My new favourite Brit & her Beauty secrets – Honor Blackman

After watching her play Hera in Jason and the Argonauts over Christmas and then coincidently popping on my telly box on Tuesday night as a guest on The One Show, Honor Blackman is my new favourite brit! I was totally astounded at how utterly fabulous she looked.

Born in Plaistow London in 1925, yes thats right, she’s 88! Blackman is known for her acting career, including the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers (1962–64) and of course the beautiful Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger (1964). If you passed her on the streets of Notting Hill, where she now lives a comfortable single life, you would be forgiven for mistaking her for a young 60 year old. Her shoulder length hair is bouncy, full and beautifully white. Her the clear skin, icy blue eyes, amazing bone structure, have all remained and its remarkable when you look at photographs of her through the years, that she has never really changed.

Unsurprisingly, Honor is constantly being asked to divulge her beauty secrets by fans and Journalists. The same age, as our majesty The Queen, she has never disappeared and reappeared in a surgically enhanced state, even her figure hasn’t altered much. Apparently the most weight she has ever gained since her teens is 2lb I too was totally intrigued to discover her secret of timeless beauty.

Honor, who wrote How To Look And Feel Half Your Age For The Rest Of Your Life, divulged some of tips. With regards to exercise and lifestyle she said:

“I do my exercises and 15 minutes on my bike every day. I also do Pilates daily. I don’t do the whole Pilates like I used to because I kept doing in my back. I don’t do a huge amount, but I do the basics because one needs to. For the past year I’ve been having a weekly massage – it leaves me feeling fit and very vital.”

Huh. Good genetics, probably have a lot to do with it as well. But I will agree with the massages, having regular “me time” does wonders for the soul. I also wonder wether being a single, mature woman, has given her a carefree attitude and stressless life that some unhappy married women struggle with. However she did say,

“Sex is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle, for pleasure, confidence, for making you feel good about yourself and for happiness. Sex is essential at any age.”

Compared to other bikini clad women of her time, for example Bridget Bardott, Honor’s skin isn’t sun damaged. SPF. As boring as it is, has to be part of your daily routine in order to keep a youthful tone, even in the depths of winter. She also wrote…

“I am strict about cleaning my face. Millions of women aren’t and then wonder why they don’t have a good complexion. I cleanse so that there is nothing left on my face. I don’t just wash my face, I use removal cream.”

In my opinion Using a double cleanse routine at night should be an essential part of your daily routine. This method keeps your skin radiant by removing any impurities or make-up that clogs the pores. Double cleansing is, simply put, cleansing your skin twice. The first step removes make-up while the second step purifies the skin. By setting aside a few minutes each night to double cleanse, you will be left with flawless skin in no time at all. The two step process purifies the face for a healthy looking glow. At The Topiary we commence every Dermalogica facial with this process, using one of my favourite Dermalogica products, PreCleanse. Followed by a prescribed Dermalogica Cleanser.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, Honor has educated herself of the nutrients her body needs and the toxins it doesn’t. Decaffeinated Coffee being one of the most important.

“We can’t all eat the right foods all the time. I recently had my diet analysed and although I was already taking glucosamine for my joints I’m now on chondroitin, which attracts water into the joints to be a shock absorber. I also take ginkgo biloba for my memory. My ability to remember people’s names has slipped but I have no problems with memorising scripts. Never in a million years would I go into a hamburger bar – they smell so awful. I eat organic meat about once a week. I was a child in the war and money was short so we didn’t have fresh fruit, only stewed. If I buy apples, they sit around for several days and I have to make myself eat them. I don’t eat bread, although I love it, for fear it will bloat me. I have to watch my tummy.”

So there it is, keep it simple, look after your skin, body and mind. If theres one thing I noticed about Blackman after her appearance on The One Show and researching this beautiful lady, is how refreshingly blunt she is. Feisty too. She would definitely be in my top 5 famous ladies, who I would like to style. Or failing that, have a cuppa with.

Oh, and don’t forget we currently have our January FLASH SALE running with new offers every week. Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook or twitter page to grab yourself a right bargain, so you can treat yourself to a facial, massage or just a general pamper like our lovely Honor here 😉