Here’s the tea: Navigating the bamboozling beauty product aisles of Sephora is no easy task, especially if you’re not in your 20s anymore. When your skin hasn’t weathered all that many wisdom-inducing decades, you can more easily get away with buying skincare and makeup products that might not be quite perfect for your face; but when you get older, your skin has different, more specific needs, and that requires some judiciousness.
To put together a little Sephora shopping list for our readers over 40, we tapped a celebrity makeup artist who specializes in celebrities of a certain age: Jamie Greenberg. Jamie’s creative touch has graced the faces of Gwyneth Paltrow, Maya Rudolph, Rashida Jones, Chelsea Handler, Lauren Graham, Julie Bowen, Busy Philipps, and tons of other beautiful women who aren't, you know, like 12 years old.
Jamie isn't just a makeup artist, though. She's a true beauty-product fiend (and, side note, has one of the sparkliest, most hilarious personalities in the business). Her obsession with products is part of the reason she created Jamie’s Swag Bag, a curated monthly package of at least five of her favorite full-size makeup and skincare products. (The next Swag Bag launches on June 14.)
So we asked this trusty beauty guru if she were to enter a Sephora and buy makeup and skincare for one of her 40-and-over clients, Gwyneth Paltrow let's say, what would she buy? The following 10 products would be on Jamie's shopping list.
"This is an inexpensive eye cream that really packs a punch," Jamie says. Caffeine and peptides formulated into a super-lightweight texture effectively hydrate and de-puff.
Jamie would definitely not leave a trip to Sephora for a client without picking up a high SPF. This beloved product is non-greasy, fast-absorbing, loaded with antioxidants, and nontoxic.
What makes that sun protection even stronger? Tatcha's smartly formulated brightening serum (Jamie's only real Sephora "splurge"). Packed with 20% vitamin C and 10% AHA, this stuff will give you the clearest skin of your life. Layer it on after cleansing, before moisturizer and sunscreen for the best effect.
"Eye masks are a weekly occurrence that make such a difference," says Jamie. "Do them while you do your hair for a special or event or if you feel tired. It's a game changer!"
This blendable, versatile duo of colors can be used as highlighter, blush, bronzer, eye shadow, and more. The hydrating, creamy formula sinks beautifully into dry or aging skin and creates a natural, lit-from-within flush.
No makeup artist could leave Sephora in good conscience without a good setting powder. This all-natural formula allows your makeup to look airbrushed and crease-free but never cakey.
Fresh's iconic lip balms come in a range of beautiful, wearable hues (from corals to fuchsias). They hydrate and protect the lips while leaving behind an effortless wash of color.
Curling your lashes is a must for women over 40, Jamie says. "Learn how to curl them if you haven't!" This Shiseido tool is a cult classic.
Proper foundation application is key for women over 40, says Jamie. "Many women haphazardly smear on foundation or tinted moisturizer with their hands and often miss spots or create lines of demarcation," she explains. "It's so important to take your time and put it on evenly." Her brush of choice? "A beloved Beautyblender."
"Better Than Sex really does it for me," says Jamie, who also recommends snagging the mini version of this cult-followed, clump-free mascara for $12.
Next: What Madonna's dermatologist would buy from Sephora.
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