Val Garland, Legendary Makeup Artist, on the Beauty Rules She Breaks and the Tricks She Swears By
From backstage beauty to the biggest names in the industry, legendary makeup artist Val Garland has created iconic looks for everyone from Lady Gaga and Kate Moss to Taylor Swift. We asked the beauty trailblazer to reveal the rules she breaks, the mistakes she sees us making and the makeup tricks she swears by.
We’ve officially entered a new season. What makeup looks are you most excited about right now?
The thing I am most excited about is the cashmere eye. A soft warm brown, a deep espresso, a rich taupe washed around the entire eye, so it becomes a monochromatic haze rather than a defined look. Brown mascara on top and bottom to keep everything tonal. It sounds simple, and it is, but it is one of those looks that is genuinely flattering on every face and every age. And then the colour burgundy. Season after season, burgundy comes back, and I am never tired of it. On the eye, on the lip, or as mascara. It is the most universally flattering shade there is, and this autumn it is absolutely everywhere.
Autumn is always the season that genuinely excites me because this is when makeup stops being about looking fresh and starts looking interesting.
If we wanted to update our makeup bag for autumn, what are the three products you’d tell us to buy first?
First, a burgundy lip pencil. Not a lipstick, a pencil. Because you can blur it, build it, use it all over the lid as an eyeshadow, or smudge it along the lower lash line. One product, multiple looks. Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer in 06 is a perfect take on this luxe trend. Second, a skin tint or tinted moisturiser. Leave the heavy foundation in the past. Your skin needs to look like skin this season, and a skin tint gives you that breathable look. I am loving the Ogee Complexion Perfecting Serum Foundation. It’s plant-based and organic, perfect for all skin types. Third, a really good mascara in brown because it’s tonal and great for mature skin as it’s softer. I love the Merit Clean Lash in brown. Fabulous.
What’s currently in your own makeup bag?
Weleda Skin Food because it goes everywhere with me and does everything. A MAC Cherry lip pencil and MAC lipstick in Russian Red; it’s my signature red lip. Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-eyes Volume Mascara and the Joah Setting spray at Meamora. I am not precious about what’s in my makeup bag. If it works, it will be in there.
A good red lipstick. Always. Whatever the season, whatever the brief, a red lip in the right tone at the right moment is still the most powerful thing in makeup.
What’s the best beauty bargain you’ve discovered recently? Is there anything inexpensive that performs like a luxury product?
I have been testing the Lacura range at Aldi, and I am genuinely impressed. The vitamin C serum has three forms of vitamin C in it and a peptide complex. The hyaluronic acid has two molecular weights of HA, which means it hydrates at the surface and deeper in the skin. These are things you find in products at five times the price. I think the conversation around budget beauty has completely changed and rightly so. The formulas have caught up.
And where do you think it’s worth spending more money? Is there one category where you really notice the difference?
I would say a great concealer. You can wear a budget foundation and a luxury concealer, and you will definitely look better than if you did it the other way around.
What’s your secret to making skin look incredible in real life rather than just on camera?
I always advise my clients to take your time between each stage of your product application. This way, you give your skin time to absorb each product. Ultimately, this gives a better end result. Each product has time to do its work.
What’s the biggest mistake you see people making with makeup?
Heavy foundation on mature skin, or any age skin. Heavy foundation settles into every line, exaggerates every texture, and makes skin look older, not younger. And it is so easy to avoid.
A skin tint. A tinted moisturiser. Two drops of Weleda glow drops in your existing foundation. Easy. Your skin should look like skin.
If someone only has five minutes to get ready, what would you do?
PF first, always. Then a tinted balm on the lips. Curl the lashes and get your mascara on. Bish, Bash, Bosh: three things. Three minutes. Done!
What’s the one makeup rule you think we all should break?
No bright lips after a certain age. It is completely wrong, and I have been ignoring it my entire career. A bright lip on a mature woman is extraordinary. It has authority, it has glamour, it has the kind of confidence that only comes with time.
A bright lip on a mature woman is extraordinary. It has authority, it has glamour, it has the kind of confidence that only comes with time.
What’s your favourite way to use colour? Is there a shade you think women are unnecessarily scared of?
Red. A red lip is the most transformative thing in makeup. It gives you five more minutes of sleep because your face looks immediately awake. It makes every outfit work harder. It is the most democratic beauty product there is because there is a shade of red that works on every skin tone.
What beauty product would we always find in your handbag? And what slightly unexpected item would be hiding in there?
Always in there: Weleda Skin Food. I use it for everything. Dry patches, highlight on the cheekbone, a balm over lipstick to soften it. It is the most versatile product I own. Unexpected: A tea bag.
A pick-me-up on lots of levels, including when it’s done making my morning tea, I can pop it in the fridge and use it on my under-eye luggage.
What’s one beauty trend you’d happily see disappear, and which one do you secretly love?
I would happily see disappear: the no-mascara trend. It works on the catwalk, but in real life, everyone looks better with mascara. Secretly love: The Flushed cheek trend. A light flushed cheek with a translucent highlight on top gives the face this extraordinary warmth and life. When it is done well, it looks like you have just come in from somewhere wonderful. I am so not ready to stop doing it.
Finally, if you could give every reader one piece of makeup advice for the new season, what would it be?
Pick one thing, and that thing should be your skin. If the skin looks good, everything else is the cherry on top. This season particularly, when the mood is about that extraordinary cashmere eye or that perfect burgundy lip, A great canvas makes everything look polished and seamless.
Quick-Fire Round: Val’s Non-Negotiables
Favourite mascara? Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes
Favourite lipstick shade? MAC Russian Red. A proper, uncompromising red. I have never stopped wearing it and I never will.
Foundation or tinted moisturiser? Tinted moisturiser. Always. Skin should look like skin.
Day cream or night cream?Both. But if you are choosing one, a night cream. The skin does its repair work overnight and a good night cream makes the biggest visible difference.
Lipstick or lip gloss? Lipstick. More versatile and longer-lasting.
One product under £20 you swear by? Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF50
The beauty product you’d rescue from a burning building?Weleda Skin Food. It has been in my kit for thirty years and I will never stop using it.
Your ultimate makeup mood: bare, bronzed, smoky or bold?Bold. Always bold. Life is too short for beige!
The products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however, The Handbook may make a small commission on some products purchased through affiliate links.
