Debi Mazar, 61, on the Laura Geller makeup that gives her skin an ageless glow

If there’s one person on this earth who somehow embodies both coolness and glamour, it’s Debi Mazar. I think of her Bettie Page bangs and red lipstick in the 1996 movie Girl 6, her red-streaked hair and purple eyeshadow in Batman Forever and the retro glam she sported on Younger, not to mention her impeccable glam in real life. The actor, who has spent decades both in front of the camera and behind the brush (she was once Madonna’s makeup artist), has always had a signature beauty look that is bold yet feels effortless. At 61, she still has that relaxed confidence wrapped up in high-shine styling. No wonder that, despite leaving Brooklyn for Italy five years ago, she remains an icon of New York cool.

That confidence — and appreciation for beauty — is exactly what made Mazar a natural fit for Laura Geller’s line of makeup for women over 50. The duo’s recent campaign, shot on location in Italy, bridges Mazar’s life in Florence with the brand’s Italian-made roots. The shoot pays homage to Geller’s signature baked formulas. It also celebrates the return of the newly reformulated Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator, a skin-glowifying highlighter that’s been updated specifically for the needs of mature skin.

I chatted with Mazar over Zoom from her home in Florence to find out about her favorite Laura Geller products, what it was like being Madonna’s makeup artist and the skin care habits she sticks to at 61.

Yahoo Shopping: Tell me, what drew you to Laura Geller’s products?

Debi Mazar: I love makeup and get smell lots of things. Back in 1980, when I was working as a makeup artist, even in my early days working with Madonna, I was into old-school, tried-and-true stuff: (Max Factor) Pan-stickMaybelline. I also love technology and how makeup has changed and how they can now make it good for skin, add light and dimension, include certain oils and micro-fine flecks that make your face glow — none of that existed back then. If you wanted to glow, you used a little Vaseline and rubbed it on your cheek.

So, I just love how it’s kind of come to this moment — meeting Laura Geller in Tuscany and watching her create the Baked Gelato on the terracotta. I use her Baked Balance-n-Brighten Foundation — I dust it over my face so I still see my skin.

YS: What’s your current makeup routine like?

DM: I have melasma, so I want to cover up some brown spots and redness, but at my age, I want my skin to look clean and healthy, not like I’m coated in something. For me, I don’t even get older, I just want to see my skin. I want to look more natural on most days. Other days, I want to glam it up like I’m doing right now, with a false eyelash on and serving some open-eye glamour.

I really, really love Laura Geller’s mascara, she also has fantastic eyeliners. I love big, heavy eyeliner, but at this moment of time, I don’t have eyebrows and my eyes have sunk in a little bit. So, I’ve had to try to understand how to change my eyeliner so it doesn’t look like a checkmark that didn’t blend. Now, I go for a more almond shape. You have to kind of understand how to evolve your makeup with the shape of your face and where it’s moving as gravity happens.

I’m not a lip gloss person, but (Geller) has a couple of different types, including (the Jelly Balm). I go for a transparent shade because I have naturally full lips, and they’re a bit crooked because of smoking and age, and the lipsticks are so nice and hydrating.

YS: Let’s talk brows — what’s your current approach there?

DM: In the ’90s, I had modeled my eyebrows after 1920s stars, and I had also done so many period films that I had just plucked my eyebrows where I’d only had a little left. I eventually had microblading, but after a decade, it turned orange-brown, so I had it erased with tattoo removal. I’m not doing that again. Now, I cover the area with foundation or under-eye concealer, pencil it in and draw fine hairs. Then, I use a brow mascara to brush up the hairs and blend it all together.

YS: You have beautiful skin. What’s your skin care routine like?

DM: I discovered a Florentine brand called Hurrayfounded by a chemist named Roberto Bonfanti who formulates with really natural ingredients. Laura Geller does that too, which I love.

I love products, so I go back and forth between certain things. I’ll use Cetaphil to wash my face. I like Bioderma (Sensibio) sensitive micellar water to take my eye makeup off. I always stimulate my skin, so I like scrubs, and a good astringent to get the stuff out of my pores — Biologique Recherche makes a wonderful one. I also like masks — the HUR mask, Biologique’s masks; honestly, masks from anyone!

I also love under-eye pads in the morning — Talika makes fabric ones that don’t slide like the silicone ones. They come chilled and take down puffiness before I’m shooting on set. I’m currently playing with the Lyma laser, which was a gift. I do gua sha with a serum or oil for lymphatic drainage, and I have those glass ice-globes you keep in the freezer — they feel great if you’re puffy, headachey, hungover or just want to freshen up.

