Christie Brinkley is gearing up to celebrate her 65th birthday on Saturday, February 2, and the Uptown Girl teamed up with Merz on its new Milestones of Me Ultherapy campaign to mark the special occasion. We caught up with the blonde beauty to get her thoughts on turning 65 and how she’s managed to defy age and gravity. Oh, and she may have needed to whip out her trusty fingers to figure out just how many years she’s been modeling. Check out the hilarity in the video above!
With some 47 years (!) of modeling under her belt, the mom of three speculates she’s been on upwards of 500 magazine covers around the globe. She says she’s seen a lot of progress in the industry over the years, and her daughter Sailor Brinkley Cook is now following in her footsteps (they even posed for Sports Illustrated together, along with Brikley’s daughter Alexa Ray Joel, in 2018).
“The idea of what’s beautiful in the industry has grown and evolved in the most beautiful way. It’s now so inclusive … and includes everybody from every race, color, creed, religion and age — the last barrier,” she shares. “I think it’s a very exciting time in the beauty and fashion industry.”
With Iris Apfel, 97, just announcing that she’s signed with IMG Models (home to superstars like Ashley Graham, Hailey Baldwin and Gigi and Bella Hadid), Maye Musk serving as a Covergirl at 70 and Brinkley still going strong at 65, it does appear as though times are a changing for the better.
Perhaps that is why the OG model is looking so forward to celebrating her birthday this year. “I think I’m going to celebrate my big 65 by making something out of every single day of the whole year, instead of it just being about one day,” she tells Us. “I really feel like life it so hectic and crazy nowadays. There’s so much going on that it’s really important for us to find at least a moment or two to celebrate every day. That’s my goal for this year.”
To bring the concept to life, Brinkley has teamed with Merz (the makers of the model’s go-to Ultherapy treatment) on its Milestones of Me initiative.
“This is a campaign that’s reminding women of the importance of making milestones in your own life. I truly believe that as life gets more and more hectic and our plates are constantly full … it’s so important to celebrate each other,” she says. “Milestones of Me is asking women to send in pictures of their milestones to inspire other women. To me, a milestone can be a beautiful sunset. It’s anytime that you stop to make something of a moment.”
Brinkley has come to see Ultherapy — a non-invasive procedure that is FDA-approved to lift and tighten the neck, chin, brow and chest by stimulating collagen and elastin production — as the perfect refresh ahead of a major event or milestone.
“We’re taking better care of ourselves nowadays. We’re eating right. We’re exercising, and sometimes we can look in the mirror and go ‘Yeah, but you know my face looks a little tired,’” she explains. “The campaign is a way of saying, if you do Ultherapy once a year … you’re getting younger and you’re feeling pretty good about yourself. You’re ready to face any challenge and put your best face forward. That’s what I love about this campaign.”
For more on Brinkley’s career and family, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly on newsstands Wednesday, February 6.
