Fulvia Farolfi has a way of making everything look effortless—whether it’s a crisp white button down shirt or a speedy makeup job that takes five years off her face in an instant.  The fifty-something makeup artist, who has worked with fashion legends from photographer Irving Penn to Vogue editor Tonne Goodman, credits a good skin prep and the right foundation as her secrets to the latter.  So on a recent day in New York City, we asked her to show us her insider foundation tricks for mature skin—the same ones she uses everyday herself.

“The purpose of the right foundation after 40, 50, is not to erase our wrinkles—that’s impossible,” she says firmly. What is very possible and highly encouraged, she says, is helping your skin look even, gently sculpted, and subtly refreshed. 

Here, on the cusp of New York Fashion Week, Fulvia shares her simple video tutorial for making 50-plus skin look its natural, luminous best—and a quick cheat sheet to file away (below).

PREP YOUR SKIN 

“At 50-plus, I think it is important to prep your skin properly before a foundation,” says Fulvia. She starts with Westman Atelier’s Skin Activator Serum, which was formulated to hydrate and calm skin before makeup. After, she follows with Eye Activator Serum all around the eyes to brighten, depuff, and plump tiny lines in the area. 

FIND THE RIGHT FORMULA  

Skip the heavy, matte finishes. They “can actually make [wrinkles] look worse,” says Fulvia, who likes Suprême Bio Complex Liquid Foundation for its hydrating, ‘real skin’ look,  medium coverage, and encapsulated skincare actives.  “I also love the fact that it doesn't settle in creases.”  

TRY TWO FOUNDATION SHADES

At 50-plus, Fulvia swears by using two tones of Suprême foundation to create a nuanced sculpting effect that brings back dimension. First, she starts with her true shade match (M3) in the T-zone—the chin, forehead, under eyes, corners of the nose, and inner cheeks. “I always do the eyelids, too, to neutralize redness that makes the eyes look tired,” she says.

Then, Fulvia picks up a second shade (M4) that’s half to one step deeper around the perimeter of her face and in the hollows of her cheekbones. This creates a natural contouring effect that’s ultra-flattering on mature skin, she says. As a makeup artist, she likes to use a small flat foundation brush to initially apply the formula. Then, she finishes by patting—not swiping, which gives a less refined finish—everything in with a finger.  

GO BACK IN WITH CONCEALER

For dark areas that need a little extra coverage, concealer can be a gamechanger—but use a light touch and be precise. To cover dark circles under her eyes, Fulvia adds just a dot of Vital Skincare Concealer under each eye—”the part that needs coverage is the gray-blueish area, not all over,” she says. Then she pats in with her finger.  

DON’T SKIP THE BLUSH

Fulvia considers blush as an essential finishing step to her everyday routine.  “A little rosiness on the cheeks is youthful,” she says. “It brings life back to thte skin.” She likes Baby Cheeks Blush in Bichette. The creamy, berry shade provides the healthy, fresh, oxygenated effect of “50 minutes on the treadmill.”  For a juicy, flushed lips, she uses HydroBalm Tinted Lipstick in Glogg, then stands back to survey her work. “I love how natural-looking this is,” she says. “For me, this is done.”