Starting at the Bloomingdale’s makeup counter at the tender age of 21, by 27 the self-taught makeup artist was doing the faces for a who’s who of celebrity and society including Jackie O and Barbara Walters. It was the time of Studio 54, of the permanence of the glossy magazines, of fabulously creative fashion photography sessions, and she was at the center of it, literally. She was the blond featured in the famous Chris von Wangenheim fence photo with it girl of the moment Gia. She was in the in-crowd, a celebrity in her own right, along with the famous faces she brought to life.


Expert in Makeup and Beauty at Every Age
Today, she continues to do makeup on a daily basis and has established herself as one of the foremost experts in beauty for women of every age, having published the book The Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your Look at Any Age. At 73, like all of us, she has had some bumps, a recent 1/2 knee replacement being one of them. But the sassy girl from Brooklyn is not done yet. If you want to know about makeup, there is no greater expert on earth. Sandy knows faces, she has spent her entire life dedicated to and surrounded by beauty. She knows skin, in a way that only experience of that level can produce a deep knowledge of the craft.
The world of uber-creative fashion shoots, the result of the combined genius of brilliant stylists, photographers, hairstylists, and makeup artists, have changed. Digital diminished it to a shadow of what it was. Even when there are magazine shoots, fashion wants the latest young talents, and so she works more now directly with her celebrity clients and less on photo shoots. “They were the best, most creative days of my life, but that world doesn’t exist anymore. I can look back and be grateful that I was there for it, but I also find looking forward is so exciting.”
“Beauty is different now; there are so many more body types and ethnicities than in those early days. Today we have a variety of skin color and women are more voluptuous, in an almost 1950s sort of way, than they were then. Back then they had a couple of black models, but there were few, and virtually no Asian faces.”

“To feel beautiful on the inside you need to feel the respect of other people and to feel a deep sense of self-respect”
“In the ’70s, beauty was all about the outsides, the surface; it was not about health or about what was happening on the inside. This was never spoken about. Today, there is still importance placed on the beauty of the face but, thankfully, feeling beautiful is so much more important now. To feel beautiful on the inside you need to feel the respect of other people and to feel a deep sense of self-respect. If we think about Marilyn Monroe, once thought of as the most beautiful woman in the world, she didn’t feel that way internally — it was very hard for her. We have to realize that these women who are looked at for their beauty have lives that are not easier than our lives. They work hard at it, and they have to manage all the conflicts that come with it.”

Makeup Recommendations
When one is younger, either works well. But as we age, it really depends on the condition of the lip. If you have lines, a creamier look is better. Matt can look severe, and can accentuate aging. Dior Addict makes a lip glow balm, that is not a gloss, and comes in a variety of colors. It is not greasy and not dry. I like it, but you will need to reapply it during the day.
Chanel makes a terrific blush. It is a cream blush on a stick: Les Beiges. The glow blends easily on the skin. It comes in a range of colors and is a good refreshing look for over 50s.
We are hearing about post-pandemic exuberance about to burst onto the streets. Are you sensing anything, maybe with eyes and color?
Color is definitely back these days, but for those of us over our 50s, we have to be careful. I like the pinks, dark rose, and even orange tones. For the lashes, you want to accentuate them. Chanel mascara is fabulous for thick or thin lashes. For under-eye concealer, I like YSL Touche Eclat concealer. They have a wider color range now. Personally, I wear eye make and false lashes daily. Kiss trio lash ‘looks so natural lashes’ is what I wear.

Some people tend to be skin addicts and get into using too many products. We need to be careful of what we are using, and don’t overdo it. This is especially true with masks; don’t overdo how often you are using them. Also, you don’t want to use a rich serum and put makeup on top of it. Your products need to be compatible. One of my favorite moisturizers is made by Augustinus Bader. Wonderful product. It might look like a lot but it’s easy, quick and it performs, which is what I like.
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Love Sandy. She is kind and down to earth a fabulous artist and we have a mutual friend, Paul C.
Anyone who is friends with Paul C. is a friend of mine. He is true blue as is Sandy.
Such a wonderful profile, well-deserved, Sandy.
Thanks for this article, David. Great advice from a bona fide beauty expert. As a lipstick addict (the only makeup I wear), I was excited to read about Dior Addict Lip Glow and went right to the Dior site to check it out. What I’m not excited about: If this product is such a “universal balm,” as the site suggests, where are all the over-50 models in the photo slide show and the “Custom Shine” mosaic on this product page? Why does a range of ages seem so obviously excluded from “inclusive” marketing these days? And what are aging role models like Sandy Linter doing about it? Not a complaint, just an observation. Well, okay, it’s a complaint. Hmm, I’m a marketing professional. Maybe I should do something about it. ; )
Cosmetics companies always advertise on models that don’t need cosmetics!!! Go figure
I think that is 100% true. I look at them and think they don’t even need any make-up and it actually ruins their natural beauty given to them by YOUTH! And estrogen
Yes, estrogen! Good point, Gail.
Exactly! Thanks for the reply, Sandy. Seems like we need to get after the cosmetics companies to change the paradigm, right?
Great article and interview full of makeup tips from someone who worked with the beauty icons of my youth, such as Brooke Shields and Christie Brinkley. Lots of makeup product suggestions to look into. Thanks for sharing with us, Sandy. Wish I could come see you one day! Angela, Canada
Great article always love Sandy. I don’t like the plug for the SBLA products. I don’t believe it’s sincere, it’s a favor to her friend Brinkley who is invested in the company and the face of the company. If there’s money to be made, Brinkley will endorse it, and she gets her friends to do the same. It’s kind of tiring and it takes advantage of women who presume sincerity from celebrities. There have been many negative reviews of that product, and it’s quite expensive. Otherwise great article
I understand your thought here, however I’m using this product on my neck and my baggy under eye area. I didn’t want to Not use it because Christie is involved with it.
Thanks for the reply Sandy, and for understanding my point. I still think it’s a plug for a friend. The product is a gimmick, and we all know clinical trials in the skincare industry are not real clinical trials. Irisin does not penetrate the skin. But I understand why you did it. I just think the bigger picture is more important. Keep being you, we love you
I’ve know Christie Brinkley as a friend and as someone who’s opinion I personally, think very highly of, especially anything concerning beauty. I mean her taste in everything is unparalleled. If she recommends something to me, I’ll try it. And I’ll pass the information on when I can.
Have not seen you in at least, 20 years! You doing my makeup was the best I have ever had. Hoping that all these years you will be amazing- surely you will. I saw you at Stephen Knoll!!