Fresh, dewy, flattering—three words that define makeup artist Lisa Eldridge’s signature look on celebrities like Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman and Dua Lipa are also what make her work that much more appealing and achievable. It’s her less-is-more approach, flawless prep and finishing touches that makes you want to use makeup as tool to feel good, express more and enhance your natural features. But the key to a smooth end to your makeup routine is giving equal importance to prepping your face first. Following a skincare routine that works for you can truly elevate your final look. For Eldridge, it’s about being consistent with your daily skincare regimen and customising it based on how your skin ‘feels’ and looks like that day, “My daytime routine changes day-to-day as I tend to gear it around what I look like that morning. If I’m puffy, I like to use something that’s cold, so I always have some eye patches and sheet masks in the fridge. But if I wake up and my skin looks good, I just use a face wash and moisturiser,” she says. The author of Face Paint: The Story of Makeup, Eldridge shares her everyday routine to stay fresh and dewy always, her favourite green smoothie recipe and how she keeps her mind, body and skin calm.
A celebrity makeup artist’s daily skincare routine
- Exfoliate, but gently: “I have combination skin that’s what I call a ‘lazy exfoliator’, so I need to exfoliate but I do it in a very gentle way—a gel cleanser with lactic acid is a morning go-to.
- Sun protection, all year long: “I use sun protection every day of the year. There’s really no excuse not to use SPF daily—there are so many great products out there that offer high level protection and don’t leave skin white or ashy.”
- Spend time with your skin at night: “I tend to have a lot of time in the evening and really make the most of it with an epic nighttime routine—my bathroom is like a full-on spa experience. If I’m wearing eye makeup I’ll use an eye makeup remover before double cleansing with a balm. As much as I love makeup, I love taking it off. The first cleanse dissolves my makeup, and then the second cleanse is not only for the security of knowing that all my makeup is off, but it’s also my mini meditation moment—I use it as an opportunity to give myself a facial massage, which I’ll do for a while if I can.”
- Listen to your skin: “What I do after that depends on how my skin is feeling and how long I want my routine to be. If I feel like I need a bit of exfoliation, I’ll apply an AHA peel for five minutes and maybe watch a bit of TV or read a book while that gets to work. Otherwise, if I’m feeling dehydrated, I’ll press a hydrating essence into my skin, taking it right down my neck and chest.”
- Mask on: “Then I’ll either apply a sheet mask or a nighttime hydrating mask, and use my NuFace for five to ten minutes. I focus mainly on my jaw and cheeks—personally, I find that if I use it every night, it makes a real difference to the tone and firmness of my skin. Sometimes I’ll use LED at night as well—I have a mask for my face and one for my chest. They’re great for at-home treatments when I can’t get to my usual salon appointments.”
- Hydrate every part of the body: “To finish, I tend to avoid heavy creams, although during winter when the heating is on and my skin feels dry I might use something a little bit thicker. But generally I’m more drawn to lightweight serums, essences and hydrating sprays. Before I get into bed, I always put on lots of hand cream and body lotion, and massage my feet.”
Keeping calm with magnesium
“I absolutely love baths and have them a couple of times a week. I have all of my best ideas in the bath! I add about two cups of magnesium flakes, and when I get in I can feel my muscles instantly relax. I really recommend trying these if you’re feeling generally tired, stressed (when you’re stressed you burn off the magnesium in your system) and run down. It really works for me, especially when I’ve got a lot of jobs back-to-back, or when I’ve been travelling a lot. I also add a little bit of the Weleda bath milks—they add a gorgeous aroma and I love the milkiness they give to the water. After about half an hour of soaking I’m struggling to get out.”
The green glow smoothie
“Take fennel, celery, carrots, ginger, some kale, moringa powder, maca powder, linseeds (flax seeds), acai berry powder and spirulina, put everything in a blender and whisk it all up. My husband says it tastes disgusting, but I think it’s nice.”