNA make-up. I'm 14 per cent sub-Saharan African. iStockphoto.com

My favourite restaurant is a Keralan Indian one in London called Ganapati. Courtesy Ganapati

I love LA. I like the mixture of old decaying Hollywood and the trendy seaside. Getty Images / Gallo ImagesGetty Images / Gallo Images

The Natura Bissé diamond products are my favourite. They really work when it comes to anti-ageing. Pawan Singh / The National

My favourite painter is Francis Bacon. He's a visionary and full of energy. Bloomberg News

I would love to work with David Bowie. In the Seventies he had so much influence over me - his metamorphosis and his music. AP Photo

The book where I collaborated with [John] Rankin is a mixture of drawings and photographs. I'm so proud of it. Pawan Singh / The National

I love the Illamasqua Box lipstick. I've been searching for the perfect red. Now I've found it. Courtesy Illamasqua

My favourite ring is YSL, last season. Pawan Singh / The National

My favourite era of fashion has to be the late Seventies as I think it was reflecting the early Thirties. I love the style of Ossie Clark, and Katherine Hepburn flares. AP Photo

I really admire Lady Gaga as she is representing self-belief and empowerment. AFP Photo

I get Dermalogica facials every month. I live in London so frequent Groom in Selfridges. Courtesy Groom London

My favourite designer is Gareth Pugh. He has such direction and vision. Getty Images / Gallo Images

Style File: Alex Box

Jemma Nicholls

Described by The Independent as "one of the brightest new make-up artist talents to emerge since Pat McGrath", Alex Box is an unconventional make-up artist whose amazing creations have adorned the faces of models for Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney, and celebrities as varied as Sienna Miller, Eva Herzigová and Courtney Love. She is the creative director of the make-up brand Illamasqua, a heady mix of high-octane glamour and dark drama. Having studied fine arts at the Chelsea College of Art & Design, Box is known for the theatrical, pushing the boundaries of make-up and taking it to a new level. In Dubai recently to promote the launch of her new collection, she talked to Jemma Nicholls about her creativity and passions.

ALEX'S WORLD

MY LIFE MOTTO IS ... seize the day - carpe diem. THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I'VE EVER GOTTEN WAS ... it's a stayer's race - life is tough but you have to be in it to win it. FIVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME ARE ... genuine, passionate, soulful, daydreamer, innovative. MY INSPIRATION IS ... music, the people I meet and the countries I visit. BEFORE MY PASSION FOR MAKE-UP I WAS ... an artist. I did fine art, installations, film, sculpture, moulding and crafting images. This has influenced what I do now - it's come full circle. MY STYLE IS ... theatrical and conceptual. I'm a Hollywood reclusive in the Forties era. I adore clothes that make an effect plus accessories and make-up from different times. THE UAE IS ... wonderful for the graciousness and compassion that women have for each other here. They are really celebratory of each other. It's infectious and people are very polite.