Italian actress and muse to Dior and Dolce & Gabbana Monica Bellucci has mastered the art of thriving in your own skin–and seriously smoldering while doing so. Her philosophies on beauty, body image, and aging are refreshing and inspiring. The 54-year-old stunner is a reminder that sexiness is a state of mind and special type of energy–not an age. Read on her the best of her beauty wisdom!
Embrace your natural figure.
Bellucci explains that she’s never had a weight obsession and that she embraces her natural curves, reminding us that there’s nothing sexier than confidence. After giving birth, for example, she didn’t stress about returning to her original figure–“after all, it’s natural, so why rush at it?” and instead celebrated herself: “When I see myself in Veronesi’s film [Manuale d’am3re]– beautiful and plump, because on set I was breastfeeding every two hours – I love how I look.”
Prioritize skincare.
Bellucci has luminous skin because she’s steadfast when it comes to basic care. “Before I go to bed I take my make up off because I think the skin has to breathe. So I like to take off everything, to clean my skin well, and then have a good sleep because the most important beauty moment is sleeping,” Belluci told Savoir Flair. “I take care of my skin, as luminosity is the basis of all good makeup. I am religious about cleansing and moisturizing. I also try to drink a lot of water to keep my eyes bright and sparkling.”
Go bold with your eyes.
One of Bellucci’s signature looks is a sexy, smoky eye. Drawing attention to your eyes will help accentuate your expressions–and is the key ingredient to a smoldering look.
Or wear a “diva red.”
“Wear a lip color that expresses your mood. I love to wear an audacious, vibrant color to lift my mood and make me feel ready to take on anything, and nothing signifies dynamism and fearless beauty like a bright diva red.”
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Allow yourself to indulge.
“I want to live for a long time, so I’ll have to be patient if I get a few lines on my face,” she told Vogue Italia, “At one time, I used to smoke and drink a glass of champagne every day: when I cut back on those, I got back in shape, without forbidding myself things or doing anything extreme. I like to think that I can do anything, in moderation…”
Don’t fear aging.
Monica Bellucci starred in Spectre in 2015 at age 51, making her the oldest “Bond girl,” and she wasn’t shy about expressing why this was so empowering: “I can’t say I’m a Bond girl because I’m too mature to be a Bond girl,” she told The Guardian. “I say Bond lady; Bond woman … Men think that women, when they’re not able to procreate anymore, become old. That is not true – they are still amazing! That’s why I think that Sam Mendes [director of Spectre], in choosing me, an adult woman, created a big revolution.”
Bellucci also addresses aging in an industry where aging is often seen as the kiss of death for one’s career: “I think that in my line of work it’s interesting to age a little. I can say goodbye to the beauty of youth and welcome a different form of beauty, one I’ve developed myself through experience. Biological freshness goes, but if you’re a forty-year-old in shape, it’s not the same as pretending to be thirty when you’re over 45. That’s ridiculous.”
Remember that you’re more than your looks.
“I know that beauty invites a certain curiosity,” Bellucci admits, “But, as Oscar Wilde said, beauty is just five minutes long if you don’t have anything else to sustain that curiosity. I don’t think that I would have made this kind of career if I were just beautiful. Directors don’t call you for your beauty but for your talent.”
