The ultimate guide to midlife beauty, by Helen Mirren's make-up artist

Telegraph

22-04-2025

The internet is exhaustingly full of make-up tutorials for young people with impeccably smooth, wrinkle-free faces. The girls who can wear blue eyeshadow unironically, without realising it is indeed an Eighties 'throwback', who actually seek an eyeliner that results in maximum smudging around the eyes, and who often favour a slippery, shimmery lip gloss over a proper lipstick.
For everyone else, there's the Bristol-born make-up artist Val Garland, who – at 66 years old and with more than 700,000 followers on Instagram – is the accidental beauty influencer we never knew we needed.
She has one of the most impressive beauty CVs around. In the Eighties, she made a spur-of-the-moment decision to move from the West Country to Sydney, Australia, where she established herself as a leading hair colourist. In 1994 she moved back to the UK and settled in London to try her hand at make-up.
She quickly built a stellar reputation; in 1995, she designed the conceptual make-up looks (of sharp-angled eyebrows and dramatic black shadow) for the then-little-known designer Alexander McQueen's groundbreaking fashion show. She has countless Vogue covers in her book and has worked with everyone from Kate Moss to Lady Gaga. Have you noticed Helen Mirren's avant-garde make-up looks over the past decade? Val was responsible for those.
She's an author, too – in 2018 she published her beauty book Validated – and you may also recognise her from the BBC's hugely popular show Glow Up, the series that aims to find Britain's next big make-up artist talent. As one of the show's esteemed judges since 2019, Val is to make-up what Simon Cowell is to music (albeit a far more glamorous version).
When she's not busy with her filming schedule or on set with a celebrity, Val is pouring all of her decades of knowledge into entertaining 60-second videos on Instagram, demonstrating her insider tips on her own face. And these aren't complex make-up looks that require dozens of products and an hour in front of the mirror to execute. These are simple, genuinely useful tricks for easier, better make-up, shown on real, 66-year-old skin.
And with that, I'll leave you with 'ding dong' – if you haven't the faintest clue why, it's Val's TV show slogan (which is so famous it's etched on the sides of her signature Cutler and Gross cat-eyed frames).
Master an even complexion
'If you want a natural, sun-kissed glow to the skin, my first hack is to add some tanning drops to your moisturiser. Simply drop a few into the palm of your hand, mix with your moisturiser, and voilà! You've lifted your skin tone and added that lovely glow. I like Naked Sundays Cabana Glow Serum Drops SPF50 (£34, sephora.co.uk).
'Foundation is something I get asked about a lot. How to make it look natural without going cakey? My advice would be to take a few minutes to really look at your skin and assess what needs covering and what you can leave. Using foundation is about enhancing the skin, not hiding it. Try a lightweight serum foundation, such as L'Oréal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum (£14.99, boots.com). As for concealer, you really don't need to overdo it; focus on pinpointing the areas that really need coverage, such as blemishes, dark spots or redness. Try Lisa Eldridge's Pinpoint Concealing Micro Correcting Pencil (£27, spacenk.com).
'Under-eye creasing is a problem, I get it. We all know how frustrating it is when concealer settles into fine lines. My advice would be to not place the product too close to your under-eye area. Instead, tilt your head down and look in the mirror. This way, you can really see where the hollow part of the eye is and focus only on the areas that need brightening or concealing. For dark circles, you can use a liquid concealer such as Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer by Shiseido (£35.50, shiseido.co.uk). Keep it targeted – there's no need to cover the whole area and this will result in creasing.'
Add shape to the face
'Another trick is to use a liquid concealer to give the illusion of a 'lift' to the face. To achieve this, simply draw a line of concealer from the corner of the mouth towards the middle of the ear (see above) and blend.
'I'm a big fan of bronzer, too, which immediately adds colour and shape to the face. Use a bronzer such as the Makeup by Mario Soft Sculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer (£35, sephora.co.uk), which is a lovely weightless balm. Apply it in the shape of a '3' on either side of the face – so you hit the temples, cheekbones and jawline.'
