Paulina Porizkova Turns 60! Here Are the Best Things the O.G. Supermodel Has Said About Aging

A supermodel for the ages and a muse to many, the iconic Paulina Porizkova turns 60 this week—and we are forever taking notes on her approach to life, love and everything in between.

“It sucks,” Porizkova succinctly told us in a 2018 cover feature when asked about aging. “When your entire life has consisted of looking good, aging publicly, in a word, sucks. This is not for the faint-hearted. I look around and see my friends who have other careers, and who have done other things in their lives, and to them, aging is not that big of a deal. It’s not going to war every day as it is for me. I envy that. I envy that so much! Aging erases me as a person because my identity is so tied to what I look like. It’s not fun—I don’t want to have to go to war with my looks. And I don’t want to start trying to look 20 years younger.”

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The self-described “accidental supermodel” also admitted it was a “commitment” when it came to the subject: “It’s a full-time job—there’s a lot of maintenance required. You’re not quite sure what age you look, or you let yourself age and then you have to battle with your ego: ‘OK, nobody’s looking at me. People are making fun of what I look like now.’ Or, ‘Hey, look at this beautiful woman who turned into this hideous old thing.’ It makes me feel like I’m in between two worlds because I do want to be pretty and I don’t want to look old, and at the same time, I would like to be seen as pretty for who I am and not for fixing what looks old. I’m really insecure about it. It’s not like I’m going out there saying, ‘I’m going to age naturally and leave surgeries out of the picture, and fillers and Botox are out.’”

At the time, Porizkova said she “battled” with “the ability to be beautiful for who [I am], and not for being surgically altered.”

“If you want to be, that’s totally cool and there’s nothing wrong with it, but we’re doing away with reality to an extent, and that really bothers me because now you’re not supposed to be old. You can’t be old and attractive now. You have to have that “twilight look” to be aging gracefully, and that’s actually not aging.”

Earlier this year, Porizkova famously returned to her role as an Estée Lauder brand ambassador. “Experience brings change, and change is beautiful,” the brand’s Instagram post shared. “We’re honored to welcome the iconic @paulinaporizkov back to the #EsteeLauder family. One of our most legendary faces, Paulina returns after 30 years as our newest #EsteeGlobalAmbassador, this time not as a spokesmodel, but a role model. Paulina is one of the most influential voices leading the conversation around aging, beauty & self-worth. We couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter.”

It seems like the model, for her part, is also excited for her next chapter, hinting to fans on a Monday morning post that she’ll share her traditional birthday selfie on social media later this week. “These two sensational photos were taken in the bathroom of a London hotel by my makeup artist @wendyrowe, my hair by @hoshounkpatin and my hair color by @joshua.barbieri—two days post my luxurious facial by @_kichibeauty,” Porizkova captioned. “Credit where credit is due. It’s a wonderful confluence of an amazing team making me look my best, and Wendy finding the very best light. There are no FILTERS AS ALWAYS ON MY FEED! On Wednesday I’ll post my traditional bday pick with no makeup and no clothes—and you’ll see what I really look like now. But for now—I’m enjoying the glamour of the moment. #betweenjloandbettywhite”

Three weeks ago, Porizkova also posted a shot that showed her enjoying the moment with boyfriend, writer Jeff Greenstein: “Three weeks short of 60, and I have never been happier. My love @sjeffgreenstein took these shots when we were just going to the supermarket. But it perfectly captures my spirit everyday. Joy, comfort, and freedom, even though I—both metaphorically and physically—carry a large bag. Which we all do when we hit middle age…it’s called our histories of life lived. I’ve gone through my “bag” over and over in the last five years; tossed out stuff I no longer wanted, stuff that had gone bad, and stuff which just weighed me down. And now, not only am I lighter, but I have room to fill with new experiences.”