Jennifer Aniston is no one's victim. Which is not for the world's lack of trying: There's hardly a tabloid on stands that doesn't still, still, try to weave a conspiracy theory of unhappiness in Aniston land, pointing the finger at literally anything as a sign of her deep, dark "sadness." (A hand on her hip? This lady wants babies.) So when Aniston grabbed back last summer with an open letter to tabloids on the full, rich lives that women lead with and without children, it sparked a chain of celebrities taking back the narrative (see: Cara Delevingne, Hilary Duff).
Her next cause? The fact that it's 2017, and Hollywood still shuts women out as they get older. Joining fellow game changer Reese Witherspoon in an upcoming TV series, Aniston is clear she's not going to let the situation lie. But first, Glamour caught up with her for Aveeno's #MomentForMe contest on the lipstick she wore throughout Friends, the skin treatment she swears by, and how life only gets better after 50.
Glamour: We're seeing so many of the looks you started on Friends coming back. Which revamped '90s trends do you think we’ll regret?
Jennifer Aniston: Tiny sunglasses. I just think they’re ridiculous. I’m not a fan of those little tiny spectacles; I’m a fan of classic sunglasses. That was very '90s, wasn’t it? When you would see those little tiny frames, those were brought back from the John Lennon days. They’re always sort of regurgitating trends. How about MAC’s Paramount lipstick? It was a browny brick. I remember that was my go-to color when I was doing Friends.
Glamour: You’ve said you’re a fan of Neutrogena's $3 cleanser and L’Oréal’s Lash Out Mascara. On the other end, what’s something indulgent and expensive you have absolutely no regrets about doing?
JA: I have to say, the Clear and Brilliant laser. It’s not that expensive though, depending on where you go. I think that’s a great thing, a deep-cleanse laser—it just gets off the first layer of skin, so after summer, after the lotion and creams and makeup buildup, it’s a nice reboot. Don’t do lasers in the summer though, because then your skin is so much more sensitive.
Glamour: Definitely, and sunscreen always. And you've spoken out about the intense scrutiny that women face in Hollywood—your open letter was so moving and powerful and a beacon for women everywhere facing criticism for their choices. So if you could ban just one word or phrase from tabloids, what would you choose?
JA: About me, specifically? Too many, I can’t choose. I would say, I think the best one would be a picture of me with a hand over my stomach, saying “Finally Pregnant!”
Glamour: The worst. It's crazy you're still getting that.
JA: Yeah, believe it or not. I’m trying to think how recently, I don’t pay that much attention, but that’s definitely a headline.
Glamour: Do you think a lot of women in the spotlight get the same thing? Just endless speculation?
JA: I mean, it’s like they take a picture of you and create this story. If your body is in a normal moment of having had a bite or two, or you’re having a moment of bloat, then there’s arrows circled around your stomach, telling you that you’re pregnant. And it’s like, actually no, it’s just my body. Not that it’s any of your business to begin with. Having a child, as we know, is no one’s business except the couple or individual that’s going through it.
Glamour: It’s horrible, just people pushing a narrative of what a woman’s life should look like.
JA: Yeah! And my ideas of what a happy life and fulfilled life are might be different from other people’s. I think it’s to each their own. Nobody’s right to judge someone else’s choices. No one knows what’s going on beyond the four walls of your home, of these people who are having or not having children. It’s a very sensitive area to go to, especially. It’s sensitive to me.
Glamour: I think that a lot of women can relate to their choices being broadcast and made up for debate, whether to family, or on Facebook, and it’s become so routine.
JA: Everybody likes to get into each other’s panty drawers. Stay in your own backyard and let everybody live their lives.
Glamour: So if you could change one thing about the narrative women face about aging in Hollywood—where it seems like after the age of 50, the roles start drying out and the way you're treated changes—what would it be?
JA: I think we have to change our perspective. I don’t think life stops after 50—if anything, it gets more and more exciting. For some reason, we don’t honor or pay respect to aging. It’s something that we look at as a negative, and yet every single person on this planet does it. I don’t understand why it’s not something that's celebrated, why there’s some sort of an expiration date on who you are as a person worth watching and a story being told about you. It makes absolutely no sense.
I also think that’s becoming more and more talked about, because we have a generation of actors who were up-and-coming before the Internet existed. We’re all still here, and we’re doing just fine. So maybe we’ll, hopefully, be setting the example of "this is what it looks like." Look at Helen Mirren—rock star, gorgeous, goddess. Meryl Streep, stunning—a rock star, gorgeous, goddess. All of the stories, there’s so many stories that are there to be told. Just because you can’t bounce a penny off your tummy anymore, because you’re not 22 or 32, doesn’t mean that should quantify what makes you relevant and interesting.
Glamour: It does seem like it’s changing, like the visibility and attention has made a difference. Last question: Beauty and wellness can be such an empowering thing for people, especially given how stressful politics and everyday life are. But as someone in the spotlight, when do you think beauty changes from a tool for self-expression into something you do to meet expectations? How do you draw that line?
JA: You have to be really comfortable in your skin. You have to start with being in love with [who] you are, with who you’ve become. I’ve been a very fortunate woman in that I have a group of girlfriends that are about as deep and conscious and mindful as they come. That to me is what beauty is. It’s being as full and complete of a human being as you possibly can be. And that means going to therapy, figuring out your darker corners, and getting to work on them, so you’re not passing on your negative experiences—and trying to become a fully realized human being, so you can go out in the world and bring that to people.
Think of it as the law of attraction: You’ll attract like-minded people who are the same. It’s not about what trend are we following, what makeup kits are happening now. Those are fun to play with, and it’s fun to get dressed up and your hair and your makeup on and get a great haircut, but I think it’s really your internal life that’s most important to get together for you to feel beautiful and ready to take on the world.
Because right now, women’s worth is being quantified by how they look and their Instagrams and likes. That’s all so self-created, so why are we trying to add to that? It’s hard enough to be a young woman, or man, growing up and trying to find your identity, rather than having a whole Internet of people weighing in on it. It makes me sad for those kids.
Related Stories:
-Jennifer Aniston Epically Clapped Back at Her Body Shamers
-Hilary Duff Just Shut Down the Idea of What a Mother's Body Should Look Like
-Whoa: Kate Hudson Shaved Her Head
