Aging Gracefully: Quotes from our Favorite Ageless Beauties

I felt two completely different emotions upon seeing Christie Brinkley—at age 60—on a recent cover of People magazine: 1.) a slight twinge of jealousy (did I say slight? I meant serious), as she probably looks better than my 20-something-self; and 2.) complete awe that her appearance is still so spectacular. I mean, does this woman ever age? And yes, the naysayers will bring up Photoshop, plastic surgery, and the like, but I should note I sat nearly front row at one of her Chicago performances just a few years ago, and she looked amazing.

But what’s really admirable is this former Sports Illustrated/Cover Girl model’s spirit when it comes to aging gracefully. One tip? Smiling. “The mere act of putting your lips in that position tells your body to release chemicals that instantly make you feel better,” she told Prevention magazine. Now that’s inspiring.

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite quotes on getting older gracefully from a slew of our favorite ageless beauties—share the ones you live by in the comments!

Goldie Hawn: “Just because you get older doesn’t mean things stop. It’s when you stop. It’s when your wonder stops. It’s when your innovation stops. It’s when your creativity stops. And you allow yourself to go asunder. The beauty of getting older is the surprise of what else you can do to make the world a better place with the wisdom that you’ve accrued over those years.” —Oprah’s Master Class

Coco Chanel: “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.”

Sophia Loren: “There is a fountain of youth: It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.”

Elizabeth Taylor: “Eventually the inner you shapes the outer you.”

Nora Ephron: “There’s a reason why forty, fifty, and sixty don’t look the way they used to and it’s not because of feminism, or better living through exercise. It’s because of hair dye.” —I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron

Audrey Hepburn: “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with knowledge that you are never alone.”

Sharon Stone: “You don’t want to stay the same. The thing that was great for you before isn’t going to be great for you now. A woman should have many faces through her life, not just one face, not just one hairdo, not just one way. You want to keep rediscovering what’s fun for you.” —Good Housekeeping

Inès de La Fressange: “…Hang out with young people. Appreciate them. Also appreciate your life with the wisdom that comes with age. If you decide that your life is not so bad and you’re actually quite lucky then it becomes a reality. You can go out and hate everybody, hate your age and hate all the things you don’t have but it will show; you have the face you deserve.” —All You Need to Be Impossibly French by Helena Frith Powell