How to Age Like a Supermodel

By Kate Sullivan, Allure magazine
Brooke Shields, Paulina Porizkova-Ocasek, Patti Hansen, and Yasmin Le Bon may be supermodels with supergenes—it's hard to believe they're all age 45 and older. We asked them how they've maintained their looks (and their outlooks) with diet, exercise, beauty rituals, lifestyle changes, and attitude adjustments. For more from each of these models-turned-role-models, check out our April issue.

Stay fit.

"I'm very proud of being fit and strong at this age. I like to Spin three times a week at least and couple it with yoga. I've been dancing on Broadway for years, so when I'm in a show, my muscle memory comes right back. It's like being an athlete."
—Brooke Shields, 45 

Protect your skin.

"After age 27, I'd always put SPF on my face. This is just my face. No Botox, no fillers, no nothing. When I compare myself with women my age who haven't been so SPF-specific, it does seem like their skin took more of a beating. I didn't worry about my chest, so the difference can be seen there. It's way wrinklier than my face."
—Paulina Porizkova-Ocasek, 46 

Eat right.

"In my 20s, I ate hamburgers and pizzas. In my 40s, I started getting—and I'm still getting—more health-conscious. I don't eat a lot of meat, and I get my vegetables. When I run out [in the morning] and don't eat right first thing, I get dizzy and need a protein or juice fix. [I must] eat right at the start of the day!"
—Patti Hansen, 55 

Banish grays.

"I popped out my first daughter when I was 24, and gray hairs appeared the next day. I get a shine treatment every few weeks and stay on top of the color. I get depressed when I start seeing that halo of gray."
—Yasmin Le Bon, 46 

Wear less makeup.

"I used to love dark eye [makeup]—and in pictures, it still looks great—but it doesn't look so great in real life. I wear a lot less foundation, a lot less powder. Powder is definitely the enemy of a 40-year-old. Minimalism is the best approach."
—Paulina Porizkova-Ocasek 

Take care of yourself.

"When I drink too much alcohol, go on a few hours of sleep, don't eat well, and don't sweat, I look five to ten years older. And I've never smoked. I've seen that stuff take a toll—and then you start chasing it. Putting yourself in the position where you're not chasing youth is the best way to stay young."
—Brooke Shields 

Try a new workout.

"I do Wing Chun, a form of kung fu, for an hour a week. It's extremely challenging. You have to let go of your ego and learn to be a student. And yet it makes you confident."
—Yasmin Le Bon 

Stick to basic skin care.

"For the last 40 years, I've used Mario Badescu Carnation Milk Cleanser. It's not greasy, it removes my makeup, and it's gentle. I cleanse, wipe under my eyes, and use a little toner and whatever moisturizer is available. I see my daughters in their 20s using every single product that is out there. For me, it's very basic. I use my dermatologist's products and Tracie Martyn's firming lotion."
—Patti Hansen 

Keep an open mind.

"Ask me in ten years [about plastic surgery]. If my eyes start to droop down to my chin, will I seek it out? I don't know. I've tried to fill my frown lines. That made me crazy. It made me incredibly claustrophobic. I couldn't move my face! But who is to say that I'm not going to get tired of those lines around my eyes? I've seen it make people really happy and confident."
—Brooke Shields 

Mix things up.

"Change puts a little bounce in your step. I've cut off all my hair and dyed it blonde. I've completely bleached my eyebrows. If you look at yourself in a different way, you start to look at the world in a different way."
—Yasmin Le Bon