Jennifer Aniston Opens Up on Aging, Style, & Perfect Hair
Photo: Tesh/Corbis Outline
I have been a fan of Jennifer Aniston’s forever. I love her cool, laid-back style; from her hair to her clothes she really does make it all look so easy. Because I’ve admired Jennifer so much from afar — she's my favorite actress — I was actually a little nervous to interview her. She couldn’t have been more fun and open during our chat. She dished on everything from how her fiancé, Justin Theroux, would feel if she went under the knife to why she thinks that aging is awesome. Read on for Jennifer’s candid interview.
BB: I have never been more nervous in my life — can I tell you why?
JA: [Laughs.] Sure!
BB: Everyone always asks me, who is your style icon? And it’s you!
JA: Are you kidding me?
BB: No! I tear pictures out of all those awful magazines with you walking down the street with your awesome hair and perfect T-shirt and cool jeans. It is such a unstyle, but it is my style.
JA: You know what that is? It’s just called laziness.
BB: No it’s not, it is perfection — you make it look so easy. Anyway, it’s a girl crush.
JA: You are so awesome, thank you so much. I am such a fan of your makeup and have been forever. I literally had to say it three times, “OK, Bobbi Brown is interviewing me? The makeup artist?” I want you to do my makeup!
BB: It would be a dream, but honestly I would probably tell you that you don’t need any.
JA: Oh you don’t know…
BB: I know. OK good, so you have to tell me what T-shirts and jeans you love, and about the blazers you always wear. I want to know everything.
JA: This is my secret: The trick to T-shirts is I that I usually tailor them. Which is silly, but it works. Or you just have to find the perfect one. James Perse has really great T-shirts and tank tops, Theory is great for T-shirts and basics, and for jeans, I have these Genetic jeans that they don’t even make anymore. I take the pockets off of Hudson jeans, because I like the fit, but not the pockets. Helmut Lang does a good skinny jean, too. And I wear Saint Laurent jackets.
BB: I have always wanted to ask you if your stylist Christopher McMillan lives with you. How does your hair always look like that? Do you wake up with perfect hair?
JA: Oh god no! Right now it is in a sweaty ponytail because I just worked out, but my hair is usually better the day after; it always looks better with that slept-in look. And Chris doesn’t live with me; I wish he did. I’ve learned a lot from Chris and I have become very handy with a hair dryer and a round brush.
BB: Tell me more about the Living Proof products. They are absolutely amazing; my hair got really dry from going into the ocean and honestly, they saved me. They’re excellent!
JA: Have you discovered the Restore Mask yet? That’s a game changer. I do it every Sunday because I do highlight my hair. The one thing with hair, as we get older, is it doesn’t necessarily react as beautifully as it used to when we were in our 20s, which I never knew. Did you know that, that hair ages?
BB: I am learning that now unfortunately. It grows thinner.
JA: [Laughs.] It loses weight.
BB: Your body doesn’t get thinner, but your hair does. That’s how I know God is not a woman.
JA: I also love the beach spray because it doesn’t have drying elements in the ingredients. There is no silicone in any of the Living Proof products. That’s the trick. Most other products are great at first—there is that love affair period where your hair just loves it, and then, after a while, it just starts breaking. And you have to wash it everyday because all this silicone attracts all this dirt and oil so your hair feels dirty the next day. That is the thing that feels so great; the products really do what they promise.
BB: You don’t seem to age! What is your secret?
JA: My dad is 100 percent Greek; he turned 81 and he barely has a wrinkle. And neither does my grandmother, who was 95 when she died. But it’s also just water, drinking a lot of water, using really nice good products for your face. Don’t overproduct, that’s the other thing. Getting proper sleep is always important.
BB: I read that you are really healthy, you exercise, and you eat good food, too.
JA: I have a Greek salad in front of me, but I also indulge. Oh my god there’s a balance.
BB: So tell me how you balance it, because I kind of get crazy when I go up and down with weight. How do you do it? Do you eat bread ever?
JA: Yes definitely! I just had a bagel. I usually give myself bread on the weekends, but really, my body doesn’t love carbs. These days, if I was being super picky, I would love to drop 5 pounds. That is just where I have always been really comfortable at about 110 to 113 pounds. But it is harder at this age.
BB: One of the reasons I took this job at Yahoo Beauty is because all my years being a makeup artist I’ve been interested in the self-esteem issues women face. I wonder what it’s like from your perspective. What is it like walking out your door and constantly being photographed? How do you deal with seeing good — and bad — paparazzi pictures of yourself? How does it affect your self-esteem?
JA: The truth is you just go, "If they get a picture, that picture comes and goes, so who cares?" Then you have 30 mean people who sit at their computers and spend their entire day picking apart and insulting celebrities about how ugly they are just so they can feel better — I guess — about themselves. I don’t understand it. There is also this pressure in Hollywood to be ageless. I think what I have been witness to, is seeing women trying to stay ageless with what they are doing to themselves. I am grateful to learn from their mistakes, because I am not injecting s**t into my face.
BB: Yay!
JA: No honestly, I see them and my heart breaks. I think, "Oh god if you only know how much older you look." They are trying to stop the clock and all you can see is an insecure person who won’t let themselves just age. I also have a fiancé; who will put a gun to my head if I touch my face in any way.
BB: My husband is the same way. When I feel that I am not looking as young and fresh as I like—usually after a night of tequila and bread—I will put extra moisturizer and face oil on my skin so that whatever lines are in my face look better. It is just about being hydrated; that has been my secret.
JA: Well, that’s true, it’s hydration, and there are also so many things that women can do today with technology in terms of LED light therapy, good lasers that tighten the muscles, and massages for your face—and don’t forget great creams. I think that’s the route to go. I also understand that age is kind of awesome. I am fortunate enough to know women like Gloria Steinem, who I think is one of the most stunning women on the planet, and doesn’t touch her face. Diane Keaton, Annette Bening, all of these fabulous fearless women who are flawless, they embrace it! You know, to each their own; I don’t judge it if you do it, but sometimes I wish I could beg the people I know, who I am very near and dear to, to not touch their face.
BB: I think we should encourage women to just be happy with who they are and look in the mirror less.
JA: Look in the mirror less, yes. I also just read that Charlotte Rampling, who is almost 70 years old, is going to be the face of NARS, I think that’s awesome! I think fashion people need to start incorporating all ages, not just these 20-something perfect people, or not just for anti-aging [ads]. Represent beauty in all ages! You know what I mean?
BB: I do know and I think it is amazing to have someone who is so well known be such a great voice of this movement. And it is a movement, I have talked to Gloria Steinem about it. You are great role model thank you so much for such a great interview! I can’t wait to meet in person.
