Over a bowl of some angel hair pasta with fresh homemade tomato sauce, I had the opportunity to ask my Italian grandmother for some beauty advice…
She just turned100 years old! A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!! Even more amazing, she looks 70! Not joking.
Want to know how she maintains her effortless, elegant beauty? Check out her secrets!
Skin Care
Keeping to a very minimal skin care routine, she washes her face with Pond’s Cold Cream to remove makeup and debris (leave on for 2 minutes and then remove with a warm washcloth and follow with a splash of cold water). No moisturizer is used. I think that her olive oil intake all these years has kept her skin supple and tight and definitely well moisturized.
Her diet has always been high in fresh vegetables, fruit and fish (tuna, mackerel and fresh sardines) of course, pasta too.
She eats bread and has had olive oil her whole life. Lot’s of onions too. Tip: onions are known to keep cholesterol levels in check and fights cardiac disease and cancer. She enjoys a glass of wine once in a while. Never smoked…she said it just wasn’t ladylike. Lots of walking and staying out of the sun were also high on the list.
Makeup Must-Haves:
What are her two most important beauty products? An eyebrow pencil and a reddish lipstick. This has always made a nice classic look which has always complimented her very fashionable wardrobe.
Other beauty items we talked about: she wears a light panty girdle. She believes it helped keep her hips slim and toned. Sounds like Spanx to me!
I always noticed her well-manicured hands with no chipped or broken fingernails. Olive oil is applied to her fingernails daily and she pushes back her cuticles with her fingers. She never cuts her cuticles and always polishes her nails in a nice frosted off white shade.
Beauty sleep is still very important to her. She says she gets at least 8-9 hours a night. I certainly take after her with the beauty sleep thing.
Her hair is on the longer side and she still has it colored blonde, once a month by my aunt via a house call.
My grandmother Conchetta’s philosophy: “Love yourself. Live and let live. Know you are the best! Be happy and do what makes you happy.” She says her love of nice nightgowns and lingerie makes her happy.. way to go, Grandma!
Well, Grandma, you made me happy spending this time with you and learning about your Beauty Secrets and sharing them with others. Thank you and Happy 100th!!
Now that’s Italian!
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