Five Ways to Get Gorgeous with Olive Oil
I used to work with this super elegant, gorgeous, older woman stylist who happened to be Italian, and during the wee hours of one particularly long shoot, I asked her what was the secret to her native countrywomens' longevity. She didn't hesitate: "Olive oil," she replied. One of the greatest beauty icons of all time, Sophia Loren, concurs. She attributes her stunning 75-year-old good looks to "a love of life, spaghetti, and the odd bath in virgin olive oil."
Sophia Loren wowed the Golden Globes and millions of viewers with her statuesque beauty. As she presented the Golden Globe for best foreign film on Sunday (Jan. 16), she looked as good as some stars half her age. Yes, she is 75. Her stunning beauty, given her age, not only raised eyebrows, but also a slew of questions - namely what are her secrets.
What many younger viewers may not have realized is that Loren has been noted for her natural beauty for most of her career. A month before her 72nd birthday in 2006, Sophia was voted the world's most naturally beautiful person, topping stars one-third her age, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
At the time, the Italian actress said she owed her natural beauty to "a love of life, spaghetti, and the odd bath in virgin olive oil." Bathing in olive oil was actually a custom in ancient Rome. Taking a bath in olive oil may be impractical, but the next best thing is to gently apply some extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil to your face (avoid getting too close to the eye area) and remove any excess oil after ten minutes.
In other interviews, Sophia has credited her posture for her ageless beauty. She also says she doesn't do anything that makes her look old, like shuffle when she walks or slump over.
Her focus on posture was evident at the Globes; she stood ramrod straight at the podium with her shoulders back.
Ingesting the stuff is one thing-it's loaded with healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. But there are plenty of more superficial benefits as well. Here's how to work a bit of olive oil into your beauty regimen:
1. Apply some extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil to your face (caution re: the eye area), and remove any excess after ten minutes for an anti-aging mask.
2. Olive oil also works wonders on dry hair, but I would warn that it's best on thick hair, as it tends to cling on even after you've washed it out. Apply to clean hair and wrap in a warmed towel, then allow to sit for 20 minutes and rinse well. Like, really well.
3. You know that Vaseline trick where you put it on your feet, cover them with cotton socks and wear to bed for super soft tootsies in the morning? You can totally do that with olive oil.
4. Ditto for cuticles. While you can buy cool but expensive oil products especially labeled for your hands and nails, the stuff you use to cook with works just as well.
5. You've heard that people make body scrubs out of sugar and salt, right? By mixing such ingredients with olive oil, you get the same exfoliating benefits, but your skin will feel all silky and conditioned after as well.
More than 25 years ago, Loren wrote a book "Sophia Loren's Women and Beauty" that explained many of her beauty secrets. The book is long out of print, but its advice is ageless, just like her.
Besides acknowledging she has good genes and a clear skin, here are some of her tips:
She calls discipline "the great equalizer."
"If a young woman is beautiful but has no discipline, she will lose her looks as she grows older. If a plain woman is disciplined she will undoubtedly become more beautiful with time," she says.
She also says to avoid colors that are not flattering for you. "Purple is the only shade I never wear except as an occasional accent. It is too violent a color for me," she says.
The actress began her film career in Italy before becoming landing in Hollywood in the 1950s. She starred in movies like "El Cid" (1961) with Charlton Heston, and won an Oscar in 1962 for her role in "La Ciociara". She's still active in cinema today, and is stars with Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Daniel Day Lewis in "Nine," the musical extravaganza.
Ironically, as a young girl, Loren considered herself an ugly duckling, and early in her career, she says she was told by producers to lose weight and have he nose fixed. But she refused.
Loren also claims to never have had plastic surgery, and rejects the notion that women must fit some unnatural ideal of beauty.
http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-5-ways-to-get-gorgeous-with-olive-oil/?iref=mstvw
http://www.celebrityhealthfitness.com/?p=1570