MEET THE BEAUTY GURUS WHO ARE AGEING GLORIOUSLY

Forget ‘anti-ageing’ – growing older gloriously has never been more fashionable. Five stylish gurus tell YOU Beauty Editor Bella Blissett what makes them look and feel great

IF you were to count how many products you currently have in your bathroom that include the phrase ‘anti-ageing’ on the packaging, what figure would you arrive at? My guess is that you’d be into double digits – at least. In fact, the phrase has so oft been used by the health and beauty industry over the past four decades that it has become ingrained in the cultural mindset, affecting not only how we think about age (negatively), but also how we think about ourselves. However, the tide has begun to turn, as brands such as Nars, Gucci and Marc Jacobs have challenged the seemingly mutually exclusive concepts of ‘older’ and ‘beautiful’ by showcasing actresses Charlotte Rampling (who will be 72 tomorrow), Vanessa Redgrave (81) and Jessica Lange (68) respectively in their advertising campaigns. And in August last year, US beauty magazine Allure took things further when it put a 72-year- old Helen Mirren on its cover and banned the term ‘anti-ageing’ from its pages. Five months on, Helen says it’s time we all make a fresh start and reframe how we think about wellness and ageing. ‘As sure as night follows day, we get older. So you either die young or embrace getting older. I choose the latter,’ she says. Currently face of the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Make Up range, she believes that, ‘As you get older, new things come into your life that are fantastic. Ageing is a process of learning. I believe that we can all make ourselves look and feel good at any age.’

As for the little luxuries in life that get her there? ‘A really good haircut, pairing sunglasses with killer red lipstick such as L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Rouge Lumiere [pictured in Sublime Red, £7.99, boots.com] – and a kickass pair of shoes!’

From products to positivity, food and exercise, we asked six prominent women in the health and beauty industry to reveal what makes them feel fantastic

– no matter their age.

“‘ WE CAN ALL MAKE OURSELVES LOOK AND FEEL GOOD AT ANY AGE ” HELEN MIRREN

Helen Mirren, left, and, from top, Jessica Lange, Vanessa Redgrave and Charlotte Rampling