Isabella Rossellini Says This is the Best Thing About Aging
The iconic beauty on her signature look and embracing age with confidence...
I started wearing red lipstick... Quite late in life, when I became a model at age 28. I was working with top makeup artists, like François Nars, and I’d always ask for a tip I could do quickly every day. They all said the same thing: “Pick a feature you really like and emphasize it.” For me, that was my lips, and my color was red.
With friend and collaborator François Nars
The shades I'm drawn to... Range from coral reds to deep burgundies. I prefer a matte texture and generally wear brighter
tones during the summer and darker ones in the winter.
I’ve always worn my hair short because... It’s very fine and straight. Lips may be my strong point, but hair is my weak point. So, with short hair — and I often wear men’s clothes because I have a bad back and heels are uncomfortable for me — red lipstick adds a touch of femininity.
The best thing about lipstick is... Although it can’t save your life, it can be a step toward feeling good. If you put on lipstick, exercise, eat healthy, dress nice, and clean your house, you become happier and things look better.
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My beauty icon is... Jackie Kennedy. She represented elegance and a way of presenting herself that was American and well put-together.
At 66, my approach to aging is... To embrace it. I never feel like, “Oh, I wish I were 35.” When you’re young, you have the pressure to earn money, prove yourself. I had to be a beauty, an actress, and do the red carpet. The fact that I was interested in animals or running a farm had no value. So age has given me time to do all the things I’ve always wanted to do. I feel richer in a way. OK, the neck I don’t love! And I’ve certainly lost agility. I can’t do somersaults anymore, but it’s all right.
Rossellini’s Lip Service
The Lip Liner
To give lips more symmetry, Rossellini uses a pencil that’s slightly darker than her lipstick.
Courtesy Lancôme, Time Inc. Photo Studio
$26 Lancome
The Lipstick
“I don’t have just one red—I have several,” says Rossellini. This warm brick shade, Lie de Vin, is one of them. “I apply straight from the tube, blot with tissue, then swipe it on again."
Courtesy Lancôme, Time Inc. Photo Studio
$32 Lancome
