Sandra Sallin on Art, Makeup, and Aging Awesomely After 80

ByCindy Hattersley Hours Posted on Hours Updated on
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I feel so fortunate to know the amazing Sandra personally. We stay in touch, chatting about everything from business and gardening to design. And of course, I can’t resist picking her brain for makeup tips (she knows I am makeup challenged). I always tease her that I want to be her when I grow up. Like all of us, Sandra has faced health challenges along the way, but she remains a breath of fresh air, living proof that life after 80 can be vibrant, creative, and truly inspiring. Let’s chat with Sandra Sallin on Art, Makeup, and Aging Awesomely After 80.

Follow Sandra on Youtube here

Sandra Sallin on Art, Makeup, and Aging Awesomely After 80

You describe yourself as an 84-year-old Pro-Aging woman with too many lipsticks. Tell us how you were introduced to social media and what has been the most interesting and rewarding parts of sharing your pro-aging journey?

Well, I guess I’m an OG. I started using a computer in 1985 when the early Macintosh’s came out. As a professional artist, I had to send out a lot of slides of my paintings and resumes to art galleries. I had not taken typing at school so it would take me a whole day to two-finger type out perfect documents. It was tedious and took me a lot of time. 

One day, I was complaining to a friend, and he had just seen a Macintosh computer demonstration and thought it would be perfect for me. I immediately went to a business store (?) and asked about a Mac: Can it copy? Can it erase? Can it? Can it? CAN IT? 

But, at that time, this technology was so new that the salesman wasn’t sure what it could do. But I was so desperate I simply bought one on the spot. And that’s when my love affair with computers began. And miracle of miracles, it did exactly what I needed and more. I simply loved my computer. I became obsessed. I went to computer meetings, went to computer stores, and even joined computer groups. After a lot of badgering, I even converted my husband and kids (but it took years).

I was also reading all the magazines about computers and soon found out about various apps like Facebook etc. So, I joined Facebook, started a blog and tried to figure out Instagram. I made friends all over the computer world and I loved that connection. I think that’s the most rewarding part of being online. It’s meeting people. I’m still friendly with old buddies. Many email me when they’re coming into town and we always meet and have a lovely time together. I’ve connected with a lot of people in Italy, England, and Australia and even more in the U.S.

Speaking of lipsticks – give us your top five favorite brands and colors. Are there any newer options that you have been surprised by that you are loving, or do you stick to the classics?

Aw, lipsticks. I wonder if my love of lipsticks comes from my sense of color. I remember the first time I used oil paint:  I became so excited by the wide range of colors on my palette. And in a way, that’s what happens to me with lipsticks. I am absolutely certain there is a color out there that will change my life.

Ok, Let’s go back a year. My favorite for a while was Tom Ford’s #31 and Flamingo. LOVED IT. They stopped making it. Then I fell for Lisa Eldridge’s Audrey. I was obsessed and was looking for the same color in other brands. Finally, I worked out a combination of two lipsticks: one layer of Revlon 415 Pink in the Afternoon and second layer of 807 Fire Peach. Meanwhile I was also enjoying Yves St. Laurent #150, which I found very moisturizing and nice for wearing around the house for an easy look. Lately I’ve been wearing Lisa Eldridge’s Je Ne Sai Quoi and for a lighter look Lisa Eldridge’s Kitten Mischief. For a bright red I wear Esteé Lauder #330 Impassioned. It’s a lovely bright red with a touch of warmth to it. Give me a few months and who knows what I’ll fall in love with. I do think at my age and with my unshapely lips that I need a lipstick like a tummy needs a girdle.

You are also an award-winning blogger, all about “women of a certain age.” Has this “certain age” evolved as people have become more mindful and positive about aging?

I think there are more women of a certain age online. If they want to stay current, you simply can’t avoid it. Everything is online now. But some of my friends are afraid to get into computers and I have to drag them, kicking and digging their heels in, to learn how to send an email and to use the internet. 

You are a very talented artist – tell us about this part of your life and how you landed in the arts.

The Arts? Perhaps I inherited my love of creativity. My mother was always making our house beautiful. My father had been a dental technician. He made the most beautiful teeth in the city. When I was a very little girl I would lay on the floor and draw and listen to the radio. If I wasn’t drawing, I would be using my hands, knitting and crocheting. I helped my mother embroider a huge tablecloth and napkins. But even though I was remarkably good at these things, I never considered myself an artist.

