Nicole Kidman at 50: the looks, the hair and her views on Botox

She's one of the most celebrated actress' of all time and in recent months Nicole Kidman's career has had a resurgence thanks to the success of the TV show Big Little Lies. Last month, the actress wowed at Cannes Film Festival, promoting the two hotly anticipated films she's starring in this year, The Beguiled and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Over the course of the ten day festival, Kidman was never once spotted looking anything other than radiant. As she turns 50 today, we asked the experts how Kidman have managed to look so good for her age... 

Her luminous skin

A few years ago, Kidman spoke out about how her approach to defying the ageing process. "I really believe in taking vitamins and supporting my skin with inside health,” the actress told Allure. “Besides that, I meditate and stay out of the sun. I'll eat anything, I'm pretty normal when it comes to that, but I also like to exercise."

At that time, La Mer was her go-to cream, along with Eucerin’s Aquaphor cream. However, having been signed by Neutrogena earlier this year, it’s likely that the latter has been replaced with the brand’s Rapid Wrinkle Repair Cream.

Sceptics will argue that there is only so much that a cream can smooth, lift and plump. Over the years, rumours have been rife about Kidman’s use of Botox and there have even been speculations around more invasive cosmetic procedures.

In 2013, the actress responded to the rumours, “I did try Botox, unfortunately, but I got out of it and now I can finally move my face again,” she told Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper. 

Unfortunately, the rumours have continued and Kidman's annual appearance on the Graham Norton show never fails to spark up more speculation on Twitter. 

Those who have watched Big Little Lies might be more forgiving as the actress’ face had a surprising amount of expression and movement.

Leading cosmetic doctor, Michael Prager suggests that this could be due to the addition of dermal fillers that help temporarily replace loss of volume.

“Years of Botox to smooth lines on cheeks and around the eye have made the muscles smaller and caused a bit of a cheek sagging,” suggests Dr Prager. “Her chin looks like it has been filled recently and her forehead also looks like it could have been injected with dermal filler."

"Nowadays, the products have the right level of viscosity, so they’re not too thick and heavy,” adds Dr Prager. Fillers are usually made up mostly of hyaluronic acid, which helps to plump your skin, smoothing lines and providing a fresh, healthy glow without restricting any movement.   

Switching up her make-up routine

There's no doubt that advances in make-up have also helped Kidman over the years. Lighter formulas that not only even out skin tone, but also bright and illuminate the skin provide a natural-looking rather than cakey finish.

Kidman is also more selective with her make-up looks. You'd be hard-pressed to find a picture of the actress with heavy, dark eye make-up or anything remotely sparkly or glittery.

Instead, she employs a softer edges and a more neutral palette, opting for a statement lip only when the rest of her look is pared-back and simplistic.

This is an approach many make-up artists recommend women adopt as they get older.  

Effortless hair to suit her ethereal complexion

It’s not just about skincare and clever make-up, Kidman has also tweaked her hair. Gone are the red hued curls and classic red carpet up-dos.  “The soft up-do she recently sported at premiere on Monday had just the right balance of effortlessness and it really suited her ethereal complexion,” says Rob Fitch, principal stylist at Josh Wood Atelier.

“Opting for this kind of undone style also helps to maintain a certain youthfulness as it doesn’t look too thought out.” Fitch recommends opting for a looser, textured style rather than anything too classic or neat as these can be ageing.

A subtle colour change

It’s not just the styles Kidman is opting for that are making her look younger and more radiant.

“She seems to be moving away for her natural red hair colour and going for a lighter, blonder tone that has a natural, lived-in feel to it,” adds Fitch.

Whether you're naturally a blonde, brunette or red head, it's always advisable to opt for softer, blended shades rather than a block of solid colour.

Not only does it offer a more natural finish, but it also means you can leave it longer in between salon appointments without worrying about grey regrowth. Although it's unlikely that the latter was Kidman's reasoning.