As one of Australia's leading make-up artists, Morris knows a thing or two about lippies and foundations and her latest mission is to teach women how to enhance their best features.
And not those young, flawless types either - Morris's latest book Timeless Makeup is aimed at women over 35.
"I work with make-up every day so I see how it can transform a woman's face," says Morris, who is also the L'Oreal Paris make-up director.
After 20 years in the business Morris reveals all her tips for making women look younger and slimmer. She says if your skin is luminous and glowing it will help a woman look younger.
Older women need to know the importance of achieving perfect eyebrow shape and creating plumper and more youthful lips, Morris says.
Her book is also full of big colour charts to help choose the right colour eye shadows to suit your eye colour - plus there are plenty of tips about beauty pitfalls.
"Remember, wherever you put shimmer, you're going to enhance a wrinkle," she advises.
Morris says women need to embrace make-up.
"For example, if you even out your skin tone by applying foundation you can make yourself 10 to 15 years younger.
"There's so much you can do. Make-up is really powerful and you can get some really amazing effects," she says.
Morris, who splits her time between Sydney and New York, says women shouldn't be afraid of ageing.
"It's not such a bad thing. In fact, it's kind of fabulous.
"I love the older bracket. If I had to spend the rest of my life working with older women I would.
"If I'm doing a wedding the mother-of-the-bride is always my favourite - I can't wait to get my hands on her. You can see such a difference and they just go `oh wow'."
But Morris warns that over the decades women need to change their make-up habits.
"Be age-appropriate. What worked for us at 18 simply won't work for us at 40," she says.
Another problem Morris notes is the bad habits that we may have learned from our mothers, still being copied years and years later.
It's frustrating, she says, when a woman could look so much more beautiful if they just got their make-up right.
Morris is not particularly fussed by expensive brands but does say a good brush collection can make a big difference in the final look.
She says she can't tell the difference between the expensive foundations and the cheap ones.
"Most of the expensive companies are owned by the cheap companies anyway. Lipstick is lipstick."
And if you do visit a department store, Morris recommends walking around the counters and finding someone your age.
Her book features before and after photos of 40-something-plus Aussie women, captured by Jason Capobianco, including Gail Elliott, Deni Hines, Dr Cindy Pan and Tina Arena, and others aged well into their 50s and 60s.
There is practical advice with simple to follow step-by-step instructions to achieve looks for both day and night, for women of all ethnic groups.
Another quirky tip from Morris is to find a Hollywood actress that is your age and with similar skin and hair colouring and follow their lead.
"Think to yourself: Does Jane Fonda wear white frosty eyeshadow with blue eyes, orange lips, too much self tan with really bad overdone hair? And no, it's always simpler. It's a good guide."
For Morris, who has pale skin and dark hair, she says Liv Tyler and Anne Hathaway are her Hollywood guides.
FACTBOX
Rae Morris's dos and don'ts
DOS
- Match eyeshadow to your eye colour and only use matte shades, because matte eyeshadow will erase wrinkles
- Blend eyeshadow - use an eyeshadow brush and really work the colours together
- Get eyelash extensions
- Keep lips and cheeks natural and rosy; think of a youthful teenage girl. A rose-coloured lipstick is essential
- Have a couple of different shades of foundation, one for each season as your skin tone will change, and that beautifully covers pigmentation and veins
- Get eyeshadow colour right
- Shape eyebrows correctly
- Remove all stray hairs around the mouth
DON'TS
- Don't over-arch or over-pluck your eyebrows
- Don't use really strong lipstick colour, especially if your lips are drooping on the sides
- Don't overdo the powder because it can make skin look flat and dead. In fact, Morris recommends not using powder at all and says liquids are much more flexible on the skin
- Don't smile when applying blush because your cheeks lift. When you stop smiling your blush will be closer to your jaw
- Bin all bright frosty eyeshadows
- Don't use pinky-beige foundation colours because they are ageing
- Don't test foundation on the back of your hand
- Don't use heavy eyeliner under your eyes if your eyes are beginning to droop - it will accentuate the droopiness. And don't use eyeliner only a third away across - go either all the way across or not at all.
- No heavy lipliner with a different colour lipstick
* Timeless Makeup by Rae Morris is published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $39.99
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