Beauty secrets of well-known Women

Mirror, mirror on the wall... (Credit: gorogorostudio)

Most women like to look younger and try every method up their sleeves to turn back time – from grandma’s secrets to beautifying creams to plastic surgery, anything to make them look younger. Here, we go back in time to find out how some famous women tried to look younger.

Gala Dali, the Russian wife of the famous painter, used a plethora of methods, trying hard not to look her age. In fact, she reportedly went to extremes while making great effort to preserve her youthful looks. She would consume vitamins by the pound, try all the advanced methods of cosmetic dermatology, and have numerous affairs with younger lovers. Gala Dali was probably the first woman of Russian origin to undergo plastic surgery. Her indulgence in plastic surgery backfired in the end: the skin on her face would often break open and lesions would take weeks to heal.

The issue of physical appearance has always been a sore point for Greta Garbo. The legendary actress decided to call it a day when she was at the peak of her career in Hollywood. The move was apparently designed to keep her beauty pristine and unchangeable in the eyes of her numerous fans. Garbo became a recluse who hated being photographed. Her trademark disguise outfit included a trench coat, a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of wraparound shades.

Actress Romy Schneider never measured her age in years. “I’m 54 movies old,” said she in 1979, the year she turned 41.
 
Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, had her own magic recipe for making her face look young. She used an electuary of aloe and honey, and washed it down with water infused with silver. She also immersed her splendorous body in a bathtub filled with milk. After that, she used a mixture of sea salt and cream for scrubbing her skin.

Josephine, the wife of Napoleon, was a simple-minded woman. She never doubted the rejuvenating properties of a cosmetic mask made of mashed potatoes. Josephine also applied hot camphor compresses to her face for exfoliation. A glass of lemonade, which was composed of lemon juice and mineral water at the time, was her drink of choice first thing in the morning. Today’s nutritionists believe the drink is the best remedy for keeping one’s intestine “perfectly clean.”

Russian Empress Catherine II treated her body to the so-called vodka baths every day without fail. Aside from a glass of vodka, the ingredients included 4 egg yolks, thick almond milk and water infused with rose petals.

According to accounts provided by her contemporaries, Marquise de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV of France, was known for her delicate health and dryness of her skin. To turn back the clock on aging skin, she used a variety of cosmetic masks made of cream mixed with egg whites and lemon juice. She also used lemon juice for whitening her skin in the morning. The procedure was followed by a 15 minute massage with olive oil rubbed on aplenty. A glass of carrot juice spiced with honey was Pompadour’s favorite “energy” drink.