5 Older Celebs Who Are Breaking All The Makeup Rules

When looking for makeup inspiration from celebrities, many turn to young beauty gurus like Hailey Bieber or influencers like James Charles. After all, they're often the ones who start trends such as the "peach girl" summer makeup aesthetic that Hailey Bieber popularized in 2024. It seems that millennials and the Gen-Z crowd have their pulses on what's cool in the makeup world, but we often forget that older celebrities are also inspirational. There are a plethora of 40+ stars we can look up to when it comes to beauty and we can't help but respect the ones who break all the makeup rules.

Having been a makeup artist for over a decade, I've learned that there are certain codes we have to abide by, especially on older faces. I like to use softer colors and go lighter on the eye makeup, as heavy eyeliner and mascara tend to emphasize fine lines. Dark lipstick should also be avoided and instead, light and bright is preferable. However, that doesn't mean that rules can't be broken, and these celebrities are having fun marching to the beat of their own makeup drums.

As women age, they can experience female hair loss, which is tricky to handle and treat. Unfortunately, this can include lashes as well. This is where a set of falsies comes in, but finding the right length and thickness can be tricky. You want a pair that's visible enough to make your eyes pop, but if they're too full, they can make your eyes appear smaller. Well, 87-year-old Jane Fonda defied this rule at the 2025 Producers Guild Awards by stepping out with sky-high lashes that even Bambi's couldn't compare to. To enhance them further, the "80 for Brady" star piled on mascara in the blackest of shades.

Normally, I would have used a subtler pair of false lashes, but Fonda is an icon and can do no wrong when it comes to makeup. With her deep-set eyes and wide lids, she can get away with super-full lashes. The only change I would have made is to bring them in closer to her inner eyes to avoid a blank space or fill in the area with liner. Still, her dark lashes contrasted with her baby blues beautifully, and Fonda certainly shined that night.

A subtle smokey eye is gorgeous on anyone, as it can bring out definition and make the eyes appear bigger. However, older faces should refrain from overpowering them with too much dark eyeshadow, as it can age them, but Salma Hayek proved the exact opposite at the 2025 Golden Globes. The 58-year-old "Eternals" actor showed up with a fierce, geometric winged look in a dark-black shade and made sure to encircle her entire eyes. The "Fools Rush In" star kept the rest of her makeup subtle with nude lipstick and barely there blush, which kept the focus on her smokey eyes.

Hayek may have broken the rule about older folks toning down their eyeshadow but she executed the look perfectly. If she had worn red lipstick, for example, the makeup would have overpowered her face. With her strong brows and gorgeous bone structure, Hayek pulled off her smokey siren eyes look perfectly.

Viola Davis loves to play around with different makeup looks, especially when she's on the red carpet. She's been seen in everything from peacock-colored eyeshadow to striking red lips, and she shows that even women over a certain age can rock bright makeup. At the 2025 Golden Globes, the 59-year-old "Fences" star went all-out glam with angled brows, gold eyeshadow, and deep maroon lips. A set of spiky false lashes and bright berry blush tied the whole look together.

With Davis' voluminous curls and multi-colored shimmering gown, as well as a pair of statement earrings, her strong makeup fit right in with her whole aesthetic. In this case, Davis' face would have gotten lost if she had worn a natural look. Her colorful makeup and dress were well-played, as she had received the Cecil B. DeMille Award that night. "A revelatory evening. I see my 'legacy' more clearly than ever. I'm...inspired. Thank you Golden Globes for this honor. It has sparked a flame," she wrote on Instagram the day after the event.

Michelle Yeoh is a classic beauty who tends to go for very natural makeup looks, even for awards shows. With her flawless skin, the 62-year-old actor hardly needs foundation, and she keeps her cheeks almost color-free with just a whisper of blush. As for Yeoh's eyes, we hardly see her in colorful or dark shadows; instead, she sticks with nude colors and just a hint of black eyeliner. Since we lose pigment in our faces as we age, I like to use bright colors like pink or peach on older faces to avoid having them look too pale. Rose or berry-colored lipsticks also make older faces look more youthful.

Yeoh keeps it minimal when it comes to her everyday makeup as well. In a video with Vogue, she walked fans through her makeup ritual, which starts with toner and a facial massage with a metal roller. "My earliest memory of taking care of my skin is seeing my mom do this every day, morning and night," Yeoh explained. After her skincare routine, the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" star applied a light foundation, followed by concealer to cover up her dark spots. With just a light swipe of eyebrow pencil to fill in any sparse areas, a dab of cream blush, a tiny bit of eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick, Yeoh was done with her 10-minute makeup routine. While it's not my ususal approach, she looks amazing, and we love to see her being authentic.

At 57 years old, Pamela Anderson didn't just throw out all the makeup rules — she threw out her entire makeup collection. The "Baywatch" star first went bare-faced in 2023 after her makeup artist and friend, Alexis Vogel, passed away. "She was the best. And since then, I just felt, without Alexis, it's just better for me not to wear makeup," Anderson told Elle at the time. Prior to that, she was known for her smokey eyes and red lips, sometimes worn together. 

Now, the mom of two even shows up to awards shows sans makeup, and she does it fearlessly. At the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Anderson glowed under the camera lights and looked absolutely angelic in a white gown and her blond hair in Old-Hollywood curls. As for jewelry, all she had on was a simple diamond pendant necklace and matching drop earrings. With major stars employing a whole glam squad to get ready for major events, it's refreshing to see one who is so laid-back when it comes to her looks. Normally, I would suggest a full face of makeup with all of my aforementioned tips for a fancy night out, but if you take care of your skin like Anderson does, why not bare it all?