Eva Longoria is looking sensational at 51, but there’s a lot of work and life juggling behind those steely triceps. She’s a true multi-hyphenate powerhouse, after all – not ‘just’ an actress but also a producer, director, philanthropist and businesswoman. Factor in her duties as devoted mother to eight-year-old son Santiago, and you’d forgive Eva if she was deprioritising workouts a little in her sixth decade. But no, not a bit of it.
The Desperate Housewives icon has hit upon a solution that allows her to carve out time for both her body and mind, although it’s not for the weak-willed. ‘I wake up and work out at 5am with my trainer,’ she tells GH, dialling in from the Cannes Film Festival, on ‘Worth It’ brand ambassador duties with L’Oréal Paris. ‘I do it six days a week, every week.’
‘My workouts are really my form of meditation. It’s my therapeutic hour,’ she says. At 51, her goals have changed from purely aesthetic to sweating with a side-serve of self-care. ‘Before, it was like, “I want abs!’ and now I need it for my clarity,’ has become her stance.
Daniele Venturelli
Eva in sensational shape, walking the red carpet for L’Oréal Paris
It’s a true power hour, she says, and she makes every minute count. ‘We do strength training, with weights. It’s heavy weights. Heavy, heavy weights with my trainer. After 50 we have to do resistance exercise, so it’s not easy.’
Anadolu
Eva’s workout regime keeps her happy and grounded as well as toned
In fact, her idea of taking it steady would be most people’s idea of a full workout. ‘I rarely do cardio these days unless it’s bouncing. I go on the rebounder, and that’s just so fun, but I only do that once or twice a week. The rest of the week is heavy weight training.’
Once she’s done with her ‘therapy’ hour of heaving kettlebells, hauling cable and pumping iron, she keeps the calm feeling going with a dedicated self-care slot. ‘After a workout, I do meditate as well,’ she says. ‘I also cook a lot, which is therapeutic to me. I journal, I take walks in nature, I ground myself.’
To make it work, Eva believes in what she calls ‘budgeting sleep’ – in other words ensuring she gets enough rest to bounce out of bed, ready to work out. ‘Sleep is a huge beauty hack,’ she says. ‘People are like, “Why do you look so great?” – I’m like, “I sleep. I really sleep.” It’s hard here at Cannes, but I definitely prioritise sleep, and I think we don’t do that enough.’
Whatever she’s doing, it’s clearly working. So with notebook at the ready, we dived into the reset of her beauty secrets and inspirations. Hint: being best friends with Victoria Beckham might help.
Daniele Venturelli
The hard work is paying off
What are you learning about yourself in your 50s?
I think it’s a great time. You know, I had a meltdown when I turned 30. I was like, ‘Oh my god, my life is over.’ Now I’m like, ‘Shut up!’ I loved turning 40, and I loved turning 50. I love the wisdom that comes with experience. I love the life’s journeys that I get to reflect on, but also look forward to. I think it’s a good moment of emotional inventory for me. The second half of my life is definitely about managing the time I have to do the things I really love.
What’s at the top of that inventory?
Definitely my family and my son. He’s just started school, and so now I’m like, ‘Okay, how can I make sure I’m there for my son?’ If I take projects that really pull me away from my son, it has to be something that’s really worth doing.
Leopoldo Smith
Eva pictured with son Santiago last year
What makes you feel beautiful now that didn’t when you were 30 and having your existential crisis?
My son. He looks at me with rose-coloured glasses. He just thinks I’m the greatest thing in the world. He holds my face and he’s just like, ‘Mom, I love you.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m done.’ I could do nothing else in this world except be with him, and my life will be fine.
Dave Benett
Eva says her son makes her feel beautiful (pictured in 2024)
You’re also looking, forgive us, very foxy in your 50s…
I’m 50 and I’m foxy! Oh, I’m going to make that into a shirt! [laughs] Um, but I do feel it. I do feel sexiness comes from confidence. You don’t have to be wearing a low-cut shirt to feel sexy. I could be in a cashmere sweater and sweats and still feel sexy.
You’ve said this is a ‘less is more’ beauty phase for you. What does that look like, in practical terms?
I want products that do more. I don’t want a foundation, I want a tinted moisturiser that also has SPF, that’s also skincare. I want the lipstick that lasts but is also really moisturising. And I want the shampoo that has hyaluronic acid, so it prolongs your color and also conditions. I love the new wave of technology that L’Oréal Paris for all that.
L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Radiant Serum Foundation
L’Oréal Paris Infaillible Laque ResistanceCredit: Boots
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic ShampooCredit: Boots
Who are your beauty inspirations?
Victoria Beckham. Oh my god, absolutely. Victoria is the queen of less is more. She’s definitely my fashion inspiration too, and it she inspires me as a mother. She’s naturally so stunning and she’s so effortless in everything, in the way she dresses and how she does her makeup. It’s so simple and yet devastatingly eye-catching. No matter what room she walks into, your eye goes straight to Victoria.
Frazer Harrison
Eva and Victoria have been best friends for years, since Posh moved to LA
Jean Baptiste Lacroix
Eva, seen pregnant in 2018, says Victoria inspires her as a mother
Do you have pamper evenings where you share beauty inspiration?
Oh my god, we share everything. I mean, everything. We’re always talking about life and family and career and beauty, everything.
We’ve seen you share a hairdresser too! What are your other hair secrets?
I loved my big Texan hair night at Cannes, and that was with the new L’Oréal Lifter spray. I actually already have very full hair because I’m Mexican. But this thing is crazy because it’s full of collagen and peptides for thickening – and they really work! You can’t have too much thickness!
Gisela Schober
Eva’s big hair moment at the Cannes film festival
Michael Buckner
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Beyond great hair, what makes you feel ‘Worth It’ as as L’Oréal Paris girl?
I grew up with a great relationship to my self-worth because of my mom and my sisters. They taught me I deserved whatever I wanted in life, and I could attain it. So I love being with a company like L’Oréal whose message is not about makeup and skincare – it’s about, ‘Hey, ladies, recognise your worth’. I think it’s this feminist calling to to women everywhere. I’ll always say it to my girlfriends – ‘You’re worth it, you’re worth the opportunity, you really are’. I think it really hits deep in women’s hearts when you actually say it to somebody.
Eva Longoria is a brand ambassador for L’Oréal Paris, the official makeup partner for Cannes Film Festival. Eva is a supporter of the L’Oréal Paris Lights On Women’s Worth Award