Charlize Theron gets candid and reveals the secret to her glow.  

By Aarti Kapur Singh

 “I’m not a big mask person, but I am somebody who makes sure I get a good facial every few weeks. I think it makes a huge difference”

 “Makeup shouldn’t look heavy or cakey. Makeup should only accentuate your natural beauty” 

At 44, Charlize Theron is as beautiful as she is brainy and gutsy, and arguably the finest actor of her generation. She won an Academy Award 15-years-ago for her chilling portrayal of lesbian-prostitute serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, for which she shaved her eyebrows, gained thirty pounds, and also wore false teeth. Even getting into character (and a ton of prosthetic stage makeup) for Monster couldn’t make Charlize Theron look ugly. Charlize then went on to shave her head to become Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road.

Ask her about her extreme film makeovers, Charlize replies in a single breath, without even batting an eyelid: “The more I talked to my director, George Miller, about my character, the more I realized there was no way around it. He didn’t want to be the bad guy and just ask me to do it, so I finally called him and was like, “I need to shave my head, right?” And I did it myself. Simply buzzed it with a razor.”

The South African model turned ballet dancer turned actress and producer, is now the executive producer for a new reality TV racing competition, Hyperdrive.  She describes the show as “Fast & Furious meets American Ninja Warrior”. She is also currently filming for Fast & Furious 9 that will release in 2020. The action hero and mother of two, in her own words has “a need for speed” and is looking forward to her new competitive racing series brings daring drivers from around the world to test their limits in custom cars on the biggest automotive obstacle course ever built – 100-acres to be exact!

Charlize has never looked better—her otherworldly statuesque bod, all-over golden glow, and icy blue gaze only get better with age. And the secret to looking the way she does is “to be happy, all the time!” Charlize says, “My mom always told me to just be happy. Be happy with your life and the way you want to live it. When I’m struggling with something, my mom’s like: what is it that you want? What will make you happy? That’s the most important thing. When you’re happy and content and at peace, I think there’s something in your eyes that can’t be manufactured – and a cream can’t give it to you. It has to come from your heart and soul,” says Theron.

Truly Living

Charlize won’t let anyone dictate how she should look and what she should do. She insists, “I am not paranoid about being in shape. But I don’t have a rigid routine. It helps that I live in LA. People are always active and outside and I love that. I’ve always loved yoga, as the movements remind me of dancing, so it comes naturally and I like what it does to my body. I picked up spinning and that’s how I like to get my cardio now. I do yoga three times a week and spinning three times a week, but it has to be flexible. Unless I’m getting ready for something, I’m not too hard on myself.”

Her ‘me time’ is important to Charlize and a beauty routine is an integral part of it. “With the kids, the mornings are rough. I have really learned to take care of my skin at night, so the mornings really are often just a hot washcloth, brushing my teeth and putting sun-block on. I mean literally, that’s it. However, I do take out time to do a bit more at night. I really like the La Mer Cleansing Gel. Then Dior has a really gentle exfoliator – Instant Gentle Exfoliant – that I really love. I never used to use elixirs or anything like that, but Dior’s Prestige line has this Le Nectar De Nuit serum which is amazing and has this incredible rose scent. My skin just loves that. Then I’ll end with a really great moisturiser. I like Dior’s L’Or De Vie La Crème moisturizer, or the Prestige La Crème. Then if it’s winter and really, really cold, I’ll use Crème De La Mer.”

And if there is one product that this multi-tasking mom cannot do without, it will have to be…? “Lip balm and sunblock, always. I wear sunblock every single day. I like the La Mer lip balm and the La Roche-Posay sunblock. It’s in my bag. It’s in the car… I’m always slathering myself and my kids in it – we’re big sunblock people,” reveals Charlize. 

Be Practical With How You Look

It is perhaps her practical approach that makes Charlize real. So, she realizes the importance of getting pampered every now and then. “I’m not a big mask person, but I am somebody who makes sure I get a good facial every few weeks. I think it makes a huge difference. I go to a tiny salon off the beaten track in LA, called Belladonna, where a great therapist, Robin, has been giving me facials for about 20 years. She’s unbelievable. I also like this place called the Mila Moursi Skin Care Institute in West Hollywood. It’s one of my favourite treats right now. The La Prairie Cellular 3-Minute Peel is my SOS beauty treatment. This makes me feel like I’ve just gone for a facial. I literally plop it on, wash it off, and my skin looks amazing.” 

Her views on makeup are also classic and practical. “Makeup shouldn’t look heavy or cakey. Makeup should only accentuate your natural beauty. The Dior L-Or de Vie cream is the best for moisturizing. Brilliance New York Age Defying Eye Serum makes for a smooth base for both under eyes and on décolleté for a ‘refreshed’ look. I am all about a bright, bold red lip. I love Dior Addict Extreme in Incognito, which not only goes on shiny, but lasts a long time too. I have learnt to apply a few dabs of powder around the lip line so the colour doesn’t ‘bleed.’ With red lips, I keep everything else bare.” 

While Charlize confesses that she has “no attachment to hair”, she shares, “I’m excited about changing it always and even if I hate it, I know it’s going to grow back”. In terms of products, she reveals, “I’ve definitely noticed the difference between sulfate and non-sulfate formulas, so that’s my one thing I won’t change – my hair products have to have no sulfates in. I love the Kiehl’s Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and I use the VO5 Hot Oil as a serum when my hair feels dry.”

Changing her hair as per her moods is okay, but the one thing she won’t change is to love her own self. “In our society, women are compartmentalized so that we start to feel like we’re cut flowers, and after a while, we will wilt. I realize now that’s not the case—we can celebrate every age. That’s my encouragement to 20-year-olds who are terrified of getting older: Don’t have a nervous breakdown, and don’t hit the chardonnay too hard. Getting older is not that bad,” she says.  Ask her if she could give younger women one piece of beauty advice, what would it be? “Enjoy the moment you’re actually living in. And don’t worry about what you’re going to look like when you’re 60!” is the instant reply.

BOX:

Charlize’s Beauty Tips

• Cut back on styling tools: When I’m not working, I don’t use a blow dryer, so you’ll see me running around with wet hair. If I give my hair a break from heat, it does really well.
• Embrace spray-on make-up: It’s really, really light. I don’t like foundation that is cakey or heavy.  
• Be nice to your eyes: If I don’t get all my mascara off, I put a little bit of eye cream around my eyes, then gently wipe with a Q-tip. Rubbing with make-up remover is too harsh.
• Get the glow: I use loose luminescent powder instead of a compact.