Few high-profile women have left such an indelible mark on fashion as Sarah Jessica Parker, who turns 60 today. As Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, Parker, together with legendary costume designer Patricia Field, created one of the most coveted on-screen wardrobes of all time.
But just as influential as Carrie’s collection of avant-garde gowns, Fendi Baguettes and Manhattan-ready Manolos is Parker’s own sense of fashion – and refreshingly realistic approach to ageing. It’s a combination that has seen her become a midlife style icon who is somehow always defiantly herself, known for luminous skin and chic hair as well as a playful, confident approach to dressing.
“She will forever be my most pinned style icon,” says style editor Erica Davies, who says she still looks to Parker for inspiration as she “hurtles” towards her fifties. “I love to see a woman in her midlife proving that age is nothing but a number, looking completely fabulous and totally at ease with both herself and her sense of style.”
But how does SJP still look so good, especially as she famously avoids Botox? Let’s delve into her skin, hair, make-up and style secrets to find out.
Style
For fashion psychologist Carolyn Mair, Parker’s enduring style is reflective of her genuine love of clothes and accessories. “Her ability to maintain her distinctive style throughout midlife portrays a combination of her authentic self-expression and her intrinsic enjoyment of fashion,” says Mair. “Dressing up likely provides joy and creative stimulation, and this empowers her to navigate midlife with confidence and flair.”
This confidence is infectious. “Carrie gave me permission to have fun and play around with my clothes in a way that no one else had before,” says Davies. “And while SJP may not be as bold as Carrie, there is a lot of overlap. I love her playfulness – she appreciates fashion, but doesn’t take it, or herself, too seriously. She’s happy mixing unusual colour combinations, trying out new clothing shapes or putting together pattern combinations in a unique way.”
Hair
Gina Gilbert has been the colourist behind Parker’s flattering, lived-in blonde for 16 years. “We like a lot of dimension,” she says. “With Sarah Jessica’s skin tone and beautiful crystal blue eyes, she chose to go with a softer golden blonde tone and then add a few brighter pieces to make it pop and give her that sun-kissed, surfer blonde. Her base colour is a semi-permanent natural brown.”
As well as looking great, her hair colour has an anti-ageing effect, as Melanie Smith, senior colourist at Hari’s salon group, explains. “It disguises the grey and is pretty low maintenance too,” she says. “The dimension can also make the hair appear thicker, which is great as we tend to lose hair, or at the very least see it become a bit finer, as we age.”
Stylist Serge Normant is the brains behind the artfully undone waves that have become an SJP signature. To recreate it at home, Hershesons stylist Nataliia Bumford suggests curling random strands with a wand, pulling the hair down as you curl to keep things relaxed and alternating between curling away from the face and towards it.
Skin
Parker is known for her glowing skin, maintained with minimal intervention. She’s shared that she’s tried Sofwave, an ultrasound skin-tightening treatment, but avoids Botox. In 2023, she told The Telegraph: “I’m an actor – I have to move my eyebrows. I’m meant to be sharing emotion and communicating with my face, which, for me, needs to move.”
She’s also shared details of her surprisingly simple skincare routine, which includes a penchant for E45 Face Foaming Cleanser, £8.99, and even a humble bar of soap. “Parker lives by a slimline yet extremely efficacious routine that is said to involve cleansing, hydration and sun protection,” says aesthetic doctor and surgeon Dr Paris Acharya. “She avoids neuromodulators like Botox, so alternative treatments that utilise radiofrequency to support ageing skin and boost collagen production are key.
“She’s also known to dabble with superficial chemical peels, and while she hasn’t stipulated having had skin boosters [like Profhilo], I would hedge a bet that these would be part of her aesthetic treatment plan.”
Make-up
“SJP has always gone for really hyper-natural skin, where of course make-up is present but, crucially, doesn’t look it,” explains beauty journalist and podcast host, Madeleine Spencer. Parker’s longtime make-up artist Elaine Offers Woulard frequently shares which products she uses to achieve these subtly enhanced, youthfully glowing looks. Among her favourite brands are Charlotte Tilbury, Glossier and beauty insider favourite, Merit.
Offers Woulard describes creating a “warming halo” with Merit’s Bronze Balm, £26, before applying Flush Balm, £26, in “Cheeky” on the apples of the cheeks. “Merit makes natural, glowing make-up easy,” says Spencer. “I use the Flush Balm every day, just sliding it onto skin and blending with finger tips. It instantly perks up my complexion. I’m 40, but I would do this for someone who was 80 with the same results – it doesn’t have an upper age limit.”