Why Lisa Eldridge Hires Older Models for YouTube Makeup Tutorials

While outrage over the lack of diversity in fashion has slowly led to more models of various ethnicities, body types, and sexual orientations walking the runways and posing in ad campaigns, the beauty industry still has a lot of work to do. It isn’t uncommon to find makeup artists and hairstylists backstage who have little to no experience working with black skin and hair, or to stumble upon beauty products with racially insensitive names.

Still, when it comes to the models that Lisa Eldridge scouts for her popular YouTube channel, the global creative director of Lancôme tells Yahoo Beauty that she “tries to get models with different skin tones, features, and hair coloring” from herself. And most noticeably, Eldridge has provided a platform where mature women and the issues specific to their skin needs are in the spotlight.

“I think that makeup is for everyone and it shouldn’t be ageist,” says Eldridge. “I make tutorials for ages 15 to 70 because no one should be excluded. It would be strange to say, ‘This makeup is only for you in your 20s and 30s. Don’t try it if you’re older!'”

Eldridge’s soothing English accent, coupled with her easy step-by-step instructions, make for savvy video tutorials for mature skin, ranging from glowing, everyday makeup where wrinkles aren’t masked and instead celebrated…

… to this evening look with a pop of color on the lips, which many older women shy away from to avoid accentuating fine lines around the mouth.

“I have managed to get a lot of mature models, because you don’t really want to watch a mature makeup tutorial on someone that is so obviously 21. It is nice to address those issues,” says Eldridge.

Five years and roughly 250 YouTube videos later, Eldridge says the learning process is still a two-way street.

“As a makeup artist, I’m so used to making up models who do have a lot of exposure to different makeup artists and getting their makeup done,” she says. “So it’s always nice when I can find someone who is not a model and has real questions and says to me in the middle of a tutorial, ‘Oh I’ve always wanted to know how to use that.’ They have questions that I probably wouldn’t have thought of.”

This open exchange is why Eldridge believes she has had longevity in the beauty biz. As she says, “That’s exactly how I stay relevant to everyone — finding models who have genuine issues, problems, or points of view about things that they can share openly.”

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