There are makeup artists, and then there are artists whose canvases just happen to be faces. Val Garland is firmly in the latter camp.
When she’s not helming iconic campaigns, transforming some of the world’s most influential faces or judging the BBC’s Glow Up, you’ll find the makeup maven entertaining her 769,000 social media followers. And entertaining she is. Having known Val for decades (plural) from traipsing around backstage at the shows, I can attest that she is also one of life’s great social sparklers (and unlike some other fashion-week stalwarts, I’ve yet to be burnt.)
© Dave Benett/Getty ImagesSo I was particularly delighted to chat to her for her latest collaboration with Weleda: a limited-edition Skin Food created with the brand to celebrate its centenary. It’s a suitably iconic pairing for a makeup artist who has spent her career making faces - and beauty rules - her own. And now that I’m now only one year shy of my own semi-centenary, it made talking to the OG cool girl about midlife makeup particularly apt (a decade ago, I’m not sure either of us would have predicted this conversation. But here we are).
And Val’s approach to getting older is refreshingly unbothered. She is, after all, the makeup embodiment of sticking two fingers up at the idea that women should skulk off into the shadows in their midi dress once they reach a certain age. Her philosophy? Don’t follow rules simply because TikTok says so. And above all, 'be bold, not old.' Here are Val Garland’s nine midlife makeup rules - were she to believe in such things. Ding Dong!
1. Start with skincare - because makeup needs a good canvas
Behind every impeccable makeup look is impeccable skincare, particularly as we get older. As a professional makeup artist, skincare has always been just as important to me as the makeup itself. If you don't have a good canvas, you don't get a great result. I think consumers are realising that too. I often get people telling me their makeup is pilling or not staying put, and part of that can be because they're applying their skincare in the wrong order.
2. Layer with care
Often a major celebrity will sit down in my chair and say, ‘Oh, I’ve already done my skincare.’ I’ll always say, ‘I’ll put it on again afterwards, but do you mind if I take it off?’ because I know what’s going to look good in photographs. I don't apply the same products to everyone because everyone’s skin is different, but I do know the products in my kit and how they’re going to interact with each other and with makeup. If someone has applied too many products that don't work together and I then put a blurring primer on top to minimise enlarged pores, it can start to pill when you apply foundation. It’s about knowing what works together.
3. Make blurring primer your BFF
I think if you've got great skin at 50, you're lucky. Pores tend to become more visible, so generally you're going to want some kind of blur or pore minimiser to make the skin look more perfected. I'm loving blurring balms at the moment. I like them to contain skincare ingredients and have a texture that I know isn't going to pill. Because I've got mature skin, I like to try everything on myself first because then I'm pretty sure it's going to work on everyone else. I tend to steer clear of formulas that feel too thick or silicone-like. You don't want to look or feel as though you've got another layer on. It’s all smoke and mirrors at this stage.
4. Wings are always 'in'
Don't pay attention to what's ‘in’. It’s about wearing what makes you feel like you. A winged eyeliner will always be cool because it’s a classic - it’s cheek to say otherwise! This in-and-out business of trending is just silliness. A classic is a classic, and a feline flick is the makeup equivalent of the little black dress.
It just depends on how you do it. A winged eyeliner can be very soft or very subtle if it's done as a tight line. What a winged liner will do for any eye is enhance the eye shape if it’s done well.
5. Your fingers are your magic wands
Social media introduced the idea of a 12-step programme for doing your makeup. It was all about baking this and having to have a Beauty Blender or brush number 33 to blend that. It all became very prescriptive and laborious.
If you like using a brush, that's fine, but I always think your fingers are your magic wands. Getting your skin right is the most important thing, and that doesn't mean using lots of products. You can have a smudgy winged eyeliner with a bit of pencil rubbed in with your finger. That's minimal effort but you still look cool. Then curl your lashes, get some mascara on and you're ready to go.
6. Be bold, not old
Social media has brought us so much knowledge, but it's also opened up a lot of backlash in the form of trolls. About a year ago, I did a post of the stonking blue smoky eye I did on myself on Glow Up. While lots of people loved it, I had so many people saying things like, ‘You can't wear makeup like that at your age!’ and ‘Who does she think she is?’
