How Elizabeth Hurley Looks So Young: Secrets from Sandy Linter, Hollywood Makeup Artist

Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to interview Sandy Linter, the celebrity makeup artist to numerous beauties, including Elizabeth Hurley, Bette Midler, Suze Orman, and Cheryl Tiegs.  Ms. Linter is also Lancome’s Beauty at Every Age Expert, who teams with the product development teams and serves as an ambassador for the brand, sharing skincare and makeup expertise with women across the country.  Recently, she teamed up with beauty editor and More magazine editor Lois Joy Johnson to produce the bestseller The Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your Look at Any Age ($13.68, Amazon.com), which features tips on how women can update their cosmetics to age more gracefully, and to combat the common mistakes women make with their make-up as they age.

Nicki: It’s wonderful to get to speak with you, Sandy!  First off, what inspired the book?  Why does there need to be a change in cosmetics when women reach their 40’s and beyond?

Sandy: As women get older they should keep in touch with the fact that products don’t perform the way they did on them in their 20’s. They should ask questions and move on to new products that can address the issues.  Mascaras, foundations and concealers all need to change as you age. Treat your skin as well as you treat your hair and your nails. Sun-protection, night cream and eye cream should be in a routine makeup application. I was introduced long ago to the Lancôme brand. The first moisturizer I could not live without was a Lancôme product called Hydrix. Since I became a spokesperson for the brand, I’m re-acquainted with the skin care. I still get complimented on my skin. I use the Galetee Comfort cream cleanser to remove makeup followed by Eau Fraiche Douceur, Progres eye cream, and Absolue Bx day cream with sunscreen. I knew I would enjoy working with the cosmetics but I never knew I would become as dependent on the skincare. It works and it’s affordable!  [As for the book] I found that because I am an older makeup artist, women over 40 seemed to gravitate towards me. Doing women over 40 became my niche. Lois Joy Johnson and I wanted to address the concerns of this group of women especially since a book will reach more woman than one on ones. We needed to reach a larger audience.

Nicki: What are women over 40 doing wrong with their make-up?

Sandy Linter: The number one thing that women are doing wrong with their makeup is not wearing any, or overdoing it. There seems to be a problem getting to a point of doing a daily face that doesn’t look overdone or under-worked. That’s really why I did the book, The Makeup Wakeup. I don’t see a balance out there on women.  They always say, it’s all or nothing with me. Both decisions don’t work when you are over 40.

Nicki: I guess wisdom really needs to come with age when it comes to cosmetics!  What is more important, better make-up technique, or higher-quality products?

Sandy Linter:  Technique and product go hand in hand. When you become really adept at doing your makeup and accomplishing the easy techniques I teach in the book you will want to work only with the best quality performance products. Even the most wonderful products need technique. This is such a tricky question. I will have to say technique.

Nicki: Since I asked about products, what are your favorites?

Sandy Linter: Some of my go to products and my favorites are the Lancôme Bienfait Multi Vital, Lancôme Artliner, Lancôme Le Crayon Kohl, Lancôme Hypnose mascara, Lancôme Definicils waterproof mascara, Kevyn Aucoin brow pencils and Kevyn Aucoin contour powder.

Nicki: Suppose readers only want to try one new make-up trick.  What do you recommend?

Sandy Linter: Soft smoky eyes always look great and youthful.  You need to keep the lid a bit lighter with a highlight of shimmer so that you do not close the eye. Dark, smoky eyes can look harsh. They need an expert hand on women over 40.  Hold the eye taught and line the eye with pencil in small dashes. Blend the dashes together and retrace with a liquid liner or powder shadow. Kick up the end of the liner with a pointed q-tip—-this will give the eyes an instant lift.

Nicki: This is a great tip!  In the future, what do you see happening in the world of cosmetics?

Sandy Linter: The future of cosmetics: We are already seeing tattoos (permanent makeup) which are becoming better and better but still not altogether there yet. We are seeing permanent lashes and now there is a mascara that stays on for weeks. Women want to look good all the time and don’t have time for the process or don’t know the technique. This is another reason for the book. Doing your own makeup will almost always look much better than anything permanent out there, with some exceptions I am sure.

Nicki: Thank you, Sandy!

If you would like to pick up The Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your Look at Any Age ($13.68,), it is 288 pages with over 140 color photographs, and is available at booksellers nationwide, as well as on Amazon.com.  The book features numerous celebrities, including Kim Alexis, Carol Art, Patti Hansen, Cheryl Tiegs, Sigourney Weaver, and Veronica Webb, as well as advice from dermatologists including Dr. Fredric Brandt, M.D. and Dr. Patricia Wexler, M.D.  Chapters include:

• Chapter One:  Bigger, Lifted, Defined Eyes
• Chapter Two:  Full, Shapely, Modern Brows
• Chapter Three:  A Smoother, Fresher Face
• Chapter Four:  Glow, Cheekbones, and Sexy Lips
• Chapter Five:  Should I Get Some Work Done?  Yes?  No?  Maybe?
• Chapter Six:  Obsessions:  Dealing with Your Demons
• Chapter Seven:  Cracking the Makeup Code
• Chapter Eight:  The To-Do List

The Makeup Wakeup makes a wonderful gift for any beauty fanatic, particularly over the age of 40.  So many new advancements in skin care and cosmetics have occurred over the past 15 years, from injectable fillers to laser treatments to micronized light-reflecting particles, and yet nearly 50 percent of women were found in a recent Clairol survey to still use the same skin and hair products as when they were teenagers.  (!)  A book like The Makeup Wakeup is a fun and informative way to learn how to incorporate some of the new products and procedures into your repertoire without losing your sense of what makes you uniquely beautiful.  Definitely a recommended read for my readers who are over 40!