August 2008 | From the Editor
Beautiful Strangers
By Ritzy Ryciak
I have had hot-at-50 aspirations since I was in my early twenties. I don’t remember the exact moment this goal materialized, but I believe it was inspired by the Marie Stopes quote:
You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen. But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul’s own doing.
Most of us have encountered an individual whose “soul’s own doing” shines through their physical presence. When you are struck by another’s radiance — their inner brightness, sparkle, light (really), and it is quite clear that they have lived well.
Never one to shy away from strangers, I have always been compelled to stop said beauties and inquire about their daily routines and beauty secrets. This habit has led to an impressive number of eye-opening conversations with truly gorgeous women. Note to men: authentic flattery really can get you everywhere.
One woman, during a gondola ride in Whistler (it was a 20-minute climb so she couldn’t escape), confessed that her dewy and glowing skin was most likely due to copious amounts of olive oil she consumed. She was Italian and it was her one vice. She laughed a lot while she thought of other possible “youth elixir secrets” she could share with me — eventually landing on joy as oil’s runner-up.
At this point in my ongoing research (I see no end in sight), I don’t believe that there is a catchall secret to ageless or soulful “beauty,” but I do have a few staples that I have tried to incorporate into my own regimen. The first — and I truly believe this — is laughter. I know, I know, there are the laugh lines to consider, but the endorphin-inducing, tummy tightening, joy spreading effects of laughter far outweigh the creases that will inevitably follow a life filled with giggling. Bring on the lines. The second, and this does come from a large number of my out-n’-about-beautiful interviewees is, quality oil, which is a funny and randomly practical thing to follow-up laughter with — but you would be surprised how many stunning, well-adjusted strangers sing oil’s praises. Enough to make me buy and take lemon-flavored cod liver oil daily. Do what you will with this information and please, ladies and gents, if I need to add to my list, do not hesitate to drop me a note.
In the meantime, it is my hope that this month’s beauty and fashion issue brings you some “secrets” to incorporate into your own routine. While we didn’t include the typical “how to lose 10 pounds in 30 minutes” articles (sorry), we did try to offer a balanced array of content that spoke to beauty — from the inside out. See (“Buh-Bye Botox, Hello Acupuncture Facial” and “Panic in the Organic Aisle,”) an important exposé that connects some of our most trusted natural body care products with a petrochemical linked to cancer. I leave you with the words (altered for both sexes) of Rosalind Russell, who offers our safest option for self care yet:
Taking joy in living is a woman’s (and man’s) best cosmetic.
Cod liver oil-y yours,
Ritzy Ryciak, Editor
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