Perhaps I was intimidated. My middle sister took art classes and when I was about seven, I saw a homework assignment that she had completed. It was in watercolor. And it was a realistic painting of an apple, a clock, and a piece of driftwood. I took one look at it and decided I couldn’t do anything like that in a million years, so I turned to music. I studied piano, dance, debate, and theater. I was even president of the A Cappella Choir and Head Song Leader at Los Angeles High School. In fact, they still ask me to lead songs and cheers at all of our reunions.

Later, in college, I could not find what I wanted to study. I tried everything, but nothing clicked for me until one day, out of frustration and going against everything I thought about myself, I signed up for my first art class. When I turned in my first assignment, I got an A and that was it.

Give us a rundown of 5 things you never leave home without. 

Five things I can never leave home without? Are you serious? How about five things I can’t find to take with me when I go out of the house? I can never find my keys, can’t find my purse, or my iPhone. I am not organized enough to remember where I put things. So, I’m lucky to get out of the house intact. There are times when my husband has suggested I wear a homing device so I can find my way back to him.

You were a former TV commercial actress – and now you have a strong following on YouTube. How has your acting career translated over into how and why you make your videos and what can we look forward to content-wise in the next few months?


Yes, I was a commercial actress and appeared in dozens of TV spots. But I wasn’t really acting, I was just being my ebullient, cheerleader, lets-put-on a-show-self. I’m always up for fun. Thus, when I started doing videos for YouTube, it was just pretty much me being me, talking with a friend on the phone or over lunch. That’s just who I am. I try to make it fun and not to take the whole thing too seriously. Honestly, for each weekly video, I never really know what I’m going to say. I don’t write a script. My husband turns the camera on, and I just come up with this stuff on the spot.

Share with us 5 fun facts that might surprise us. 

Fun facts?

Sandra Sallin in World War II Fighter
  1. We lived for many years in Sun Valley, Idaho where I skied Black Diamond runs in the winter, climbed 10,000 ft. mountains in the summer, and was actually kissed by live wolves in the Sawtooths.
  2. Just before Covid, my husband and I each flew in separate World War II fighters, the Spitfire and did victory rolls over the White Cliffs of Dover.
  3. Oh, and I once had lunch with our son at the Apple commissary in Cupertino where I sat next to Steve Jobs. At my husband’s urging, I got up, went over to him and shook his hand, telling him that he made awesome machines!
  4. I love gardening. We have a lot of hillsides at our home, and I have created a sea of wildflowers, grasses, and native plants. I also have several potted plants which I talk to. They respond by providing me with beautiful flowers and a bunch of monarch butterflies circling outside my kitchen.
  5. I collect cookbooks and have shelves upon shelves of cookbooks (almost as many as I have lipsticks, but not quite). I’m a really good cook, but I find that by doing social media and YouTube, there are simply not enough hours in the day for shopping and cooking.
Sandra Sallin being kissed by wolves

Describe your sense of style.

My sense of style. I think because of my eye as an artist I like the offbeat. I love shopping at museums. I like things with an edge, including my hair. 

What’s a normal day for you – give us a breakdown. 

A normal day? Wake up, get coffee, take the unused water from the Nespresso machine and put it into the bird bath. The birds don’t seem to be very interested in cleanliness, but I keep hoping. I then have coffee and an orange and walk a couple of miles in the hills. 

If I’m shooting that day, I wash my hair and get all the makeup together to shoot. After shooting I upload everything, look at it and get ready to edit. I’m usually so tired by that time that we order food in for dinner. We’re always watching movies or series on TV, reading a new book until my eyes won’t stay open, then bed. 

You are truly 84 years YOUNG! How do you keep yourself so positive and looking so amazing? Tell us your secrets!

Keeping positive. I’ve had six major surgeries and two bouts of radiation for recurring tumors, but somehow, I am able to get past those traumas and keep positive. I discovered that I am very, very good at denial and my surgeon says that it is my superpower!

