upworthy

empowerment

Pop Culture

Kate Winslet explains why women become more beautiful as they get older

She's not wrong.

Photo credit: Movieway PL

Kate Winslet on TIFF red carpet in 2017

In 2005, Kate Winslet was named one of PEOPLE magazine's Most Beautiful People. But even then, at age 29, Winslet had a remarkably grounded view of beauty. When asked what made her feel beautiful, she said, "The happiness I feel in having a family has brought me a real beauty."

Nearly two decades later, Winslet's take on beauty is even more revealing of her down-to-earth character. In a video sit-down with Harper's Bazaar UK, the 49-year-old actor shared some of her life lessons on different topics, and in responding to what she's learned about beauty, she shared:

"Number one is that women get more beautiful as they get older, for sure, because our faces become more a part of who we are, they sit better on our bone structure, they have more life, they have more history. Things I find incredibly beautiful are wrinkles around the eyes, the backs of hands. I think those things are very beautiful.”

She also talked about the importance of taking care of yourself from the inside. "Not just what you eat and how you look after yourself from a nutritional standpoint, but how you look after yourself from a mental wellness standpoint," she said. "How you feel about yourself emotionally, physically. Your place within the world. How you walk through the world. How you live with integrity and sincerity. I think those things matter and those things do come out in how we look and subsequently, of course, how we feel. And beauty is really a feeling, I don't think it's a thing that we look at."

People loved Winslet's commentary on aging and beauty, which run counter to so much of the societal messaging we get about wrinkles and other signs of aging being ugly or undesirable.

"As a little girl I remember looking up at my piano teacher as she sat next to me on the piano bench and I looked forward to getting crows feet like she had because I thought she was so beautiful! 😍"

"To me, this is an obvious truth. I feel sorry for people who cannot see the beauty in an ageing face. It's like going to an historic city like Venice and wanting to put new plaster or new facades over all the crumbling walls."

"Every line tells a story. Growing old is a privilege. It’s incumbent upon all of us to unlearn the lies we’ve been sold by the beauty industry that only youth is beautiful."

"More of this thinking please 🙌❤️ let’s celebrate what is natural and re-balance our attitudes towards aging. As a 45 year old woman who is about to be a grandmother this video made me feel really good 😌🦋🙏🏼✨"

"My AGE is a BLESSING not a BOUNDARY.🔥"

"Exactly one of the reasons I adore Kate Winslet and will watch anything she’s in. So strong. So wise. So real. So fully human. A luminous beauty — and she’s right, she is more beautiful with age. Even when she plays characters with very plain make-up and clothes."

In the full video, Winslet also shared what makes her feel beautiful:

"I think the answer to that question is that it just changes all the time. Often I will feel my most beautiful when I'm just relaxing. I'm working on achieving the relaxing thing more and more. In fact, this year I'm doing quite a lot of that. But often I will feel my most beautiful, perhaps, when I'm just at home with Ned and the children, just being my natural self."

Winslet has previously shared that women get more powerful and sexy in their 40s, which is music to middle-aged ears:

"I think women come into their 40s, certainly mid-40s, thinking: ‘Oh well, this is the beginning of the decline and things start to change and fade and slide in directions that I don't want them to go in anymore.’ And I've just decided no," she said. “We become more woman, more powerful, more sexy. We grow into ourselves more, we have the opportunity to speak and speak our mind and not be afraid of what people think of us, not care what we look like quite so much. I think it's amazing."

In her Bazaar UK video, Winslet also shared what she's learned about friendship, confidence, style, empowerment and more. Watch the full video here:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

From Your Site Articles
kate winslet
Most Shared

'Fight Song' singer Rachel Platten designed a stylish new pin for a great cause.

'I've been learning lately that the voice in my head that makes me feel small, unworthy, and not good enough, is such a small piece of who I truly am.'

It's been nearly two and a half years since singer-songwriter Rachel Platten released "Fight Song," the near-inescapable empowerment anthem. The video for the hit single has been viewed on YouTube more than 291 million times and has sold more than 2 million copies.

Platten's song about finding the strength to try to make it in the music industry has inspired countless people around the world, taking on a life of its own. For some fans, the song has brought comfort in memory of a lost loved one; for others, it's been a catchall boost for getting through a tough time in life.

"Each story reminds me how powerful words can be, and keeps me going," Platten writes in an email, of the song's fans.

