Beauty secrets from a 101-year-old fashion icon
<p dir="ltr">At 101 years old, beloved fashion icon Iris Apfel has revealed she’s not slowing down as she gets older and has opened up about her personal style over the years.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Known for her bold approaches to fashion and business - as well as her iconic black-rimmed glasses and statement accessories - Apfel has continued to extend her presence in the world of beauty and fashion with the launch of her first makeup collection.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The eight-piece collection, including lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes and nail wraps, embodies her signature style, which she hopes will make the world a brighter place.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The world is a very grey place, and I wanted to do a happy, joyful collection with bright, bold colours to chase the blues away," she told the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/how-to-be-a-beauty-icon-when-youre-101-years-old/5TGVHTZ4TOF2NTERBMHTQAXFTI/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>. </p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f8d6349-7fff-90d5-9650-f32829a37e8c"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">"The collaboration was so much fun: they really let me play with the colours I wanted to explore."</p>
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci1LVEUsz7J/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Iris Apfel (@iris.apfel)</a></p>
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<p dir="ltr">When it comes to her own beauty and wellness routines, Apfel said that simplicity is key to both her confidence and her self-expression.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I don't do much for beauty. I use a very simple moisturiser on my face, and then a brightly coloured lipstick," she explained.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"It's part of how I express myself, along with fashion. I put on my bright lipstick and I feel confident in myself."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Even since her younger years, Apfel said her look was just as experimental as you’d expect.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I used to do my eyes up like Miss Piggy," she said, laughing.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-41b10f41-7fff-ba8f-5393-664bef19b0b6"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">"I loved heavy, big lashes, which we achieved with moustache wax. You put a chunk of it in a spoon and held a flame underneath, then you took a brush and you kept building the lashes, layer after layer, and beaded the ends. It looked great."</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Though launching her own makeup at 101 is impressive, it’s the latest in a string of achievements Apfel has collected over her life.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After starting as a copywriter at <em>Women’s Wear Daily</em>, Apfel began her own textile company with her husband, which saw her help decorate the White House for nine presidents and tend to the homes of Greta Gabo.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At 97, she signed her first modelling deal, before creating a Barbie doll in her image in the following year.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When she turned 100, she started her own line of sunglasses, an unsurprising move given the importance of eyewear to her looks.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"If I'm going to have to wear glasses, I might as well have GLASSES," she explained. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-91cc0232-7fff-dd10-a872-f68e92fb15eb"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">"For me, glasses inspire or finish all of my looks. They are a fantastic way to find your own unique style and change things up."</p>
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<p dir="ltr">For those looking to develop their own style, Apfel said fashion should be about you and how it makes you feel - and that you shouldn’t have to spend money to do it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Fashion should always be fun. Embrace your individuality and dress how you want to dress,” she said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It's wonderful to look good, but if it doesn't make you feel comfortable, or it becomes a chore, then it's not worth it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I often find that the less money you have to spend on clothes, the more inventive you are, so you end up looking more stylish.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Apfel goes to show that getting older shouldn’t stop us from looking and feeling our best, and her personal philosophy is one we can all adopt.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Youthfulness is how you feel,” she said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“My philosophy is to live in the now – yesterday is gone, you don't know if there's even going to be a tomorrow, so you might as well enjoy today."</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-146f94e6-7fff-fc9f-4220-2f3d57549ff6"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @iris.apfel (Instagram)</em></p>
