Cameron vs Penelope

Ever wondered what aesthetic industry insiders think about when it comes to celebrities and aging? Off the record, they are judging – just like the rest of us! Listen in on my recent coffee date with my gal pal, Fofo, as we discuss Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz in the film The Counselor.

Me: What type of characters did they play in this movie?

Fofo: Diaz is this dark bitter underworld woman who dates only drug dealers and smugglers. And Penelope is her complete opposite – an innocent housewife who gets killed in the end. Opps, sorry, I spoiled it for you.

Me: Thaaanks. So what’s your beef with them?

Fofo: How can Diaz, a single women in her 40s, look more tired and haggard than Cruz, who is a mother of two and and isn’t that much younger than Diaz.

Me: How old are they exactly?

Fofo: <does a quick Google search on her cell> Penelope is 39; Cameron, 41.

Here’s the thing. Diaz looks like she’s a decade older than she is in this movie. Even my husband who thinks that Diaz is a hot tamale said she’s “definitely not aging well.” Remember her in There’s something about Mary? Well, this movie is more like There’s something about Scary Mary.

Me: <chokes on tea> What does your husband think about Penelope?

Fofo: He’s not usually a fan of her – he thinks her voice sounds too mousy <rolls eyes> but he remarked that he liked her look much more than Cruz in the movie. Her face was fuller. I think she just had her second baby so it could’ve been her pregnancy glow.

Me: What was it specifically about Diaz’s appearance that made her look ten years older?

Fofo: There are a few things, but the biggest feature was her eyes. Her trademark baby blues that made her the all-American girl-next-door looked sunken and were surrounded by crow’s feet. The heavy eye makeup she had to wear was sinking into her wrinkles. She has deep lines around both her eyes and mouth that I’ve seen on women that are 60 years old! No lie. Penelope, on the other hand, looked radiant with minimal amount of make-up. She has freckles! They showed through but it didn’t age her because the rest of her face was in great condition.

Me: What do you think would help improve Diaz’s features?

Fofo: I would suggest fillers underneath her eyes because it looks like she’s starting to get dark circles and a little bit of Botox to soften the smiley lines around the eyes. Her eyelid is also starting to look heavy too; She needs Thermage to lift the droopiness. You can’t see it clearly in the pics online because she has a lot of makeup on for her bitchy role. Her marionette lines (laugh lines), I would fill those too.

Me: Diaz has been a longtime acne sufferer. You can find lots of photos online of her without makeup on where you can see small scars and large pores – you know, the typical remnants of adult acne. She recently said she overcame her acne problem by cleaning up her diet in her new book The Body Book. Did you see any signs of post-acne trauma on her face in the movie?

Fofo: Come to think of it even through her heavy makeup I could see large pores on her cheeks. Some light laser resurfacing, preferably with the Sciton laser, could help with that. The combination of the right injectables, something like Redensity (a hyaluronic acid filler) and laser treatments would really improve the texture of her skin, and bring life back into it.

Me: I do notice her complexion looking listless when she wears minimal makeup. But it seems like she’s embracing it as “aging gracefully.”

Fofo: Listen she denies getting anything done but I can tell she’s had a bad filler job on her cheeks.

Me: How can you tell?!

Fofo: <Fofo Googles screen shots from the movie> Because the rest of her lower face shows her natural loss of volume…

Fofo: Take whatever comes out of her mouth with a grain of salt. She once said that she was unpopular in high school, and then it came out that she was actually a cheerleader!

<Fofo pulls up this photo of Diaz from 1988>

Me: What about Penelope? I’m surprised she didn’t get the angry woman role. She usually plays the sexy villain in films. Remember Vicky Cristina Barcelona? Cruz was the seductress, the sex bomb, she’s not known to be the demure girl.

Fofo: Ten years ago these were the roles that Cameron played. Now’s it’s reversed. Cameron gets the bitter dark roles now because she looks the part.

Me: You would think Diaz would have the upper hand since Cruz has gone through two pregnancies. You’re a mom. You know how motherhood can take its toll on your looks. How do you think Cruz has defied that? Do you think she’s been getting anything done?

Fofo: I think Cruz has always had minor non-invasive tweaking done throughout the years. A little Bo here and there, some filler maybe. She’s probably not doing anything recently since she’s a mom now but the stuff she’s been doing – plus not partying hard and just being in love! – all of this has made her look fresh and even younger than her years. Cruz was never quite a party girl and sun worshipper like Diaz.

Me: Right, Cameron is a surfer. It goes to show how big of a role lifestyle and your behaviour in the sun can play in how you age, right? It’ll be interesting to watch these two actresses evolve, seeing what kind of roles they get in their 40s and 50s.

Fofo: For sure!

Fofo works in the non-surgical cosmetic enhancement industry. She has seen and heard it all.