"I have loved having the chance to hear so many stories and learn of all the different ways that people across the world have made 'Fight Song' their own," she says. "Every story is just as important as the next."

Platten performing in 2016. Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Crate and Barrel.

Platten recently teamed up with fashion brand Wildfang and nonprofit empowerment group I Am That Girl for the second edition of the "You Got This" inspirational pin collection.

The goal of "You Got This" is to inspire confidence in women and girls everywhere. The world can be a pretty rough place at times, and we can all use a bit of a reminder that there's a lot of power within each of us.

Why not wear it on your sleeve — literally?

The 2017 pin collection. Image courtesy of Wildfang.

Platten designed one of the pins ("Love Yo'self") in this year's collection. Other celebrity designers included Jackie Cruz from "Orange Is the New Black," soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, Bethany Consentino of Best Coast, and others.

For Platten, her pin's design is meant to acknowledge that, while the standards of perfection women are expected to meet are unrealistic, we're all perfectly imperfect in our own way.

Finding peace and confidence hasn't been easy for Platten. It's been a lot of work, but well worth the effort.

"I've been learning lately that the voice in my head that makes me feel small, unworthy, and not good enough, is such a small piece of who I truly am," she says. "I'm learning to not buy into that and to open my arms wide to the world and ask to surrender that small voice in place of the bigger, kinder, wiser, stronger voice who whispers 'You can TOO do this Rachel.'"

"Once I get back in alignment and remember who I truly am, and what I am capable of, the impossible all of a sudden seems possible again. I'd like every young woman to remember this."

The "You Got This" collection launches Aug. 3, and can be picked up at Wildfang's website. 10% of all proceeds go directly to I Am That Girl, a group aimed at empowering women and girls with a message of confidence, love, and self-acceptance.

More

This woman shared that she's #DisabledAndCute. The internet reacted.

Keah Brown feels cute, and she's not afraid to show it.

But for the 25-year-old from upstate New York, it hasn't always been that way.

“It took me a while to get to that place to feel any sort of positive thing about my physical appearance," says Brown, who has cerebral palsy. "So now that I do, I’m like, hey, I might as well celebrate it.”

On Feb. 12, 2017, Brown shared photos of herself on Twitter using the hashtag #DisabledAndCute.

The idea behind the hashtag was pretty simple.

“What I wanted to do was make something that felt empowering to me and to other disabled people," she explains.

The message caught on.

Others in the disability community started sharing photos of themselves using the hashtag, too.

Before long, #DisabledAndCute became a trending phrase, with lots of people joining the conversation.

"I wanted to do something to celebrate disabled folks and take the time to really take back the narrative that all we are is something to be pitied or used as what I’d call, 'inspiration porn,'” Brown says.

Inspiration porn, she notes, is "only being as valuable as what you can achieve or make able-bodied people feel about themselves."

The hashtag became intersectional, too, with people from all walks of life and various experiences chiming in.

Sometimes, pets made appearances.

But mostly, the hashtag filled up with selfies from folks who were feeling good about being themselves.

“It’s been overwhelmingly positive,” Brown explains of responses to the hashtag — although not everyone's been on board.

Some voices in the disability community were critical of Brown's choice of the word "cute," she says, explaining that able-bodied people often talk down to folks who are living with a physical disability. When able-bodied people say things like, "You're so adorable" to those living with a physical disability, it can be demeaning and infantilizing.

But that point wasn't lost on Brown.

“What I wanted to do was reclaim the word ‘cute,’" she says. "I think it’s OK when we feel cute, and it’s OK to say that.”  

"I generally dislike making human beauty the focus of any discussion," one user wrote. "But why not celebrate?"

“A lot of times — specifically with social media — disabled people are often used as memes or jokes," says Brown.

"And this hashtag was a way to put that on its head and for people to tell their own story and celebrate themselves in a positive way.”

Scrolling through responses, you'll notice #DisabledAndCute wasn't so much about being "brave" — it was about loving who you are...

...and showing off fierce photos, too.

Some people's disabilities were more visible than others.

But that wasn't the point, either.

"We are all hella #DisabledAndCute" was more what the hashtag was going for.

And the internet pulled it off quite nicely.

Brown wants able-bodied people to understand she "doesn't have to be your inspiration porn or your pity party to be good enough."

But she'd appreciate your help in fighting for what's right.