Looking OK? Basal cell carcinomas started appearing when I was in my 30’s and I’ve had to have dozens of surgeries on my face. (I had X-ray treatments on my face for acne as a teenager, thus the basal cell cancers). As a result, I’ve been using SPF products before many people ever heard of it. I’ve always taken good care of my skin even as a teenager. But not crazy care; I’m not disciplined enough to do a 10-step process. I’ve never had Botox or fillers, or any other cosmetic surgery because I was always worried about the results. I didn’t want to look in the mirror and wonder who that person was staring back at me.

I just want to look like me, scars and all.

Influencer Sandra Sallin with Hot Dogs

Other than your blog, your artwork, and social media, what other hobbies/interests do you have?

To be honest I’m interested in almost everything. Right now, I’m reading about how the Rosetta Stone was deciphered as well as another book all about potted plants.

Do you follow any sort of a fitness routine or diet?

Fitness routine. I’ve always loved walking. We live in the hills, and I do a couple of miles a day, up and down. Trust me, it’s quite a workout. My husband has found a Myogenics Fitness trainer who offers a unique approach to strength training and even over a short period, the results are really amazing! I plan on working with him once a week also.

If you could give your younger self any words of advice, what would they be?

Advice? I’d tell my younger self: wear the red lipstick, take the trip, laugh loudly, and live boldly.

Sandra and Bob Sallin

Share your words to live by:

Life goes by in a blink, so fill it with joy, curiosity, and love. Aging isn’t scary — it’s a privilege. And the best is that you get braver as you go.

If you need makeup advice, I advise you to follow Sandra. She knows more about applying makeup to aging skin than any 40-year-old influencer. Spending time with Sandra is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. We keep trying to get together again. She has a way of making you feel like the best version of yourself while reminding you that creativity and curiosity need not fade with age. I feel lucky to call her a “pal” and even luckier to share her story with all of you. Sandra is proof that life after 80 can be full of humor, stylish, and endlessly interesting. I hope you enjoyed learning more about Sandra Sallin on Art, Makeup, and Aging Awesomely After 80. I sure did! If you have any questions for Sandra, I am pretty sure we can convince her to hop on here and answer them.

sandra sallin bracelets

Be sure and follow Sandra below for more fun:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SandraSallin 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrasallin/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrasallin 

Website: https://www.sandrasallin.com/ 

Blog: My Blog: Apart From My Art: apartfrommyart.com 

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/sandrasallin?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadsIix_kYIz_B_-KsdmfrLe2zdNUBwQR8xwh8z1ZxKJ9b1L5N1rSrd0yPdGLg_aem_TMqb96Aam_AsKrjTaY_pCQ 

Pinterest: pinterest.com/sandrasallin

You can find all of our previous Ageless Style Interviews here.







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76 Comments

  1. Such a positive, honest, life affirming interview! Thank you Cindy for the intro to Sandra. I’m not far behind in age, so the life lessons Sandra expressed really resonated with me. Kudos also to all of the women with their uplifting comments! Such a joy to begin a morning this way👏

  2. Sandra is a hoot and her energy is contagious! Her videos are down to earth and informative. I agree, wear the red lipstick. If it bleeds, use a clear lip liner. Problem solved. Her quest for the perfect lipstick is totally relatable. Am personally chasing a shade that was discontinued in the 70’s. Revlon had a product line called Natural Wonder. Can’t remember the exact name, but I think it was Wild Ginger. It was a spicy brown gloss with a bit of juicy pink undertones. Looking at the tube, you’d never think it would go with a cool skin tone. So wrong! Will keep chasing that dang color because it was so flattering.

  3. I have been hoping you would interview Sandra. I am a huge fan. I loved her interview with Brenda Coffee. I got two genuine gifts from it. I am midway through read Mayan Blue( it is an amazing and inspiring story) and I have FINALLY mastered using bronzer!!!!
    Sandra is one of my examples of a statement by Maya Angelou,”People don’t often remember what you said, but they will always remember how you make them feel” it was such fun to read more about this delightful woman.

  4. Wow, thanks for this post, Cindy, and for sharing the amazing Sandra with us. I’m so inspired! Wonderful content here, Cindy — and thank you for that.

