She helps Madonna keep her youthful glow

Gina Brooke at work.

Since turning 50 this summer, Madonna's preternaturally youthful visage has been discussed and dissected more than the current album and tour, which brought her to Boston last night and tonight. Whether you buy into New York magazine's August cover story on Madonna, which more than strongly hints that Madge and other middle aged A-listers have gone under the knife, or listen to the advice of her makeup artist, Gina Brooke, one thing is clear: Looking like Madonna is a lot of work.

"She takes great care of herself, which is why she always looks amazing," says Brooke, creative director of the cosmetics company Shu Uemura. Brooke is at the Shu Uemura boutique on Newbury Street this morning giving a master class in makeup. We asked for tips on how to look as good as Madge at 50.

I'm guessing Madonna never came to you and said "Now that I'm 50, I'd like to tame my makeup."
She may be 50, but she looks half her age. She doesn't pay attention to rules, or do's and don'ts. Her body is beautifully defined and her skin is in great shape. I work with models in their 20s, and Madonna's skin is in better shape than theirs.

Ok, so how does Madonna do it?
If you have an incredible cleanser, a hydration mask, and a moisturizer, you're halfway there. It's important to use a nonstripping cleanser that will leave your skin balanced. The cleanser is really the foundation. After that I use a hydration mask. As we get older, we start to lose moisture in our skin, so it's important to hydrate. Then I use a moisturizer. I also recommend a rich night cream. It gives you more luminous, healthy, and nourished looking skin in the morning.

In addition to using lots of moisturizer, are there vitamins or other things that women over 40 can take to maintain their outer Madge?
I can assure you that what you eat really does affect your skin. I recommend foods that are high in antioxidants, such as blueberries. Also vitamin C and E are very important, which you can find in citrus fruits, broccoli, nuts, and whole grains. Foods that are essential in fatty acids help maintain the skin's natural oil level for a plumper, younger appearance. I highly recommend salmon, flaxseed oil, and by all means, avoid alcohol. Alcohol is very dehydrating.

You're killing me! No alcohol?
I know it's hard to stay away from, but you have to if you want to look like Madonna.

Are there particular makeup tricks you use with Madonna to help her look younger?
Every woman has something amazing about her, whether it's her lips, her skin, or her eyes. In Madonna's case, she has those big, beautiful eyes, so I focus on those. On her last tour it was all about the lashes. With this tour, it's about eyeliner. Eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara. Lots of it.

The trick is to draw attention to the good, which will distract from the not-so-good?
Something like that. Women should remember, especially women over 40, that there are no rules when it comes to makeup. If a woman wants to walk out the door at 9 a.m. wearing the brightest red lipstick and long lashes, then by all means, I highly recommend it. I love walking down the street and seeing a very old woman with a face full of makeup. It warms my heart because you can see she spent so much time on her makeup. It may not be a look that you'd want to put in Italian Vogue, but there's something beautiful about a woman when she exudes confidence.