Pamela Anderson’s decision to eschew the pancake and opt for either a bare face or barely-there make-up looks have inadvertently highlighted the many challenges of getting make-up right as your skin ages. The 57-year-old diva who was once known for her razor-thin eyebrows and more-is-more take on bronzer and eyeshadow has now adopted a more luminous, fresh and blink-and-you-miss it approach to getting dolled up. And, make-up artists universally opine that hers is the right way to go.

“The challenge with applying make-up to mature skin is that the techniques and products that once gave you a ‘snatched’ look suddenly begin to look cakey and mask-like. A lot of that has to do with the way base make-up settles into fine lines and wrinkles. The loss of elasticity leads to sagging skin, which makes your features look less defined. Another major challenge is dryness. Even Indian skin, which tends to be naturally oily, begins to lose moisture. This is further complicated by pigmentation and uneven tone, caused by sun exposure and hormonal changes,” says celebrity make-up artist Swati Das. The solution, she shares, lies in a simple, but effective routine to ease the transition.

Nail that base