6 Influential Fifty-Somethings Share Their Beauty and Skin-Care Secrets

Grece Ghanem during Copenhagen Fashion Week January 2020
Grece Ghanem during Copenhagen Fashion Week, January 2020Photo: Getty Images

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They say with age comes confidence. And few people are more confident in their skin these days than the fashionable fifty-something. Indeed, thanks to changing cultural attitudes around beauty, a new wave of influencers is finding fame on Instagram. These women have brains, beauty and bucketloads of life experience. Not to mention great skin. Here, they share some of their beauty secrets, and advice on how to age gracefully.

Mouchette Bell

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When I was growing up, beauty seemed to be everything I was not. However, by the time I was a teenager, things started to change. Today, I feel beautiful when I am rested and feeling full of vitality, like after a summer swim in the sea. 

In recent years, social media has opened up a whole new world of beauty appreciation. I try not to feel too pressured by it, and feel it’s important to take breaks from it. But I would be lying if I said I did not like seeing those little red hearts of appreciation every now and then.

Aging is a fact of life, so if we can do it with positivity, it is a good thing. I have never used Botox or filler. I will stick with my lines, I have earned them. However, I am not going to judge other people if that’s what they want to do.

I would describe my look as being fairly natural: a strong lip color and a little warmth for the cheeks.  My favorite lipstick brands are Chanel, Lisa Eldridge, and Mac. I always remove my make-up before I go to bed and use a hot flannel after cleaning. A new discovery is the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Moisturiser, as it feels very nourishing. I also drink lots of water which I have done all my life. 

As I am now a practicing Buddhist, I meditate every morning and evening. I do qigong for exercise, and I walk a lot in the fresh air as I live between the seaside and London. Also, it’s proven that doing or saying something to uplift someone else every day brings on our own endorphins, which we know is good for health and wellbeing.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream moisturizer with hyaluronic acid

Lyn Slater

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I am certainly not conventionally “beautiful,” but my attitude seems to make others think I am. My social media career has been about challenging conventional norms about who is considered beautiful. But I actually think ageism has increased since I began my project in 2014. COVID brought about a resurgence of anti-age sentiment, made us retreat from public life, and made it seem like all people over 65 are all the same. The media needs to seriously change its representations of older life. 

My approach to makeup is very minimal and I rarely deviate unless I’m going to a special event. Most days I wear a tinted moisturizer with some cream blush for a hint of color, some brow gel, a little eyeliner and mascara. I love Gucci Beauty for eyeliner and lipliner, and the Fluide De Beauté Fini Naturel primer and foundation. I look for products that provide light coverage and give me a healthy glow.

I rarely paid much attention to my skin when I was younger. My biggest regret is not using sunscreen until later in life and not always dealing with stress or diet in healthy ways. These days, I do daily yoga, walk several miles, eat a plant-based diet, don’t smoke or drink alcohol, try to learn something new every day. I write, and spend time with family, friends and younger people—they inspire me. 

Gucci Sérum De Beauté Fluide Soyeux – silk priming serum

Maye Musk

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Growing up, it never occurred to me that I should feel beautiful. The first time someone said I was beautiful was when I moved to the United States at the age of 48. It was most unusual in South Africa and Canada to say to someone’s face that they are beautiful. Character was more important than your outside look. What makes me feel beautiful today is walking the red carpet in a magnificent designer gown, with professional hair and make-up. Red carpet invites only started at the age of 68. Don’t give up!

 I like to wear natural makeup when I’m meeting friends, but I am very experimental when it comes to fashion and the red carpet. I follow beauty trends, because at 73, I need to remain relevant, stylish and unexpected. My favorite makeup products are concealer to hide my sunspots, foundation to smooth my uneven skin tone, eyebrow pencil to give my face some kind of shape, mascara to enhance my short eyelashes, and a bold lipstick that’s outlined a little larger than my lips, as my lips are very thin. My preferred brand is Dior.

I am very careful about my skin care. I use good products to wash my face, eye cream, moisturizer and lip balm. I also use a face mask when I have 20 minutes to relax. For a mask, I use 111skin regularly. I am using a lot of Dior skin-care products for cleansing, moisturizing, make-up remover, face scrub, and eye cream.