Pay attention to eyebrows
'One of my favourite tricks to find the perfect arch in your eyebrows is the 'Golden Triangle' method. First, look straight into the mirror. Take a brush and line it up with the side of your nose, extending it up to the inner corner of your brow. This is where your brow should begin. Next, line up your brush from the side of your nose and over the iris of your eye. This marks where your arch should be – the highest point of your brow. Lastly, line up your brush from the side of your nose to the far edge of your eye. This shows where your brow tail should end. Using this method, you'll get perfectly proportioned brows every time.
'Sparse brows are a common concern. Mine are naturally blonde and have thinned over the years (thanks to too much plucking in the Eighties and Nineties). The trick is to use a light hand. For the simplest way to groom your brows, spray a disposable mascara wand or spoolie with a tiny bit of hairspray, and use that to hold those wiry little hairs in place. If you're using a tinted brow gel, you may not need anything else to fill in sparse areas. I like L'Oréal Paris's Volumising Eyebrow Mascara in Blonde (£9.99, boots.com).
'If you use a brow powder, apply it with a stiff-angled brush and gently follow the natural growth of your hairs to keep that feathery look without overdoing it. Brow pens are fantastic to fill in sparse spots. Use them lightly, drawing little hair-like strokes. Hold the pen gently, and use it to mimic the natural hairs. Try Suqqu's Framing Eyebrow Liquid Pen (£23, cultbeauty.co.uk).'
Frame the eyes
'Use an eyeshadow primer – it's a game-changer. If you've got an event or just want your eyeshadow to last longer, priming the eyes will help the shadow stay in place and smooth out fine lines, giving you a flawless base. If you don't have a primer, take some translucent powder and swipe across the eye area to give a similar effect. I like By Terry's Hyaluronic pressed and loose powders (£42 each, lookfantastic.com).
'For eyeshadow, the general rule is to keep darker shades close to the lash line. This creates depth and definition while opening up the eye, giving it more of a lifted, wide-eyed look. I find the L'Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Sticks really effective and easy to use (9.99 each, boots.com), as well as Victoria Beckham's Eyewear Longwear Eyeshadow Sticks (£32 each, victoriabeckhambeauty.com).
'To really open up the eyes, use a creamy coloured eye pencil on the lower waterline, such as the Paris Berlin Le Crayon Yeux Eye Pencil (£4.99, backstageshop.co.uk), and gently stroke a gel liner at the roots of the lashes to give the appearance of thicker lashes. Try the Rimmel Scandaleyes Exaggerate Eye Definer in Chocolate Brown (£4.99, boots.com). A good mascara can also work wonders – the Lash Sensational Firework Mascara by Maybelline (£12.99, superdrug.com) is one of the best around.'
Define your lips
'As we age, the skin around the lips thins out, and fine lines can become more noticeable. The muscle around the mouth also gets tighter over time, but a little massage can help loosen things up.
'A really effective tip is to apply a make-up primer around the edges of your lips before applying lipstick. It can smooth the skin, stop lipstick from bleeding, and will keep everything looking neat.
'Another good trick is to overline your lips slightly – it creates a barrier that helps your lipstick stay in place and stops feathering into lines. Choose a liner close to your natural lip colour, or a shade slightly deeper for added definition. Alternatively, if you wear a bright lip colour (I love wearing red), you can match your lip liner to your lipstick. One of my all-time favourites is the Lip Pencil in Cherry by Mac Cosmetics (£20, maccosmetics.co.uk).
'When it comes to lipstick product texture, steer clear of super matt formulas – they can be drying. For the most balanced look, a satin finish is the best option. It gives you that polished, soft effect without being too much. Try Revolution's Lip Allure Soft Satin Lipstick (£4.99, superdrug.com). Pick any colour you're drawn to, but my advice would be to avoid overly dark shades; dark colours can make lips look thinner and accentuate any lines. Opt for more neutral shades or even a soft red that brightens the complexion without being too heavy.'