  6. I LOVE Sandra! Not sure how I first found her–maybe a link from Cindy?–but she SO often brightens my day with fun. Watching her most recent video is a favorite thing. At 79, I’m always looking for “mature make-up” suggestions. Her video on “I Was Doing It All Wrong” is spectacular. I had followed all the advice for older women to put darkish color on drooping lids, but was never satisfied. Then Sandra told me to light up my eyes! Very grateful. Loved this interview and she even mentioned Revlon’s Pink in the Afternoon! THE “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” lipstick and a favorite of mine, channeling my inner Audrey!
    My new mantra shall be: Wear the red lipstick!

    1. Hi Susan

      I will watch that video. Sandra has tried to give me lessons…there is always hope!!

  7. Cindy,

    I have been wondering and waiting for you to feature Sandra! I love her! Sadly, I only know her from her videos but she is so friendly and personable that she makes you feel like she is your best friend.
    I too am makeup challenged and Sandra has been kind enough to answer my messages on Instagram for direction.
    Sandra is what we all should aspire to as we age, a strong, curious, funny woman who gets up every day and lives life to the fullest!

    Thank you for sharing your amazing friend Cindy! Have a wonderful weekend.

  8. Sandra is so filled with the elixir of exuberance and as a ‘mature’ person, I really appreciate that.
    I suspect she’d love the mantra (I think by Hunter S Thompson): ‘Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting “Wow… what a ride!” ‘
    And I really agree on lipsticks – never leave home without it!
    Thanks for posting such a great interview.

    1. Oh, I love that Hunter Thompson Quote. Thank you. You’re exactly right. with any luck I’ll foget it’s my funeral and I’ll be busy running around looking for it. You’re my kind of woman Prue.

  9. Great interview with Sandra! I’ve been following her for a while – and enjoy the make up tips, stories (tried a couple of her moms recipies), the sights and sounds on her walks, interviews with interesting people and the youtubes. You and Sandra both continue to inspire and show there are no limits as we embrace aging.

    1. Thanks Barb. You’re right there are no limits. I just started taking a weight training class with resistance machines, I think. Anyway look out for my new biceps at 85!

  10. Sandra is fabulous and makes everyone feel like a friend. Thank you for featuring her. Now I have one important question for her, how on earth do you get lipstick to stay on? Those staining ones are too drying and the others fade away within minutes. I would like to sport a bright lip but only my bathroom mirror gets to enjoy it!

    1. Ok, my latest thing is putting on pencil and then powdering my lips. Then putting on the lipstick and remember to not lick your lips. I don’t even realize I’m licking my lips. When all else fails, just keep on putting your lipstick on.

  11. I found Sandra on You Tube and have been mesmerized ever since! She offers such good, sound, happy advice….and all for free!! I do have a question for you Sandra, how do you store all your jewelry? I love making beaded bracelets but have a few over here and a few over there, all a mess! Do you have any storage tips or storage products you prefer? Thank you!☺️

    1. Yes, I bought one of those IKea storage units for my makeup and wound up using it for my jewelry. When I used to make Jewelry I put them in plastic storage boxes. I kept one box for my tools and beads and another for the finished bracelets. Just keep them all together.

    2. Hey Linda,
      Not sure if it would work in your home, but when I set up my closet, I purchased the Komplement drawer from Ikea. There is a plastic insert (Pax drawer divider), that fits into it with compartments. Finally, there is a glass top that allows me to see everything. The pieces are sorted by color. For the larger pieces, I have a bracelet display with two tiers. Finally, with necklaces, I took thrifted picture frames and attached hooks to hang necklaces. Another frame was upholstered and that holds all my vintage pins. Hope this helps with some display ideas. My closet is a happy place and I smile each time I walk in to get dressed.

  12. Thanks for sharing more about Sandra here. I have seen some of her videos and it’s from her that I learned of Nuxe oil that I have on auto-reorder. Since I’m not a huge amount of years behind her in age, she gives me further inspiration that life can still be fun, interesting and rewarding, even into the eighties. You go, girl!

  13. I adore Sandy, and I’m lucky to call her a friend, and it’s even better that I’ve seen her twice in the last few months. She’s smart and vibrant, and her joie de vivre is contagious. I dare you to be in a bad mood around Sandy. How fun you’re talking with her about makeup because last week, she did an Instagram live with me about my makeup and my book, MAYA BLUE. xoxox, Brenda

    1. Yes, Brenda and I shut down the restaurant. Kinda. She presented Maya Blue to my Book Club and we all thoroughly enjoyed the book and Brenda. Social Media can certainly open one’s life to new experiences and people.