I take care of myself very carefully, as I need to be in good health and have plenty of energy. As a dietitian, I follow a flexitarian diet, which means vegetarianism at home and meat, fish or chicken when eating out. When I take care of myself physically, it helps mentally as well. When I eat badly, I feel sad. Don’t be sad. In my nutrition practice, my patients would tell me they are seeing more wrinkles. I would tell them that would happen as they are losing fat in their faces. It is still better than heart disease, diabetes or hypertension. Health is everything!

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111Skin rose gold brightening facial treatment mask

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Dior Homme Dermo System micro-purifying cleansing gel

Grece Ghanem

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I believe that as I have grown older, I’ve gotten to know myself better and I have become more confident in who I am. I believe this self-confidence radiates as beauty. 

There was a time when I thought things would gradually begin to change and we would start to see more older models, but in my opinion, that is still [not always the case]. Diversity is more than a trend. Diversity in modeling has changed the definition of grace and revolutionized the industry. Aging is liberating and I believe beauty does not disappear with age.

I have a very simplistic approach when it comes to makeup. Most of the time I stick to a simple routine that is just light mascara and a glossy lip, nothing too crazy. I do not really follow any beauty trends, I have come to know what works best for me. I still love to experiment from time to time and get out of my comfort zone and create a new look. My favorite red lip is the Dior 999 in the Velvet Finish.

My approach to skin care starts with what I put in my body every day. How your body feels on the inside will reflect on your skin on the outside. I have a lot of fruit and vegetables and I drink a lot of water daily. It is also important to exercise to keep the blood flowing in your skin, which helps keep it plump and regenerating. I am also committed to my skin-care routine in the morning and before bed. I also highly recommend wearing an SPF every day, with no exceptions, even if you are not leaving your home. My favorite skin-care products right now are the Furtuna Skin eye cream and NuFace Microcurrent routine—I do it almost daily.

Dior Rouge Dior refillable lipstick

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Furtuna Skin Cuore Visione Di Luce Eye Revitalizing cream

JoAni Johnson

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When I was younger, beauty trends were fun and exciting (think Twiggy’s dark underlined eyes, or dark goth). Now, for me, it’s more instinctual. My look changes with my daily duties or with what brings joy on a particular day. Currently, I’m just now learning to apply false lashes. I love enhancing my brows with Glossier Boy Brow, and for lips I like Fenty Beauty ProKiss.r.

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Glossier Boy Brow

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Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Kiss'r Luscious lip balm

Beauty and I have a unique relationship that gets stronger with each line and wrinkle earned. When it comes to ageism, we have a lot of work to do. There is not enough representation of older women and without representation, there is limited acceptance of the reality of aging that (hopefully, if they are lucky) many will realize. So include us, within editorials, on runways, and especially on magazine covers. Include others and not just Hollywood stars. 

Skin care is the most important part of any regime and I prefer to keep it as simple as possible, with daily cleansing, moisturizing and periodic masking. I always start with a cold splash of water, followed by a Milk Matcha Cleanser, and the Rose Inc Resolution Clarifying Toner. It’s important to take care of yourself physically and mentally. Physically, I like walking, simple exercise, and stretching, while mentally I take care of myself by reading and completing crossword puzzles.

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Milk Makeup Matcha cleanser

Rose Inc Skin Resolution Clean Exfoliating Acid toner

Jan de Villeneuve

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The first time I felt beautiful was when I was voted senior prom queen at my high school in 1962, but generally, I have never wanted to concentrate on the idea of beauty being too important in my life.

During the early ’70s, models did their own makeup for photographic jobs and I would put big false lashes on the top and bottom of my eyes, as was popular at the time. Perhaps because I have had to wear makeup for work, I’ve never worn much day-to-day unless I was going to a party. 

My approach to skin care has always been pretty much the same. I splash cold water on my face 25 times each morning after waking, and then moisturize. Currently, I use The Rich Cream by Augustinus Bader. I use Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream on my lips. For as long as I can remember, before going to sleep, I have moisturized again, massaging my face with cream for one minute.

Aging is a natural condition which we should acknowledge and accept with enthusiasm. It’s wonderful that older women are now part of the creative fashion scene, as they are part of life. I think it is good to encourage people to be themselves, whatever their age. We grow older, not younger, so that makes sense to me!

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream with TFC8® face moisturizer

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Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin protectant

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