I love serums, I love oils; I love Natura Bisse and Augustinus Bader. And Vintner’s Daughter — she’s amazing. It almost feels like a vinegar spray (the Active Treatment Essence). I do that and the (Active Botanical Serum), and then I take those at-home microcurrent devices, like Nuface. I try everything. I feel like all of these kinds of things just help stimulate your skin, so I think it’s all about stimulation, diet and finding the right products. A lot of women overdo it.

YS: You were Madonna’s makeup artist back in the day. What was that like?

DM: Madonna and I have been friends since 1980, before she toured or was famous. We became friends, and I said, “I do really good makeup and hair and I could help with the videos,” since it was during the MTV (era). My memories go back to her being raw and beautiful, with big bushy brows and being really open to play (with her look). We did blue and red eyeliner in the punk/new-wave days, then she became glamorous.

We kind of grew together — in terms of her becoming the woman she was going to become, and me always having a love for historical characters in cinema — in trying to create someone who was ever-evolving and a chameleon. Doing her makeup was always exciting and sometimes stressful because we were on the road touring with costume and makeup changes, makeup melting on stage, lashes falling off, hair melting. But she has incredible skin, which makes it easy — not easy for who she is, because she’s very specific and a magnifying glass-type of person, but she’s always open and playful and has beautiful bone structure and great skin to work with. She’s always been open to a new product or new idea or era.

YS: Any other beauty advice you’d like to share?

DM: Good skin is equated with good health, being in love, being happy, surrounding yourself with good friends, being inspired and being accepting of your faults and your imperfections. The journey is long, and when people start to realize that the only person you can account for is really yourself, you understand that your journey is not like anyone else’s.

As we age, we’re going to wrinkle and get thinner hair. We’re going to get wrinkly hands, wrinkly necks, wrinkly skin. Can we fix it a little bit? Sura. But the great news is as long as you can roll with it, you can own it and be fabulous. As far as getting yourself ready, it’s about finding a way with makeup and hair without taking up too much time so you’re not stuck in the mirror forever.

Hydration, having some champagne or some good wine or do whatever it is that makes you happy. That’s what you gotta do. I think that the joy comes from within, and that’s where the real glow starts to happen.

Debi Mazar’s go-to makeup and skin care

Amazon

Mazar likes Geller’s iconic foundation specifically because it’s buildable — you can go for sheer or more robust coverage.

The bestselling powder also contains color-correcting pigments to help even out unbalanced skin while leaving you looking natural, not like you’ve slathered on a ton of product.

$15 at Amazon

Amazon

Mazar is a big fan of this lash-lengthening mascara: “It’s kind of like an old-fashioned mascara and is super black and gives length and volume.”

The formula also contains lash conditioning synthetic beeswax and nourishing pea protein peptides and shea butter.

$17 at Amazon

Amazon

“What’s impressive is that they’ve added squalane, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to the Baked Gelato, so it’s not only good for fine lines, but it also doesn’t sink in and cause creasing,” says Mazar.

This ultra-versatile highlighter can be applied to the bridge of your nose, your cheeks, your eyelids — anywhere you want a glow. It’s designed to work specifically for aging skin in need of hydration and moisturizes your face as it goes.

$20 at Amazon

Amazon

This jelly balm comes in a variety of shades (Mazar likes this sheer tint), but its biggest benefit is how it keeps lips moisturized, thanks to squalane and vitamin E.

$24 at Amazon

Amazon

Filled with 14 stunning baked eyeshadows, you can use this palette to create an easy, neutral-matte eye. Mazar likes them because they have a “microfine sparkle” instead of a chunky glitter.

$24 at Amazon

Bioderma

This iconic micellar water — which tops our best micellar water list — is a top choice for Mazar (as well as many other celebrities). It removes makeup and grime quickly and effectively, all while being gentle on sensitive eyes.

$14 at Amazon

Amazon

Another cleansing go-to of Mazar’s is this classic Cetaphil face wash, which is ideal for sensitive, mature skin.

$13 at Amazon

Amazon

Mazar reaches for these reusable eye patches anytime she’s heading to set. They’re infused with shea butter and ceramides to soothe and keep the delicate skin around the eye hydrated.

$12 at Amazon

Sephora

This Mazar pick is a multiple beauty award-winner — the microcurrent device delivers low-level electrical currents to stimulate facial muscles. The result is a visibly sculpted, toned and lifted face and neck.

$395 at Sephora