    2. Hi Brenda

      I watched part of your live but I had to leave because I had a zoom call. I need to go back and listen to the rest! You are right about Sandra, impossible to be in a bad mood around her!!

  14. I am just smiling after reading your post!! Sandra, you brightened my day!! What a beautiful way to begin my day!!!

  15. Fabulous interview with Sandra! You are so lucky she is your pal!
    I watch her videos over & over & have gotten such wonderful ideas.
    She is definitely a woman I want to emulate!!! Love her!!!

  16. Sandra sounds like a party waiting to happen. She is cool as ever and an inspiration. Thanks for the interview. More please.

  17. HICindy,
    What a great interview of Sandra! She’s so unapologetically herself, I love that about her! I also admire her incredible talent, her paintings are gorgeous. On camera she exudes confidence and is so natural, that’s a talent too! Her advice to her younger self is so good. I am trying to follow it right now.- wearing the red lipstick and going for a big, bright day and life.
    I was happy to read more about Sandra, great job Cindy.
    Xo Heidi

  18. Cindy, thank you for a wonderful interview. You and Sandra are my favorite bloggers/vloggers. Sandra’s attitude is absolutely contagious, and her you tube videos are so fun and informative! When I started following her I dug back into her old posts on Apart From My Art to find out more about her. It was a fun afternoon—reading first person accounts from a woman who has lived, and is living, the most interesting life. She writes just like she speaks and makes you feel like you’re sitting in her living room having a (very fun!) visit with her. She needs to join Brenda Coffee and write a memoir!

    2. Oh my goodness. That’s one thing I don’t think I could do well enough to keep me involved But I love reading autobiographies.

  20. What a terrific interview! I’ve followed Sandra on several of her platforms. What inspires me the most is when there’s a glitch, whether not finding her mirror, the right product, close-up glasses, or whatever, and she just laughs, carries on, no big deal, and it’s all good. I love that. Seeing her reactions gives me courage to not “sweat the small stuff (and it’s all small stuff.)” Thank you.

  21. I love Sandra. She is truly a free spirit. Now that I know she is a techie, I’m sure she could navigate the Apple Air Tag to
    stay organized and find her phone, keys and bag. (No affiliation lol.)

    2. You smartie! Our son felt the same way. I now have Air Tags on everything. BUT, that means I have to actually look on the phone (where is it) or computer and look for something. When I’m desperate I do it. I love looking on my watch for my phone. Trust me I do this all the time if I can remember.

  22. How I love Sandra! She always makes me smile. Love her use of color in her home, clothes, jewelry and her lipstick! I, too, have had several facial skin cancer surgeries. Two on my nose which were quite devastating but if Sandra can embrace her scars—-I’m going to try to improve my resolve in that department, too! I’m inspired!

    2. Good for you. Yes, nobody really cares. Who looks at noses? It’s the eyes. Also I’ve had a few of my nose scars redone. There’s a proper medical word for it. If it bothers you too much. I can’t tell you how many nose scares I have. after a while they just kind of face or our eye’s get worse.

  24. Loved this interview! Love Sandra Sallin! She is a joy and an inspiration. Always look forward to her videos. I have learned so much.

  26. Enjoyed the post with Sandra. I turned 85 in August this year and still love all the things, fashion, makeup, design. Living my best life in these later years. Many blessings.

  27. Cindy! I thoroughly enjoyed this interview with Sandra and have enjoyed so many of her videos. Her outlook, joie d’vivre, love of technology and gardening, all remind me so much of my mother, who recently passed just shy of her 101st birthday. She gardened like mad up until the end and heaven forbid if you stood between her and her computer. Sandra is truly a great inspiration for how to live life to the fullest, regardless of time ticking by. Would love to see more from Sandra on your blog.

    1. Hi Beth!

      Follow Sandra on Youtube. Her makeup tutorials are the best, and I do not have the patience for youtube!!

    2. Thank you Beth. I bet your mother and I would have a grand time together. It must be a hard loss for you.

    2. Thank you Anne. Cindy and I have a mutual admiration society so I was honered she asked me to participate. She has a great group of subscribers. I loved the questions she asked.

  29. Fantastic article about a remarkable woman. Sandra is so vibrant. Thank you for introducing us to her.

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