I don't take offence because not everyone is going to like what you do. But I'm sticking to my mantra: be bold, not old.
7. Build a brow that takes years off
I've noticed that as I've got older, my brows have started disappearing. It doesn't help that I'm blonde, either. I've always been too scared to get them tinted because I don't want a stamped-on eyebrow. I just want to look as though I've got more hair.
I've found what works for me is a three-step process. I start with a powder and use an angled brush to dust across the brow, creating a soft shadow. No stripes! Then it's about finding the perfect pencil, which can be tricky for blondes because you want a shade that doesn't have too much red in it. L'Oréal Paris does a great one, the Infallible 24H Precision Pencil, and I'm currently using one by Kosas called Brow Pop, which is great because it's just the right shade.
Then I sketch in individual hairs, with the powder underneath helping to absorb some of the waxiness of the pencil. I finish by setting everything in place with brow gel. Sometimes I'll use a really fine eyebrow pen, like the one by Blink to create the tick at the tail, because it can be tricky to get those last three hairs thin enough with a pencil. It’s no quick fix.
8. Put down the lip liner - or at least soften it
The trend I'd like to see less of is the overdrawn brown lip line, when it almost looks like a full circle and there's no Cupid's bow. It's a bit ‘sex doll’ and not the most flattering. As we mature, we tend to lose definition around our lips, so there's definitely a place for lip liner. But you need to keep it gentler and the edges softer.
When you can see a big red-brown line around the outside of your lips, it's a ‘no’. If you have fine lines around the outside of your lips, I like to stretch my mouth really wide and apply a primer or blurring product around the outside. Give it a light powder with tissue and then, taking a very light brown eyebrow pencil, gently sketch around the outside. Blur it with a cotton bud to create the suggestion of a shadow. That subtly pushes your lip shape forward and makes them look fuller.
9. Know when to do absolutely nothing
When I have other makeup artists doing my makeup, I'm always amazed when they apply the same 12-step formula they would to someone half my age without actually looking at my face and figuring out what I need. I often end up looking like a caricature of myself. I always say it's about knowing when not to do anything.
You don't necessarily need more highlighter to breathe life back into skin. Instead, I just use some Weleda Skin Food and tap it into the tops of the cheekbones. Highlighter may look great in pictures, but I don't want to look like the Tin Man in real life! I never want to look like I'm wearing makeup. I want that ‘You look well, Val’ post-gym glow, which is much more flattering as we get older.
Val’s Midlife Beauty Picks
Weleda Skin Food 100 Years Limited Edition Dry Skin Moisturiser, £12.84
I genuinely love Weleda skincare - you'll find it in every makeup artist's bag. It's a fail-safe, especially when I get someone in my chair who says their skin is sensitive. If it's a mature person, I know that if I reach for Skin Food, they're covered. And if it's a younger person with breakouts, I'll go for Skin Food Light and I'm done.
Emma Hardie Plump & Glow Hydrating Mist, £46
Another product that usually works on everyone is Emma Hardie Mist. I love it. If I've got somebody who's feeling a little agitated or stressed and they're reluctant to take their skincare off, I'll say, ‘Let me just give you a mist,’ and they end up loving it. It smells so delicious too. Then we're ready to rock.
Missha Glow Pore Blurring Balm, £18.90
© USTUDIOI've been using this blurring balm by Korean brand Missha for a few months now and I love that it's packed with skincare ingredients such as niacinamide, collagen and zinc, but feels really lightweight on the skin. I find pore minimisers can feel a bit silicone-y, but I do think Korean brands tend to be ahead of the game when it comes to formulation.
By Terry Tea to Tan Face & Body, £59
This product is an icon for good reason. If you're wearing nothing else, a bit of Tea to Tan with a swoosh of mascara and you already look as though you've just come back from vacation.
I like that this eyebrow powder has three shades in each palette, and for blondes like me there's a great light ash blonde colour. I use it to create a bit of dimension, lightly dusting it across the brow with an angled brush to create a soft shadow.
