At 72, These Are Isabella Rossellini’s Biggest Beauty Secrets

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As the child of actress Ingrid Bergman and film director Roberto Rossellini, we don’t give Isabella Rossellini enough credit for pretty much inventing the successful nepo baby lifestyle. From her years as a Lâncome model to her on-screen work following in the footsteps of her film-savvy parents, Rossellini is easily one of the most iconic golden-age celebrities.

This week marks Isabella Rossellini’s 72nd birthday—can you believe it? From her signature red lip and black pixie cut to her bubbly personality, the Italian actress and model is truly ageless. To celebrate her big day, we rounded up some of the best beauty secrets she’s shared throughout her career.

She Owns Her Signature Look

Last March, Rossellini sat down with NewBeauty to talk Lâncome’s “La Vie Est Belle” campaign and all things beauty, during which she revealed that, even when she’s on the farm cuddling her sheep, she’s committed to her signature beauty look. “I’m devoted to cream and perfume,” she noted, before explaining that her love of lipstick came from a tip one of her makeup artists taught her. “One tip they gave me that I’ve followed is to wear makeup every day, but without spending 30 minutes in front of the mirror. They taught me to pick one feature that I really like on myself and then make it bigger. I chose my lips, which is why I always wear red lipstick. So sometimes I wear just a little base, a little mascara and red lipstick. Even now when I’m at the farm working with the animals, I have lipstick in my purse.”

She Prioritizes Self-Care and Mental Peace

While it may not seem overtly beauty related, one’s self-care and wellness routine is integral to their overall beauty regimen, and as Rossellini told us in 2023, facials and meditative practices are key. “Sometimes I’ll go for a massage or a facial,” she said, “I also do water exercise or Tai Chi, but that’s more for my well-being. I have a small indoor swimming pool at my house—I live in the country—and I swim almost every day. I do some meditation to relax, but also some to concentrate. I do it before going on set or on stage because it focuses you—it stops the chatting in your brain, like ‘I have to do this,’ or ‘I forgot to do that.’”

She Takes Care of Her Skin Head to Toe

Rossellini has been one of the faces of Lâncome for years, so it’s no surprise that almost all of her favorite products come from the French beauty company. “Because I swim every day, I need a good body cream,” she told NewBeauty, “The water really dries my skin, especially in the winter. On my face, I love the Rénergie Serum ($145). It’s the best. I use it night and day—I’m addicted to it. My skin feels so different. Though all the other Lancôme products are fantastic, there’s something about this one I love a little bit more. I also love the Absolue Cream ($165).”

Lancome Rénergie Serum

BUY ON AMAZON – $145

BUY ON ULTA – $145

Lancome Absolue Cream

BUY ON SEPHORA – $165

BUY ON NORDSTROM – $165

She Doesn’t Believe in ‘Anti-Aging’

Nowadays, even teenagers are fascinated with the idea of “anti-aging,” but one of Rossellini’s biggest beauty secrets for feeling and looking her best no matter her age, is that she doesn’t give the idea much thought. “I feel that the word ‘anti-age’ is not so positive, because it promotes a negative way of looking at yourself,” she told Into the Gloss. “To me that is a sad way to start the day. I’d rather something positive—for example, the cream I use helps my skin feel more elastic, nourished. And I put red on my lips because it gives me a sense of joy. To me, the definition of glamour and sophistication is that sense of joy, that sense of translating to a joyful act rather than an act of being ashamed of yourself and using cosmetics to hide yourself. I don’t really dream to stay young—I’m not young, I want to celebrate who I am. I’m not afraid of getting old.”

She Knows the Value of a Signature Scent

2024 is the year of the fragrance wardrobe, but as Rossellini knows well, there is something so sophisticated about a signature scent. Her perfume of choice? Lancôme’s Trésor ($120). “I helped launch Trésor in 1990,” Rossellini told CNN. “The scent is original, warm and sensual—like an embrace. I remember they were testing two different scents and the CEO asked me which one I liked, and I picked this. Before it launched, I went to the Russian Tea Room in New York to meet the perfumer, Sophia Grojsman, and she said to me, ‘You know, many years ago I saw a film, Casablanca, and that inspired the perfume.’ She didn’t know [my mom was Ingrid Bergman]. Isn’t that amazing? It was a perfume inspired by my mama, and I responded to it unconsciously.”

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BUY ON NORDSTROM – $120

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