A Celeb Makeup Artist & Health Coach On Achieving Smooth Skin Through Diet, Skin Care & Makeup

Who doesn’t want a smooth, supple complexion? Certainly that’s what I aim for on the mornings I apply foundation. But with each passing year, it seems to be more and more of a challenge—as new fine lines appear across my forehead and the pores on my cheeks start to sag. My foundation may look flat right after I blend it in, but as the day wears on, I see the texture start to show up. Such is the case with age, I suppose. 

And a lot of women I talk to share the same grievances—makeup that doesn’t lay flat and smooth throughout the day. Concealer will appear crepey under the eyes or formula will settle into fine lines, making them more apparent than they were before. 

The thing is, makeup application doesn’t start with a swipe of foundation or concealer, Aharon will be the first to tell you. It starts with the skin care prep before that and the lifestyle choices even before that. 

Of course, addressing the lifestyle factors becomes, well, more complicated. There’s a plethora of things that influence the way our skin looks, from sleep, diet, movement, stress, and so on. 

“I think that ultimately, if we listen to our bodies, we also have those answers. And so if somebody is having an issue—whether it's acne or it's dehydration—they often know what they’re doing or not doing that’s causing it. It could be too much alcohol consumption, too much travel, not enough sleep, not enough water, too much fried foods, whatever,” she says. 

For example: As we discuss in the episode, both Aharon and I are focusing on protein intake and muscle support. Personally, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much protein I consume and how it affects my skin. As I get older, I want to support my body with the right nutrients so my skin has all the tools it needs to make collagen, elastin, and keratin (what our skin cells are made of). To do so, I need amino acids. Enter: protein.

Aharon, too, says she’s been paying attention to muscle health. “As women get older, we just can’t hold onto muscle mass the same way that we used to. And so it just becomes more important to lift weights,” she says. “I’ve seen a massive transformation in my body and energy due to that.” 

I’m not suggesting that you have to carve out time to use facial tools every morning if that doesn’t sound appealing or doable. Beauty is quite literally my job and I struggle to make time in the morning to tinker with my face. 

However, on the occasions that you really want your makeup to last, it’s worth taking the extra time to prep. Facial tools—like LED lights, sculpting wands, and cooling rollers—can reduce inflammation, depuff, and tone the skin. This’ll help the skin care and makeup formulas that follow lay better. 

If you have mature skin, you actually should be using less products. Piling on thick layers of goop and creams and powders will only exacerbate any texture concerns. By applying thinner layers with more sophistication, you get the same result just without the mess.