Andrew Eccles
From Health magazine
Model, movie star, TV actress, Broadway performer, and children's book author Brooke Shields continues her conversation with Health about aging, raising children, and growing up Bohemian.Q: You may be 43, but you look 23, so clearly you’re doing something right. What’s the rest of your skin care routine?
A: I use a foaming cleanser. But I’ve been wearing so much makeup lately, I’ve started to break out—yeah, I’ve now decided to go through adolescence, because I didn’t go through it when I was supposed to! [laughs] The important thing is that my face is clean, but I have three things: I have to really cleanse my skin, use an astringent because of the breakouts, and then a really deep moisturizer.
I don’t care how greasy I look. It’s funny though, all these years, I’ve just found that there’s no miracle product. I love all of it. My husband perpetually makes fun of me about my creams and my jars and potions and lotions, but it’s simpler than anyone makes it: clean, tone, keep yourself moisturized. The rest is internal: Protect yourself from the sun and drink water.
Q: Is there any marriage advice that you think is just plain wrong?
A: That love is enough. It’s not practical. Without love, I don’t think it’s possible, but it’s not the only thing. Love without communication means nothing. Love with completely different views on how you want to raise children? Doesn’t work.
Love can produce the children, but it has nothing to do with the raising of the children. I grew up thinking, Oh, that’s it. All I have to do is fall in love. [sighs]. You may think love will change everything, but it really is different with children. Children don’t necessarily bring you together, they challenge you.
Q: Have you and Chris formed any habits to keep your bond strong?
A: We really have to have date night. The other morning, we had an hour. And instead of getting involved as we do with our emails and the calendar, I was like, “Please, let’s just go have coffee out on the porch.” He got the paper, and we went and sat out, and he had his glasses. I said, “Look at us, Grandpa!” It maybe lasted 45 minutes before life came back at us.
Q: With what sounds like a busy life, are you able to multi-task your workouts the same way you’re able to multi-task other things?
A: I used to. But the truth of the matter is, it really started to degrade the quality of the workout and the purpose of it to me. Because one of the things I feel after I’ve worked out most is that my mind needed the break. It’s the same thing with breastfeeding.
I used to do a million different things when I was breastfeeding, and finally my husband was like, “What are you doing? Don’t you think you’re missing out?” I thought I was being productive, and it wasn’t until I stopped doing all that, and…I’m gonna start to cry. But, watching her little cheeks go in and out, that’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in my life. And I took a deep breath, and my milk came in more. I have to remind myself all the time, things are just too busy. You need the balance.
