Heidi Klum may be a host of Project Runway, a legendary supermodel, and even a super mom to her three kids, but she isn’t opposed to taking shortcuts when it comes to her beauty routine. “The older I’ve gotten, the lazier I’ve become,” the 51-year-old tells Bazaar. Now, as Poshe Era’s latest ambassador, the supermodel says she only uses products that make her life easier. One of her secret weapons: the brand's electric razor. “I love that you can use it wet or dry–you don’t even need shaving cream,” Klum says. “I sit in bed and watch TV and use it! Or, I love using it in my bathtub room."
Ahead, we caught up with the supermodel about her other favorite beauty secrets (including being in love with her husband, Tom Kaulitz), the most surprising thing about being in her 50s, and the foods she eats to fuel her body.
If you don’t mind sharing, how old are you?
I’m 51, turning 52 on June 1st.
What age do you really feel in your head?
I feel 35. Also, I never overdid exercising and tried to be a little softer to my body and not beat it so hard.
What has surprised you about growing older?
How quickly your eyesight goes. When I turned 40, my eyesight went downhill overnight. It's a blessing and a curse at the same time, because I always look good, likely because I don’t see as sharply in the mirror as before. But now I have to wear glasses.
What aspects of yourself do you love more now, as you’ve gotten older?
It’s not as much loving myself more as it is appreciating change. I am heavier than I was before–not intentionally, but when you're younger, your metabolism is different. When I was younger, I never tried to look the way I looked. Now, I’ve evolved a little bit, and I feel great in my skin–way more now than back then. Accepting these changes is just the course of life; I have love handles, but I'm not even worried about it.
What’s your philosophy on body hair?
I definitely have certain hairs that grow out of places that have me questioning how hair even grows there. I have one really long hair that always comes out of the side of my breast. It’s so long, you’d think it was a hair coming out of my head. And I have one coming out from under my chin–always in the same spot. You were like, where are you coming from? It's not the end of the world, but I do check those places just to make sure that they’re not out of control.
Do you have a holy-grail beauty product that you’ve used for most of your life?
It’s not a product, but something that has stayed with me over the years is having a healthy way of eating. Using something topical works, and I'm all about that, but as I’ve gotten older, I need to feed my skin in a different way than I did in my 20s or 30s. I cook a lot, so I think eating well always made sense to me. You have to fuel your body in order for it to perform, like a car. I also used much lighter products than too.
What keeps you feeling vibrant and youthful?
My inner being. I'm 51, but I'm not tired of things. Because I am 51, I get asked about my age. I love my job, I love always meeting people, I still love traveling the world, showing my kids things, and being in love. I found my love later in life, and I've tried many times before, but now I’m super in love. [Tom and I] have been together for seven years and married for six years now, and it went super fast. I'm very happy with the way things are right now.
What’s the best piece of beauty wisdom you’ve ever received from someone older and younger than you?
I’ve learned that it’s good to rotate products in and out of your skincare routine. It’s also important to move and exercise–that includes massages. When I was younger, massages were more about pampering and feeling good. But now, I think of it more as moving your body and activating your cells. I also learned to chew more–it’s better for digestion and gut health. I eat better now, too. I don’t eat many raw foods anymore because it’s harder for your body to break down than cooked food. I am also big into bread with grains, like pumpernickel. We call this black bread in Germany. I make soups like bone broth or chicken soup all the time.
What’s the best piece of wisdom you'll pass down to your kids?
My kids grew up watching me cook and be in the kitchen. They would have smoothies in the morning and always ask why their friends didn't eat like that. But I feel it was a lesson on how important food is and how it’s fuel for body, skin, nails, and hair. Food isn’t just something that tastes good. That is an important thing that I passed down to them— that when you feel good inside, it shows on the outside.
L'Oreal Paris Revitalift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid
Please give us a quick breakdown of your current beauty routine.
I use the Revitalift line from L’Oréal Paris. I started working with them a year and a half ago, so I’ve had the privilege of trying everything on the planet from L'Oreal. I found some amazing products that work for me and my skin. Like I said, when I was younger, I used lighter creams, but now my skin needs more food. At night, I use the Midnight Cream, also from L'Oreal.