Disabled people "can have happy lives — we can be loved," she notes. "We don’t need you to feel bad for us. It would be nice if you were in our corner when we’re fighting for our rights, but you don’t have to feel bad for us, because we’re living full lives.”  

Check out more photos and join the discussion on #DisabledAndCute.

Most Shared

8 photos that flip the script when it comes to stereotypes about black women.

Black women are beautiful, complex, and worthy of love. It sounds so simple, and yet here we are.

While representations of black women have increased on television and movies, it's still an exercise in extremes. It's easy to scan from well-worn negative tropes and stereotypes like the "angry black woman," or "the baby mama," or the "hypersexual black Barbie" to the powerful leading ladies of "Hidden Figures," "Being Mary Jane," or "Black-ish," but there are few stops in between.

What have you done to support Viola Davis today? Double it! Photo by  Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures.

In fact, according to a 2013 report in Essence, negative depictions of black women appear twice as often as positive ones. These representations are demoralizing, and, speaking from personal experience, exhausting and embarrassing. Thankfully, we can look beyond television and film for positive representations in pop culture.

Mickalene Thomas brings bold, powerful representations of black women to fine art.

Based in New York, Thomas is known for her large-scale paintings of domestic interiors and multi-textured, rhinestone-covered portraits of women. Her work is colorful, vibrant, and affirming. Her paintings of women appear as collages, with small pieces accenting and challenging each other. Each woman is more than the sum of her colorful, mystifying parts. Time passes quickly as you attempt to "figure her out," but you can't. Therein lies the beauty.

Mickalene Thomas, "Racquel Leaned Back," 2013. © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy the artist; Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong; and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Thomas' photography series, "Muse," seeks to challenge norms of black beauty.

In the series and book, "Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs," she portrayed black women in highly stylized, fantastical portraits.

Mickalene Thomas, "A Moment's Pleasure #2," 2007, from "Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs" (Aperture, 2015). © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy the artist, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

With each photograph, Thomas redefines black beauty for herself, pushing back on tired stereotypes and outdated norms. Each one is a stunning act of resistance.

Mickalene Thomas, "Calder Series #2," 2013, from "Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs" (Aperture, 2015). © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy the artist and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Thomas drew inspiration from portrait photographers like James Van Der Zee (who beautifully documented the people of the Harlem Renaissance with his pioneering tableau portraits) as well as pro-black modeling campaigns from the 1970s featuring stars like Beverly Johnson.

Mickalene Thomas, "Remember Me," 2006, from "Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs" (Aperture, 2015). Courtesy the artist; Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong; and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Instead of using professional models for her series, Thomas' muses include her mother, sisters, lovers, and friends. These visually stunning portraits are a truly shared effort between Thomas and the women who've had an impact on her.

Mickalene Thomas, "I've Been Good to Me," 2011, from "Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs" (Aperture, 2015). © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy the artist, Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

In addition to "Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs," released in 2015, Thomas has exhibited her work in galleries around the country.

Through March 12, 2017, "Muse" is on display in the Meyerhoff Gallery at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. Thomas also curated  a companion exhibit of photography, called "tête-à-tête," which is also on display at MICA.

Mickalene Thomas, "La Leçon D’amour," 2008. © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy the artist; Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong; and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Representations and depictions of black women are vital.

It's still too easy for little black girls to grow up seeing few positive depictions of black women outside of their families. It's easy to grow up feeling less than or unworthy when women with curly or kinky hair, women with full lips, and women with rich, dark skin don't make it to your picture books — or your history books, for that matter.

Mickalene Thomas, Din, "Une Très Belle Négresse #1," 2012, from "Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs" (Aperture, 2015). © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy the artist, Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

That's why we need to shout out and celebrate black women as the superheroes they are.

Black women write laws, start businesses, make art, explore the natural world, build towers, save lives, and teach at local schools. Yes, we are strong, but we are also tender, loving, and vulnerable. Black women are the embodiment of balance and resilience, holding down families, communities, and nine-to-fives, while pushing back against racism, sexism, and privilege. It's hard work. It breaks you down. But black women, for better or worse, keep grinding.

There is beauty in our strength, but you don't get to see that. Not nearly enough. And that's why black representation matters, why black art matters — it's a love letter to our persistence.

Mickalene Thomas, "Negress With Green Nails," 2005. © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy the artist; Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong; and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Trending Stories