Bond Girl Skincare And Anti-Aging Secrets Revealed

THE BOND FACTORY

For 53 years and counting, movie-goers have adored James Bond and every iteration of his muscly, action fury-glory. And yes, blame it on his charm, chivalry, impeccable taste and a knack for getting out of impossible traps—it's no surprise this franchise has grossed close to $6 billion worldwide with a total of 23 films. Spectre, the newest (and last) James Bond film featuring Daniel Craig, broke official box office records when it opened last week in the U.K. But to give all the credit to Mr. Bond would be a bit one-sided, wouldn't it?

THE IT FACTOR

That's right—we're talking about the other half: the beautifully dangerous Bond Girls, the ultimate femme fatales. Amazing actors with commanding presence and irresistible allure (see: Ursula Andress), they're sexy, bold, and powerful. And every one has great skin and a deadly bod, of course. In celebration of the stateside premiere of Spectre, we’ve gathered a slew of skincare and beauty secrets from our favorite Bond Girls. For advice on how to be (or at least emulate) the ultimate femme fatales, read on.

THE MONICA MANTRA: MONICA BELLUCCI

As reigning Bond woman, Monica Bellucci stars in Spectre as Bond's oldest love interest in the history of the franchise, proving that strong, sexy, and confident = beauty. Like fine wine, this Italian beauty gets more beautiful with age (a lovely 51) and credits this to stressing less about aging and focusing on enhancing her best features. "I don’t think I’ve become more beautiful with age, I said that I feel better," says Bellucci. "Even though you lose the biological beauty of youth, there’s something else that comes in its place that’s very interesting, thank god! I meet women who are 60 or 70 years old who are so beautiful, so interesting, so deep. In France, they call the beauty of youth, ‘the evil beauty’. You don’t have it because of you, but because you’re born with it. The other kind of beauty is your own work and it takes forever." Every morning Bellucci begins the day with a cool shower. She explains, "My everyday beauty routine is simple; I just clean my face, use a very light cream, a bit of mascara and some gloss." We've also read she loves a good face spray. That hair: could there possibly be a secret for flowing, luscious, incredible hair (besides Italian parents)? She usually washes it twice a week and dilutes her shampoo with water—she thinks concentrated shampoo is harmful for hair. Blow drying happens as little as possible, so Bellucci prefers to set her hair only when making public appearances. Another trick? She applies olive oil to her roots.

THE GREEN DIET: EVA GREEN

Eva Green,  named the newest face of L’Oreal Professionnel this year, and quite possibly the baddest Bond Girl heartbreaker to date, credits a healthy diet for her femme fatale stamina and flawless skin. “I’m becoming very L.A.," says the 35-year-old actress. "I drink lots of water and eat lots of green vegetables. I’m doing lots of juices at the moment. I kind of do apple, kale, carrot. I’ve got a fancy juicer. I started feeling very tired and everybody was like ‘You should try juicing,’ but I really love it. I felt very weak. It was a revelation. And only organic fruit and vegetables. There’s so many pesticides and shit. I discovered the book by Dr. Fuhrman where he talks about juicing and eating mainly vegetables,” reveals Eva Green.

THE BERRY CLEANSE: HALLE BERRY

Like Green, Halle Berry credits her figure and clear complexion to eating right. “Because Berry is diabetic, she pays extra special attention to her diet, eating five mini-meals throughout the day that are clean and full of veggies and protein. While she does have the occasional bit of junk food, it’s a treat—not the norm,” says Jennipher Walters for Shape. Berry isn't exactly the norm for 49, in any sense, junk food aside. Fellow Bond Girl Berenice Marlohe credits her time-resistant skin to cleansing first and hydrating last: Halle Berry also swears by her strict cleansing to sustain an even complexion. “What is high maintenance about me is my skincare regime, and it’s been like that since I was 14. I’ve always cleansed, toned and moisturized twice a day, every day. I think it’s so important for ensuring an even complexion.” “When you take care of your skin, you have a nice, beautiful palette to put makeup onto,” Berry says. “I find that the makeup goes on better, lasts longer, and wears better. You can actually get away with wearing less when you’ve got a good palette to start with.”

THE GENUINE GEMMA: GEMMA ARTERTON

English-born Gemma Arterton, who plays Strawbery Fields in Quantum of Solace (2008) has the face of a 29-year-old baby. How does she do it? “I use collagen cream. This is a really recent thing, like in the last six months," she explains. "My facialist told me that when you’re around 25, you stop making collagen—or the production slows down. Collagen is what keeps your skin plump. I use this cream that’s pure collagen, like a sea-based collagen, and I put it on. It’s like food!" To handle inflammation, prevent wrinkles, and minimize dark circles, Arterton reaches for this: "Almond oil, I love that stuff. I learned that secret from Lady Gaga. I thought, ‘If Lady Gaga can do it, I can do it.'" With the classic Bond Girl confidence, she declares, "There’s a beauty in something that’s not quite perfect sometimes—the accident of it being a bit raw—there’s a real charm in that." Arterton claims she's not a perfectionist, but hard work for good skin skin is no accident.  

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