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10 Iconic Beauties' Secrets to Staying Gorgeous at Any Age

Miriam Lacey — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:00:00 PST

Everyone, even celebrities, approaches aging differently. Although lots of people look great their entire lives, they have widely varying advice on how they got there. Here, 10 women whose beauty has withstood the test of time share their beliefs about staying stunning. From the highly philosophical to the utterly pragmatic, it's advice you'll definitely want to consider.

4 Things a 30-Year Beauty Veteran Would Tell Her 25-Year-Old Self

Jaime Richards — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:05:19 PDT

Beauty editor Lois Joy Johnson has been in the business for around 30 years, starting her career in at Mademoiselle and eventually working with magazines like More and Ladies' Home Journal. "I kind of aged with my reader," Johnson explains.

And as you can imagine, Johnson has picked up a lot of cosmetic tips and tricks along the way. So with that knowledge in mind, what advice would she give if she could go back in time and have a chitchat with her 25-year-old self? To find out the confessions of this beauty editor, just keep reading.

Want to Look Young Forever? Here's What It Might Cost

Miriam Lacey — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:00:02 PDT

When it comes to the pursuit of beauty, women in the US put a disproportionate emphasis on looking young. It's far less expensive (and often more attractive) to simply age gracefully and take care of yourself. But just as a thought experiment, we wanted to see just how much you'd spend over a lifetime if you were to try and look 25 forever. We did the math, so to find out, just keep reading.

Forget the Fountain of Youth, the Secret Is in Your Diet

Michele Foley — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:07:52 PDT

There's probably no better road map to aging than the face. A wrinkle here, a sunspot there - all signs that we're growing up. Let's be real; there's no magic cure for wrinkles and the other effects of aging, but there are preventive measures to take that don't involve fancy creams or weekly visits to the esthetician. Wrinkles, dry skin, and sun spots, all common signs of aging; find out which foods will stop them dead in their tracks. The fountain of youth is just a meal away.

Wrinkles

If someone mentioned that smiling left such an (ever) lasting impression, some of us may have been a little more selective with what we found funny. It seems that no matter what age you are when it happens, wrinkles still have the ability to make you feel, well, old. Keep in mind, aging isn't the only thing that causes wrinkles: smoking, sun damage, and all that squinting, smiling, and frowning also contribute to those little - and sometimes, not-so-little - lines that find a home on our face.
Preventative Foods: Vitamin C serums are huge in the skincare world as a good line of defense against wrinkles. They also come with a hefty price tag. Guess what? Science says, an orange a day keeps the wrinkles away! A study showed that participants who ate a diet high in vitamin C and linoleic acid were less prone to wrinkles. While we're talking fruit, you may want to up your berry intake, too. The antioxidant powerhouses are key in keeping skin free of environmental stress that help contribute to aging.

Learn which foods help with dry skin and sunspots after the break

Old Age or Loss of Youth: What Do We Really Fear?

Colleen Barrett — Wed, 18 May 2011 02:00:48 PDT

If 50 is the new 30, then 30 is the new 10, and I'm going out to play. But, alas, 50 is 50 - anything else is a marketing dream - and Britons say 59 is elderly. Age may just be number, but old age depends on what country you're in (like a 10 p.m. sunset in Canada). The French say it's 63, Greeks say 68, and Turks are young at heart until 72. These numbers, though, really tell us more about how the young see age than how the old feel it.

Old age, 10-year-old Wikipedia says, is an age that is near or beyond the average lifespan. That means Britons shouldn't feel old until about 80.1, while Turks are right on schedule, feeling old at 73 just after surpassing their 72.1 expiration date. Since the study, Predictors of Attitudes to Age Across Europe, did not include the US, we can't say for sure what Americans deem old; however, if going by the average-lifespan rule, old age commences at 78.7. Mark your calendars!

I only ponder "what qualifies as old age?" while on public transportation and evaluating if a person is really old enough to relinquish my seat to, so I can't say exactly, but I'd bet it starts well before 78. Jessica Alba, who just turned 30, recently talked to PopSugar LA about her esthetician friend, saying "even if I don't really need a facial she comes over and makes me look younger." How much younger can a 30-year-old look?

I imagine old age to be freeing à la Betty White - like if you make it that far then who cares? Because, like Jessica Alba, what I really fear is losing my youth; once that's gone, bring it! What about you?

Why a Positive Outlook May Be the Secret to Long Life

Leta Shy — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:00:08 PDT

Everyday stresses can dampen anyone's mood. But don't let the stress get to you too much - you may be shortening your life if you do so.

A gerontologist says that his longest-living patients are the ones that know how to take life's stresses and roll with the punches. Even though they've experienced their share of setbacks in their long lives (like losing loved ones and health scares), they've been able to maintain a positive disposition, which translates to years living longer: a study found that those who had negative perception about aging had more than a seven-year difference between the length of their lives and their happier counterparts.

While it is easier said than done, the ability to adapt a happier outlook is a good idea for your health. Want some suggestions on how to do so? Check them out after the break.

From Vanity to Red Lipstick to Sweating, Gwen Stefani's Most Honest Beauty Quotes

Jaime Richards — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:09:00 PDT

One thing that makes Gwen Stefani so captivating is her honesty. She's so forthcoming, in fact, that many of her songs feature personal details about her life and emotions. Similarly, when it comes to beauty, Gwen is not one to put a spin on things. See some examples of Gwen keeping it real when you read more.

The 0 to 100 Project Documents Every Stage of Life

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:14:00 PDT

If you have an iPad, the 0 to 100 Project is a gorgeous free download. The app is actually an art book, with images by photographer Sandy Nicholson documenting "the true face of the human lifespan: 101 portraits of folks at every age, from mere weeks to a full century old."

You can see snapshots of what people look like as they age and even make composite faces, and the photos are beautiful. The book also comes in traditional print format, but you can get it digitally gratis. It's a thought-provoking look at the diversity of human aging and well worth a tiny bit of memory on your iPad.

Source

Freezing Wrinkles May Be the New Botox Alternative

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:23:34 PDT

Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon Dr. Francis Palmer is betting that there's a market for people who want the effects of Botox without using botulism. Specifically, the company he works for, MyoScience, has developed a machine that uses cold to freeze facial nerves. The device, which uses a series of small needles called "cryoprobes" to freeze muscles' nerves into relaxing, is currently in clinical trials and may soon be looking for approval in Europe.

To me, the procedure sounds not unlike receiving Botox injections, insofar as there are lots of little needle jabs involved and the mechanism of wrinkle relaxation involves disabling nerves for a few months. If this technique gets FDA approval sometime soon, would you try it rather than getting Botox? Or are you content to age naturally?

Kim Cattrall's Secrets to Staying Sexy at Any Age

Daily Makeover — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:02:25 PDT

We're very excited to present this story from one of our favorite sites, Daily Makeover!

To say that Kim Cattrall knows sexy is like saying a fish knows how to swim--it just doesn't do justice to her innate ability to inhabit her sensuality. The 54-year-old actress spent the last decade as one of TV's most sexualized characters on HBO's Sex And The City. When we got the chance to sit down with Kim, who is the new face of Olay's Total Effects anti-aging body line, we got the scoop on how she continues to look so amazing. The soft-spoken star says women need to get rid of the notion that sexy means over-the-top. "I always think that less is more," she says. "There's a point where you look in the mirror and say 'Is this too much?' and if you even have that inclination than it usually is."

See what else Kim has to say about staying sexy when you keep reading