She smokes, drinks, is not into Botox and nonetheless seems to be sizzling at 69. Carine Roitfeld tells Rosie Green how she does it.
With her signature look – smoky eyes, sky-high stilettos and pencil skirts – Carine Roitfeld, the previous editor of Vogue Paris, is immediately recognisable to her magnificence and style followers. A longtime collaborator of the late Karl Lagerfeld and muse of Tom Ford, Roitfeld can be a proud mom and grandmother – and at 69, she’s as horny and classy as ever. Here the renegade – who took up smoking 5 years in the past, just lately received her first tattoo and whose one concession to age is to drop her heel top from 11cm to 9cm – shares her fashion and wonder secrets and techniques.
1 Fingers are your greatest magnificence software
When I used to be working with Tom Ford on a style present he mentioned, ‘I want all the girls to have the “Carine” eye.’ It’s a glance I began at Vogue Paris- moist, glittery and smoky. The impact is worn-in, not excellent, such as you simply didn’t take away it from the night time earlier than, and it’s created utilizing your fingers – I at all times apply eyeshadow that manner.
I’m presently creating my very own eye make-up line so everybody can get the look. There are 5 merchandise and they’ll final and final. You received’t want a brush to use them or to be a make-up specialist. There shall be no liner – I can not do liner. As for mascara? Chanel mascara (above, £38, chanel.com) is my favorite.
2 Casual isn’t stylish
When I first arrived at Vogue everybody dressed down in denims. So I did the other – I created a grown-up look: tight jacket, tight sweater, knee-length skirt and excessive heels.
3 I at all times minimize my very own hair
They say go lighter as you become old, and I did have a blonde second, however now it’s darkish once more. I’m shy so I put on my hair over my face and I additionally minimize it myself as I don’t prefer it to look too excellent. People don’t imagine me, however I do quite a bit myself and I’m not fussy about merchandise – I’ll use the lodge shampoo. However, if I would like texture I’ll spray on Sam McKnight’s Lazy Girl Dry Shampoo because it doesn’t look white on my hair. I do hate washing my hair so for that I am going to the salon.
4 Getting inked is cool
I received my first tattoo final yr and only a week in the past I received extra tattoos on my fingers. They are the initials of individuals I really like. The kids have been actually frightened about it, however the tattoos are very delicate.
5 Polished nails? I like them buffed
I get my nails finished at a spot close to me. I don’t wish to spend too lengthy within the salon so I get them buffed as an alternative of polished. I’m lucky that I like my toes they usually nonetheless look good even after so a few years of carrying excessive heels.
6 Boxing rocks
I’m fortunate my physique hasn’t modified very a lot – I’ve good DNA. I match into the garments I wore 20 years in the past – I’ve a white Galliano costume John gave me way back and I can nonetheless put on it now. I’ve been dancing and boxing for 15 years. I’ve again issues they usually each assist with that. I look petite, however I’m very sturdy. The train is nice bodily and psychologically, too. I just like the noise after I hit the punchbag. It’s good while you love your instructor – mine is sort of a life coach.
7 Hold the bathe
I hate them and like baths. I add Epsom salts to the water – which aren’t costly – And I additionally use a physique brush on my pores and skin.
8 Botox? No. Facial therapeutic massage? Definitely
I’ve no wrinkles so I don’t do Botox. I see Hervé Herau for my pores and skin each two months. He’s my facialist and does therapeutic massage. He lives in my constructing – I’m too lazy to go additional. He has his personal vary of round 15 or 16 merchandise and I simply use them. People say it’s important to change manufacturers, however I by no means do. I used to be dangerous with my pores and skin within the solar. I didn’t use safety as I hated the sensation of the cream on my pores and skin, so now I’ve to have peels to do away with the injury.
9 I’m huge on small parts
I don’t eat a lot – I’ve a small abdomen. But I eat a whole lot of totally different meals. I’m not gluten free, I’ll have cheese, meat and eggs. I like espresso. I drink wine and smoke. I don’t like cooking.
10 Scent needs to be your signature
I like the thought of a having a fragrance you keep on with and put on for a very long time. One you get given at birthdays and Christmas. It turns into like your second pores and skin. It’s in your garments, in your sheets. People recognise you by it. Everyone follows me by the scent of my fragrance. In French we name it the sillage – the path. At Vogue everybody knew the place I’d been – within the workplace, within the raise – by my perfume. Back then, I’d combine Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium and Serge Lutens’ Fleurs d’Oranger.
I’ve at all times been devoted to patchouli. When I used to be younger I might solely afford to get it within the Indian shops, however now I’ve made my very own fragrance known as Forgive Me [above, £190 for 90ml, parfum-muse.com], which has patchouli, after all, and white flowers. It’s refined, basic; not too candy or sturdy. My daughter is the face of it. She’s very lovely and female.