The Secret Halle Berry Swears By for Radiant Skin

That, and the beauty advice she makes her daughter follow.

The Secret Halle Berry Swears By for Radiant Skin

Halle Berry is an enigma. At 54 years old, the Academy Award winning actress doesn't seem to age. If anything, she keeps looking younger, to the point where it's totally normal to wonder a) what's her secret, and b) no, seriously, what's her secret?

Now, yes, some of that may be genetics, but Berry swears she's had to work at it. And she does. Whether it's a consistent skin-care routine or daily workout sessions, the mom of two prioritizes a strong body and soul. But on this particular day, when I find myself on a Zoom with Berry in her living room, she's extremely open about what it takes to achieve that look. 

First, she's incredibly disarming, telling me she hasn't gotten dressed up in so long, “I don't even know how to act right now.” (If it makes Berry feel any better, I tell her I actually logged on to our Zoom session a full 24 hours early—and got camera-ready—so I relate to her ‘awkwardness’). 

But what I most appreciate is how honest she is about the work it takes to achieve, as I call it, ‘Halle Berry skin.’ She's a collaborative partner with Finishing Touch's Flawless line of home skin care devices, which features everything from pedicure kits to body brushes. But it's her willingness to talk about their facial hair remover—something celebs rarely open up about—that really makes me sit up and pay attention. 

“When I grew up, shaving your mustache or hair near the sideburns was just not cool,” she tells me. (And as someone who still bleaches the hair on her arms and upper lip, boy do I know it). “We used to hide the fact that we did it, and I burned my lip many times with these depilatories. It was just a mess.”

It's why Berry wanted to team up with the company—to really speak openly about the fact that most every woman has at one time or another wanted to get rid of unwanted facial hair. “They've made hair removal acceptable and sexy again,” she says. “I'm not ashamed if someone sees it at my house and says, ‘What is that?’ I'll just say, ‘Oh, that’s my lip shaver,' and I have no problem admitting that.”

Finishing Touch Facial Hair Remover

She even says she's introduced the product to her 13-year-old daughter, Nahla. “She's coming of age now, and has a chance to use all these products that I didn't have when I was 13. How cool is that? We should all feel confident about the things that we want to do in order to feel like our best selves."

It's at this moment that I no longer am focusing on how gorgeous Berry looks (OK, well, perhaps I still am), but am more focused on how impressed I am that she's so honest about some of the downright annoying things women have to contend with. 

So what else does Berry swear by to achieve her stunning look? We asked during Glamour's latest round of Big Beauty Questions, where she comes clean about bra support, facial serums, and microwave popcorn. (I mean, really, is there a better combination?) 

What's one beauty rule you swear by?

Consistency, consistency, consistency. Have a routine and be consistent with it!

What' s one beauty rule you think is BS?

That people are born with good skin, and it’s genetic. Not true. I have taken care of this skin since I was 13, morning and night, religiously! I’ve had a program, I’ve been consistent, and I’ve never wavered. Even on my drunken nights when I’d stumble in the house in my early 20s, guess what? I’d be in the bathroom washing that face off, as drunk as I was! So, no, it’s consistency, and I’ve been doing it since I was 13.

Finishing Touch Cleanse Hydro-Vibrating Facial Cleanser

Finishing Touch Cleanse Spa Spinning Body Brush

Is there a product that you’ve consistently used then that really works all these years?

The products that I use have evolved over the years as new technologies have been made available. But there is one product that has been a part of my skin care regime for as long as I can remember, and that is a serum with vitamin C. It brightens our skin, it keeps us from getting splotches. If you get a pimple, they go away a lot faster without leaving any marks. So a serum with vitamin C is key.

What’s the best beauty advice your mom ever gave you?

Wear my bra 24 hours a day! I never take it off and even sleep in it. I gotta keep these ta-tas looking good. And it’s what I tell my daughter now. I go in her room and say, ‘where’s your sleeping bra?!’ I’m going to drill this into her, because it’s the best advice my mother gave me. It’s not beauty advice, but it’s good advice!

What city or country gives you the greatest beauty inspiration?

Any place that’s tropical and humid because when I go to these places, my skin just plumps up and I look like my best self when I’m in a tropical climate that’s humid and moist. Everything just looks better.

What’s your favorite fragrance?

I go for more natural scents and oils. I really love the smell of patchouli and bergamot.

You have $20 and free roam of the drugstore. What do you buy?

I'd buy cotton pads, snacks—like microwave or bagged popcorn—vitamins, and I think that’s all I’m getting for $20.

Let's play screw, marry or kill: beauty edition. What do you do with mascara, lipstick, and highlighter.

I would kill mascara. Screw highlighter. And marry lipstick. I’m thinking more in terms of lip balm though since I can never go anywhere without something on my lips.

Who are the women inspiring you the most right now?

I’m really inspired by Kamala Harris, Zendaya, Viola Davis, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Ava DuVernay. Women who are daring to do things their own way—direct and write films—and break that glass ceiling.

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour West Coast editor. You can follow her on Instagram at @jessicaradloff14.

This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Jessica Radloff