Trinny Woodall, 61, says mature women could improve their make-up with these simple tips

2 days ago 5

It’s not every day you get to grill one of the beauty industry’s living legends for their top tips. But I’ve been lucky enough to meet Trinny Woodall, of Trinny London, twice this year: in London, where I ran into her while visiting my son Harrison, and during her recent visit to Sydney.

“There is still that sense of what’s ‘acceptable’ at a certain age. We have to throw those rules out the window. It’s just crap!”

So, what does the 61-year-old recommend for more mature skin? Here’s the lowdown:

Eyeshadow “Powder is challenging on so many levels. At 50, you are probably going to have some farsightedness, so you risk dropping eyeshadow onto your cheeks and not seeing it. A cream-based eyeshadow, on the other hand, is absolutely failsafe. For application, feel your brow bone and push your brow up and out to open up the eye area, so you can apply the cream right up to the brow. A lot of us put eyeshadow just on the lid, which will be covered as soon as you open your eyes.”

Blush “Again, cream all the way. It’s foolproof – easy to put on and to blend. When your make-up is done, finish with a setting spray.”

Foundation “It’s got to go lighter [in consistency], but you still need coverage. A lot of us start with our cheeks and work inwards, then blend it around our nose and mouth. But where we need foundation most is to cover discolouration around the nose, under the eyes and around the mouth. Start where you see the discolouration and then blend it up and out; you want to see your face, not the foundation.”

Skincare “My routine has changed over the years with the addition of new ingredients such as peptides and mini-proteins. My latest innovation is for menopausal and post-menopausal women to target inflammation, so I’ve combined slow-release vitamin C, azelaic acid and exosomes [a skin delivery system] to target redness and pigmentation in a product called Naked Ambition ($144; available from October 7). So my routine is cleanse, exfoliate, apply Naked Ambition, moisturise and finish with SPF.”

Hair length “If you have a long face, overly long hair can drag you down. Keep challenging yourself: for instance, have you been doing the same blow-dry style for too long?”

Fragrance I have gone back to Aesop Marrakech Intense ($225), and then I do Le Labo Santal 33 ($362). I also love Samuel Gravan Woody Fig 42 Intense ($180).

Mantra “There is still that sense of what’s ‘acceptable’ at a certain age. We have to throw those rules out the window. It’s just crap! You can’t build yourself a prison.”

ASK STEPH

Can you recommend a skincare treatment for summer?
Boost hydration via a Hydrafacial (from $199), which uses new technology to cleanse and extract gunk from the skin while infusing it with peptides, hyaluronic acid and vitamin B to help retain moisture.

Send questions via Instagram, @mrssdarling.

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