Wrinkles aren’t the only things that give you an old appearance… and Botox isn’t the only solution. As any celebrity worth their salt understands, there are other secrets to staying younger-looking for longer. Here’s what they know that you might not.
Elle Macpherson
Former supermodel Elle Macpherson says she exfoliates morning and night, every day. “It’s the only way to keep skin soft, smooth and glowing,” she explains. Most of us should find that exfoliating two to three times a week will deal to dead skin cells and give the serums and moisturisers we apply a better shot at working. Go for a product that’s non-abrasive and that will put something back into the skin.
Cindy Crawford
“You can get any plastic surgery in the world, but hair colour is what enables women to look younger longer,” says former supermodel Cindy Crawford (46). Don’t take your hair too dark, or you’ll wash out your skin. It’s safer not to go more than three shades lighter or darker than your natural colour. Steer clear of golds if you have yellow-toned skin, and stay away from reds if you have pink cheeks – brown is the most flexible colour.
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston (43) has a morning ritual. Every morning she lays refreezable ice packs on her eyes. The ice constricts blood vessels and so it helps to reduce puffiness. Jen may also find her eyes are less puffy if she switches to a lighter eye cream at night.
Heidi Klum
The Project Runway star (39) reckons self-tanner is an instant anti-ager and says she often leaves gold marks on her sheets.
Nicole Kidman
Her porcelain skin is one of 44-year-old actress Nicole Kidman’s greatest assets and she’s obsessive about staying out of the sun. She begs movie directors to keep her in the shade and if she can’t avoid exposure, then uses a specially formulated super-strong sunscreen – even in winter.
Diane Lane
Actress Diane Lane (47) is a fan of acupuncture face-lifts. This is an age-old practice where fine needles are inserted into the face to treat fine lines, enlarged pores, sagging and skin tone. It works by stimulating the skin to produce more collagen and a series of around 12 treatments over two to three months is recommended.
**MY BEAUTY SECRETS
**Writer Helene Ravlich (40) blogs about beauty at mshelene.com
My beauty philosophy is… If you wouldn’t put it in your mouth, then definitely don’t put it on your face. When it comes to skin I keep things as organic as possible, and we’re lucky that in 2012 there are some organic brands that are high performance too.
The skincare products I can’t live without are… An ever-evolving selection of goodies from my favourite brands which are Sodashi, Antipodes and Dr. Hauschka. I also take Bestow Beauty Oil every day and never leave home without Osmosis Shelter sunscreen – in my opinion the best out there.
My haircare secret is… I have a few up my sleeve! Having regular Sans Infusions at Stephen Marr salon in Auckland’s Ponsonby whenever I can to strengthen my hair and boost my colour, as well as using Sans pH & Shine Corrector on my hair with every wash. I also try to wash my hair as little as possible – twice a week at most!
The must-have products in my makeup bag are… Murad Skin Perfecting Primer, BECCA Boudoir Skin Mineral Powder Foundation and Concealer, Chantecaille Mascara, MAC Velvet Teddy, Lady Danger and Russian Red lipsticks and NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bettina. For night I add Bobbi Brown Coffee Bean Eyeshadow and lashings of any number of NARS Kohl Pencils.
My favourite beauty treat is… Sodashi’s Samadara Anti-ageing Creme is a life-changer, but at over $500 a pot is most definitely a treat!
My biggest beauty sin is… Neglecting my décolleté up until about a year ago – what was I thinking? It’s essentially the same skin as the face and sees just as much sun! Now I religiously cover it in Dr. Hauschka Regenerating Neck And Décolleté Cream every morning and the transformation has been amazing.
The best thing my mother taught me about beauty was… Smile! I try and remember, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
