Yes, you can banish those bags!

Doris Day

Doris Day

Published Nov 8, 2011

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London - There’s not much Marcia Kilgore - the founder of Bliss, FitFlops and Soap & Glory - doesn’t know about looking good. To mark the launch of her make-up range, Elsa McAlonan asked about her beauty secrets . . .

Q IF YOU HAD TIME TO DO ONLY ONE THING IN YOUR DAILY SKINCARE REGIME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Drink enough water. All the exfoliating and moisturising in the world pales into insignificance without enough hydration. The skin needs to be hydrated to reflect light and look it’s best.

Doris Day - who had the most beautiful skin until she was 80 - put Vaseline all over her face and body every night.

Yes, it was greasy and it’s likely she reeked of petroleum, but it worked at keeping the moisture in her skin meaning she looked good.

Q HOW CAN I DISGUISE DARK CIRCLES AND REDUCE UNDER-EYE BAGS?

For dark circles, apply eye cream first and then a dab of concealer. Dark under-eye circles are generally purple and blue, so yellow-toned concealers (though they may look a little too yellow in the tin, they do the job beautifully) help to neutralise and lift them.

If you’ve got the type of under-eye bags that appear only in the morning, they’re likely due to slow lymphatic drainage under your eyes. Exercise, stretching, blood-pumping movement, a cool cucumber compress - anything that kicks your under-eye lymph glands into gear - will do the trick.

Q WHAT’S THE BEST MAKE-UP TIP YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR MOTHER?

This might sound unbelievable, but when I was growing up my mother didn’t wear a scrap of make-up and looked beautiful.

These days, she might wear a tinted lip balm, and she still looks fabulous.

So, I think possibly her best make-up tip was that while beauty absolutely matters, it doesn’t matter absolutely.

Even so, I don’t want to leave my house without at least mascara or a nice natural lipstick. But it’s nice to know that personal connections and love are completely unrelated to beauty.

Q WHAT IS YOUR BEST TIP FOR MAKING YOUR COMPLEXION LOOK FRESH AND REFRESHED AFTER A SLEEPLESS NIGHT?

Soak a wash cloth in very warm water, press it against your skin, then give your face a good scrub. Rinse and splash with ice-cold water - or if the situation is desperate, dunk your face into a sink filled with ice-cold water.

I’d recommend doubling up on moisturiser, using concealer only on any really red areas (the corners of your eyes or your nose and chin) and rubbing just a dab of blush on the apples of your cheeks.

Q ARE THERE ANY MAKE-UP COLOURS THAT YOU SHOULD AVOID AFTER A CERTAIN AGE?

There’s a funny thing that can happen if you get your colours wrong after 40. I can say this because I’m 43 and I test a lot of make-up. If you wear lipstick that’s too red, not only do your lips recede and look thinner, but if you’re not careful, with bright colour you can look masculine.

Avoid colours that are too purple or flat brown, because the natural colour in your lips decreases as you get older. Push up the natural pink shades.

Eyeshadow should stay neutral, so try brown, beige, pink and sheer lilac. Choose colours that respect your face, not compete with it. Soft mauves and lilacs can work, but think natural, rather than a blast of colour.

MARCIA’S TOP THREE MAKE-UP ITEMS

Mascara: Pile it on top lashes only for a fresh, natural, but glamorous finish.

Concealer: Use on certain spots to create an even canvas on which you can highlight your best features.

Lipstick: Pull your hair off your face, wear something simple and elegant - and if you’ve got good skin and a beautiful lipstick, you don’t need anything else.

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