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Makeup tips for hot flushes by Caroline Barnes

How do you modify your makeup bag for menopause? Hot flushes might well be your biggest worry. Watch as celeb make up artist Caroline Barnes shares her Speed Beauty Menopause Makeup Tutorial that focuses on products that will stay put… this is the ultimate makeup for hot flushes tutorial!

“Going through the menopause is a real struggle physically and mentally. When oestrogen drops, you can feel very low, and your confidence can drop. You can feel very vulnerable, and not feel like yourself. That doesn’t last forever, and does change, but a few little products that you can change in your makeup bag to boost your skin and reframe your eyes can make a really big difference to your confidence, so give it a go!”

Here is Caroline’s 2 minute instructions on make up for menopause . Please note not all products in the video are still available, but read on to see the alternative we would suggest.

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Read on as we highlight Caroline’s recommendations for makeup for hot flushes:

It’s all about the base…

Start with a glowy primer around the edges of your face – if you tend toward oil, avoid the centre panel. Is it worth putting on foundation when you get a hot flush? Caroline says: “Why not! You just have to get the right one…”

We recommend: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation. It will keep your makeup intact no matter what sweat-inducing situation you find yourself in. 

Instructions: Apply using your fingertips, then use a brush to blend it in and make sure it’s really seamless. Caroline uses the Look Good Feel Better foundation brush, which looks good whilst doing a good job!

Caroline recommends: Pro longwear concealer by MAC. “A little goes a long way – you only need a tiny bit!” Apply your concealer to darker areas with a brush – this lifts without sitting in fine lines. As long as you don’t touch your face, it stays on. Caroline likes to use this specific product for outdoor shoots and weddings.

What about powder?

Use a translucent one, with no colour. If you use a coloured one and perspire, the pigment gathers and collects on the skin and can look a little grubby. A good alternative if you prefer not to use power is blotting paper. These can be carried with you and used to touch up whenever you need them.

Time for blush

Caroline likes a liquid blush that sits on your skin like a watercolour. Keep in mind:

  • Warm pinky tones are great if you feel a little sallow or grey – they really give you a lift
  • Nudey or peachy blush is better if your skin is inflamed or if you have rosacea

Next up: eyebrows!

Caroline recommends: Wunderbrow – it lasts for 3 days! Fill in any gaps with a kohl pencil then use the Wunderbrow. It’s lovely and natural looking, but it keeps your brows beautifully in place. You have to scrub to get it off! Focus on structure: As we get older, we need more structure and definition around eyes, lips and lashes. But keep it simple and soft – no hard lines.

Make your eyes pop

A simple way to do this is with a cream shadow. Pop a chunky line along your lashline, then migrate up into the socket with a brush. By applying it on the lashline, you get intense colour without a hard line of eyeliner. Caroline says: “it’s an easy, pretty look that gives really nice structure without being overpowering like a solid eyeliner”. She uses Kiko cream shadow and blends with a MAC brush.

Top tip: If you’re feeling tired, you can also add a dab of highlighter on the inside corner of your eyes.

Lashes

Try Max Factor 2000 calorie waterproof mascara for a soft natural mascara that stays put.

Now, what about lips?

Caroline recommends: Rimmel lipliner – 011 spice. Use this to redefine your lip line gently, then fill in. Pop some lippy over the top. Caroline likes the lip colours by Fresh – they’re tinted and soft with an SPF of 15.

And to finish…

Use a touch of bronzer to warm up around the hairline. Caroline uses Laguna by Nars.

The last word?

“If you feel like your skin is a little bit sallow – or you’re feeling a bit tired – add colour to your skin. The darker the skin, the richer the colour. Colour has a wonderful impact on how we feel, and how we look.”

About Caroline Barnes

Caroline Barnes is one of the UK’s most established and celebrated make-up artists. Her reputation for approachable beauty has helped her establish an enviable roster of clients from Diane Kruger, Rebecca Ferguson, Emma Watson and Olga Kurylenko to Kylie Minogue and Kelly Rowland. Caroline has a YouTube channel – Speed Beauty – where she offers expert beauty advice. Caroline knows exactly what women want and how to deliver it at speed. She also gives her time to the beauty industry charity, Look Good Feel Better, using her ‘midas touch’ to help restore confidence and wellbeing in women cancer sufferers. Read Caroline’s full biography here

You might also be interested in…

How to dress for hot flushes by Giilly Woo, stylist and designer

CBT for hot flushes

Caroline Barnes

Caroline Barnes

Make-up Artist

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