These days, Cindy Crawford’s doppelganger daughter Kaia Gerber is the It-est of the It Girls in the land. But Crawford isn’t exactly letting her daughter steal all the spotlight: at 51, she looks absolutely incredible. Not like a teenage starlet or a waif, but a mature, sensual, confident and gorgeous woman who has clearly taken very good care of herself over the years.
Though her decades-long modeling career has all been about physical appearance, there’s a lot more to Cindy Crawford than meets the eye. She graduated valedictorian from her high school in Illinois, and then went on to major in chemical engineering at Northwestern University. In an industry noted for wild-child and diva behaviors, Crawford’s work ethic is legendary. “Show up prepared, show up on time and ready to work. Don’t be on your phone, don’t be distracted, and don’t be tired,” she has said as an advice for making it in the fashion industry, but frankly it applies anywhere, for any job.
Cindy Crawford at age 21 in her first and favorite Vogue cover, 1987
Young Cindy was a total goddess…
Gasp, Cindy now is a total goddess, too. Look at that insane jawline!! Also, this is my new #goals when I think of my future marriage.
While the entire world might be half intimidated, half inspired by Cindy Crawford’s age-defying looks (speaking for myself), she herself is quite frank about how her appearance has changed over the years: “I don’t want to look in the mirror every day and be down on myself. Look, I’m holding together pretty good, but I don’t look like I did when I was 25 or 30 or even 40.” She tells Violet Grey. It’s such an unexpectedly candid admission from a woman who works in an industry that prefers to idolize 16-year-olds as ideal women, commercialized and sexualized, more than 36-year-olds or even 26-year-olds. She herself started modeling in her teens, and her daughter began walking the runways this year just after her 16th birthday, so Crawford knows better than anyone the premium placed on youth.
“What I’m finding for myself is that if I continue to be engaged, to do what I love, that’s how I get my self-esteem cup filled. I get a lot of that from my family and work. I’m good at my job. I know I’m a good model at this point in my career. Though some days I feel like I’m too busy or too stressed out, I’m still excited to go to work. That kind of translates from the internal to the external.” she adds.
But let’s be real: while she might be all humble about her aging process, that jawline tells a different tale! And also, that preternaturally glowing and rosy skin! And she does have a lot of specific beauty rules to live by. Let’s all take a seat, grab a notepad, and listen in.
Her Skincare Is Just 3 Steps
Cindy Crawford uses her own line, Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford, which is a collaboration with a French dermatologist. Its main active ingredient is an extract of melon grown in the South of France, and it’s cruelty-free, I checked! She uses the Skin Softening Cleaner in the morning and at night. In the a.m., she follows up with Ultra Lifting and Filling Treatment, followed by the Antioxidant Day Creme, with Lifting Eye Cream as the 3rd step. In the p.m., she uses Creme de Serum as step 2, then followed by the same eye cream. The whole shebang costs only $39.95 in the trial-sized starter kit, which is a steal to say the least.
Anti-Aging Haircare Is A Must
“No one tells you about your hair! You don’t expect the texture to change and that it will break more easily. I’m definitely kinder to it now. I don’t wash and dry it every day. I try to make a blow-dry last. If I work out, I’ll pin it up in a top knot so I don’t get dents in it. I’ll sleep with it pinned up. There’s a jasmine hair mask from Lush that I love. You put it on before you wash your hair, before you get in the shower. With regular masks they say to wash your hair and then leave it on for 10 minutes. What am I doing waiting naked in the shower with a 10-minute hair mask on? It doesn’t make any sense,” she says.
You Are What You Eat
Cindy Crawford is a clean eating queen. “Every morning I make a smoothie that’s based on her [friend & acupunturist Neka Pasquale] chocolate-mint shake: I put almond milk, spinach, fresh mint, cacao nibs, and half a frozen banana in a blender, and I add a few extras like green powder and extra protein powder.” Doesn’t that sound so yummy and antioxidant-rich?
It’s not *just* smoothies tho! Crawford swears by Dr. Kanodia Amla Rejuvenate supplement. What the heck is amla, you say?! It’s a greenish berry native to India; its tree is considered to be the dwelling place of the Hindu god Vishnu, and that its berries can cure every disease. It’s a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce stress-related skin problems, detoxes your blood, reduces pigmentation, and improves elasticity. Interestingly, Sophia Vergara–another incredible beauty–also swears by the supplement, which makes me think…this is not just a coincidence!! (If Halle Berry also eats this stuff, there is no way I’m *not* ordering this. Just saying.)
At the end of the day though, Cindy Crawford is more about confidence that comes from the inside, rather than the outside. “The secret is that there’s no secret. Do all the stuff we know: Don’t smoke, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, find what makes you happy,” she says. And it helps to know the tricks up her supermodel sleeves, which she spilled to Vogue: to take good photos, 1) Don’t lift your chin, 2) make sure your hips are pointing about 45 degrees to the side, and 3) smile. Uh, can do!! ;D
I really would not have minded being Cindy for a moment right there. At all.
What do you think of Cindy’s take on aging gracefully?
Also see: Petra Nemcova Swears by This Holistic Treatment For Vegan Collagen
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Photo: Cindy Crawford via Instagram; respective brands
