The Great British Bake Off is back next week, and there’s one thing whipping up so much interest – Nigella’s Lawson’s ageless beauty at 66. The new judge is the centrepiece of a new photoshoot to mark the show’s return, and it’s just revealed a surprising ingredient to her youthful looks.
And no, it’s nothing to do with Nigella's bouncy, mid-length hairstyle, even though we can fully understand why it’s already one of the most requested looks from midlife women right now.
The new secret sauce is actually down to her makeup. Or rather what’s been left out. The shoot shows that Nigella is sticking to her tried and tested recipe of softly-smoked eyes and glossy nude lips, but the latest photos have allowed us a closer look at another key ingredient: her lashes.
Zooming in reveals that Nigella’s look isn’t created with mascara (as we’d always assumed) but appears to be the work of soft, fluffy false lashes (plus eyeliner). Interestingly, it proves that swapping out traditional mascara for falsies can actually be one of the most youthful switches you can make in midlife.
‘This definitely looks like lashes only and black eyeliner,’ says Trinny Woodall’s go-to lash expert Edy London, who recently launched pre-glued DIY lash kits that replicate her A-list salon extensions. Swapping a traditional volumising tube for subtle false lashes really works for midlife women, Edy tells us. ‘Heavy mascara can clump, flake and weigh lashes down, and it can draw attention to crepey lids.’
Nigella herself doesn’t have the latter issue, being remarkably firm-lidded, but Edy notes that false lashes will cleverly compensate for ageing eyelashes in general. ‘Our lashes often thin and lighten with age,’ she says. ‘Wispy falsies add density at the lash line, which looks like naturally fuller lashes.’
Nigella also proves the power of clever placement for a youth-giving effect from falsies. ‘The placement appears to be key to her look,’ says Edy. ‘Rather than adding volume evenly across the lid, the lashes seem concentrated towards the outer corners, where extra length draws the eye upwards and outwards. This creates a lifted, almond-shaped effect that opens up the eye.’
‘It’s especially flattering with age, as the outer corners of the eyes naturally tend to droop,’ she says. ‘Paired with Nigella’s signature winged liner, it gives a subtle lift without looking heavy or overdone.’
The lashes appear to be clusters, which gives a soft, delicate look, and are much more flattering than a traditional full strip lash (not to mention easier to apply).
‘It’s difficult to say definitively but I think these are underlashes, where the clusters stick to the underside of the natural lashes,’ says Edy. ‘Strip lashes usually pull the skin on the upper lid slightly, and there’s no sign of that in this picture. Her natural lashes appear to be sitting on top of lashes, not under the strip. To me, Nigella’s look appears to combine subtle underlashes to open up the eye, and defined liner to tie everything together.’
Underlashes are a type of false lashes that GH is a huge fan of, because they avoid having an obvious ‘join’ on the lash line. This makes the finish far softer on older eyes. ‘Once we lose volume in the upper lid, strip lashes usually pulls the skin with eve movement,’ says Edy. ‘Underlashes are applied directly onto the underside of the lashes, not on the skin, so it doesn't modify the eyelid shape.’
However, if you’re using traditional false lashes that sit above the lash line, ‘You can use strong liner to disguise the lash band, so it blends it seamlessly into the natural lash line,’ says Edy.
How to copy Nigella’s look
To recreate this look, Edy recommends her Barcelona lash kit as an ideal way to open and flatter mature eyes.
Edy London Barcelona Pre-Glued Lash Clusters
'Its soft brown tone and lifting curl add definition while keeping the eye soft and natural, so it enhances rather than overpowers. For a bolder finish, like Nigella’s signature look, pair it with a defined eyeliner, though that’s entirely down to personal preference.'
See Trinny Woodall at this year's Good Housekeeping Live x Country Living Market on 12 November. As well as the chance to get a head start on your present buying at the artisan Christmas market, the show is packed with celebrity talks, food demonstrations, craft workshops and more... Tickets are selling out fast so buy yours now!
