Beauty and Wisdom: Life Lessons from Legendary Women of the 20th Century 0 13

Bull dung, ant eggs, bat blood... Women throughout history have used all sorts of means to stay young and beautiful! Milk baths and bloodletting, infusions of poisonous plants and tinctures of precious stones, expensive creams and injections... But maybe it’s not necessary to torture oneself like that? Perhaps it’s worth accepting oneself, loving one’s age, and enjoying life?

While scientists are racking their brains over the discovery of the elixir of eternal youth, writer, journalist, and art historian Elena Celestine shares with readers the "rules of life" of twelve legendary women who have conquered time in her book "Beauty Beyond Age." Here are some of them.

Vivienne Westwood: Work Passionately and with Love

The legendary designer Vivienne Westwood, the "grandmother of punk," teaches us how to remain a style icon and influence the fashion of the young even at 70. The secret of the genius artist and rebel is simple: find a beloved endeavor and enjoy it, working boldly and creatively.

Inspired by the images of fairy-tale princesses, ballerinas from glossy magazines, and youth idols, young Vivienne dreamed of changing her appearance. She had no money for that, but instead of despairing, she decided to use available resources and her limitless imagination, especially since she was excellent at cutting and sewing! Small details, such as removable sleeves or fresh flowers pinned to a dress, easily enlivened a dull look.

It became clear: talent must be developed! After successfully working on the image of the bands The Clash and Sex Pistols, Vivienne finally left her job at school and fully immersed herself in the world of fashion. Alone with a thread, needle, fabric, and model, she could spend all night. Vivienne lived poorly, worked by candlelight, went hungry for weeks, but never gave up and created, for that made her happy.

"They openly laughed at her. There is a recording from a popular British television show in 1988... smiling Vivienne in strange rocking shoes. Laughter in the studio, hurtful remarks and exclamations when models appeared on stage in 'ridiculous' outfits. The reaction of Westwood is striking: she does not look scared and gazes at her creations with the eyes of a child in love with their toy, as something beautiful. 'You can laugh,' she says, 'but don’t forget to look!'.

Catherine Deneuve: Find an Interesting Hobby

Who among us does not admire the beauty of Catherine Deneuve? A star of world cinema, one of the symbols of France, the muse of Yves Saint Laurent, and the face of the Chanel No. 5 brand, she is feminine, elegant, and radiates energy, despite her age. And she does not even try to hide it, even in films. This is because the actress has placed not external attractiveness but improvement and development at the top of her life’s value pyramid.

"The thought that one could get stuck in some situation or romantic relationship chills me," says Deneuve. "So I am not afraid of aging, but of the prospect of losing energy."

Frame from the film "8 Women"

Catherine Deneuve’s life is not just endless filming. Her principle is work-life balance. The world of the actress's hobbies is diverse. She loves perfume, knows it well, and always selects scents for her characters. Since childhood, Catherine has loved singing and even released a record with Serge Gainsbourg. Additionally, the actress is an excellent painter and photographer. But her greatest love (besides work, children, and grandchildren) is a beautiful garden in Normandy. Being in nature brings peace, tranquility, and joy, and being in harmony with oneself and marveling at the world like a child, discovering its new facets, is the key to longevity.

Sophia Loren: Eat Well and Get Enough Sleep

Sophia Loren is a movie diva who has managed to preserve not only her physical beauty but also her inner beauty. An example of incredible hard work (there were times she starred in 4-5 films a year!), kindness (she gave her first substantial earnings — a million lire — to her father so he would recognize her younger sister as his legitimate daughter), and optimism, she knew how to create a family atmosphere on set and was always grateful to those who believed in her.

Despite the actress’s statement that "beauty is not external; beauty manifests from within," she carefully monitors her appearance and follows rules for maintaining youth. She wakes up early, no later than 6:30, drinks a cup of espresso for energy, and exercises for about 40 minutes. She does not refuse simple and pleasant physical labor: cleaning the house or working in the garden. She goes to bed before nine in the evening and dedicates at least ten hours to sleep. This is the best cosmetic procedure! It is essential to drink plenty of water and follow a "sensible diet."

Source: People Talk

Sophia Loren’s healthy diet includes minimal meat and alcohol and maximum dairy products. But the main thing is to not deny oneself anything (perhaps influenced by the actress’s hungry childhood).

"As one of her partners said, 'Don’t be misled by that waist; her appetite could shame a starving earth digger.'"

Maya Plisetskaya: Dress Beautifully and Always Be in a Good Mood

The "immortal swan," the great ballerina Maya Plisetskaya lived nearly 90 years, celebrating her 85th birthday on her beloved stage. Perhaps the secret of her longevity lies in her optimistic attitude toward life.

The ballerina never allowed herself to be passive, weak-willed, or offended. Yet the circumstances of life could easily have broken the future star: her father was repressed and shot, her mother and brothers were exiled to a camp, which was later replaced by a settlement, and only influential uncle and aunt Messery, artists of the Bolshoi Theatre, helped the girl begin her career.

Maya Plisetskaya

Maya loved to dress boldly, not only on stage. She was the first among Soviet dancers to allow herself to look erotic. Coco Chanel gifted her clothes from her collections, while Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent created costumes for productions featuring the great ballerina.

"Cardin was even willing to remain anonymous for Plisetskaya, which is an unimaginable sacrifice for a creative person. His name was not printed on the posters of the Bolshoi Theatre — the Ministry of Culture of the USSR did not allow it. 'My dear, selfless Pierre! How can I express my feelings to you in words...'.

In her youth, outfits were a way for Maya to express her individuality; later, she used them as armor to protect her inner fragility, and furs to emphasize her status as a special woman. However, with age, extravagance gave way to practical, restrained Eastern minimalism.

Vera Wang: Constantly Change

Fashion designer Vera Wang looks young, well-groomed, and at the same time as natural as possible. Perhaps the secret of her appearance lies in constant change.

Figure skating, which she practiced from early childhood, taught her to overcome difficulties and opened the future designer's eyes to the beauty of the body and the aesthetics of movement. But most importantly, it showed that one should not despair when one falls, but rather accept defeat with dignity, get back up, and get back to work.

Vera Wang

And Vera has fallen many times: she lost and left sports, resigned from her position as editor of American Vogue, and faced her father's refusal to invest in her clothing brand. Yet she received her "gold medal" — figure skaters in costumes she designed repeatedly stood on the podium. And brides in Vera Wang dresses felt like the happiest in the world.

"The diversity in her creativity indicates that Vera Wang herself is constantly developing and changing — and that is a property of youth."

Katharine Hepburn: Engage in Sports

The most awarded actress in the history of cinema, Katharine Hepburn developed rules that allowed her to remain beautiful and radiate optimism and health until the end of her life. One of her pieces of advice is to constantly engage in physical exercises and sports, as well as to temper oneself.

Katharine Hepburn

The parents of the future star paid much attention to the physical development of their children. They lived in a beautiful place by the ocean: the beach, tennis court, golf course, and lake were within walking distance. The children also rode bikes, swam, ran on the sand, and climbed trees.

"A love for sports always gave her an advantage. To become a champion, one must not only be trained: it is necessary to be psychologically resilient, believe that you are better than others, be willing to take risks, and — perhaps most importantly — endure humiliating failures, which are inevitable in the long run."

Sports training allowed Katharine to always be in shape, overcome difficulties, and remain incredibly determined until the end. For instance, in the film "On Golden Pond," she managed to perform a backflip off a dock into the water — and this with a dislocated shoulder and a torn tendon. At 73 years old! For this role, she received her fourth Oscar, proving her superiority over other actresses in a sporting manner.