Who are the sexiest over-50 bombshells?

Yes, we keep hearing how 50 is the new 30, and 60 the new 40, but seeing is believing and you have to see them - without blinkers - to believe how sexy they still look.

Well, it was one helluva task trying to whittle down numbers - and, by that, we definitely do not mean age. In fact, being age-ist was the last thing on our minds when we tried to do this shortlist: time seems to have stood still for these women and their ilk, the female equivalents of Peter Pan. only, unlike Peter, they have gotten better as the numbers have piled on. Yes, we keep hearing how 50 is the new 30, and 60 the new 40, but seeing is believing and you have to see them - without blinkers - to believe how sexy they still look. And we mean that in the nicest possible way. We toyed with the idea of putting Susan Sarandon on the list - she was in the news sometime back for looking hopelessly fetching as she turned up in a saucy, cleavage-popping black bra under her tuxedo jacket at the SAG Awards, and social media went wild - but since she's touching 70, she deserves to be in another league of extraordinary ladies (watch this space!). After much head-banging and tearing of tresses, this was what we came up with. You may agree or disagree (beauty - and sexiness - is, after all, in the eyes of the beholder), but we'd love to hear from you, either ways.
Here they are, the women who have fired on, for whom age is just a number. May their tribe increase.
SHARON STONE
Sharon was a late bloomer; she came into her own - with Basic Instinct, a movie that redefined what the new-age sexy means - when she was well into her 30s, so "ageing" is, clearly, a piece of cake for her. Last year, she posed in the altogether for Harper's Bazaar; the photo-shoot, it was claimed, would have made models on the right side of 20 fall over. The 57-year-old sticks to the straight and narrow in real life - she's vegetarian, a teetotaler, and works out by way of routine. She's also battled rough weather, suffering an aneurysm in 2001 and a subsequent cerebral hemorrhage. But she has emerged stronger than ever.
REKHA
In an industry - and by that we mean Bollywood - where even 10 years ago, your career was sort of over if you had climbed over 30, Rekha managed to turn the tide. The 61-year-old is fussy about roles (if she's rarely on screen these days, it's because she's super choosy). The original diva is now an icon: style, beauty, attitude - you name it, she has it, and it's cool to see the GenNext declaring her to be their role model. She maintains her youthful vigour with yoga and a disciplined lifestyle - but, of course, it's the panache she carries on her sleeves that really qualifies her for being the head-turner she is.
 SRIDEVI
Remember her in red (read: garish) hot pants in Himmatwala? That was eons ago, in the wayward 80s. In those days, she was bubbly and chirpy and "cute" at best. These days, the 54-year-old Bollywood star has reached dizzying new heights with her toned body, flawless skin, and impeccable dress sense. Her comeback film English Vinglish received a standing ovation at its premiere - mostly because Sridevi (who was always a fantastic actress, so nothing much to add to that) reinvented herself. She had her daughters fairly late in life, but when you see her with her girls, she looks like a big sister. Honestly!
 NIGELLA LAWSON
Most of the folks in the age-ist brood wonder how it's possible for someone who's a celebrity chef - and cooking up a storm most of the time - to look this hot at 56. The perverted logic is: if you are cooking, you are bound to be sampling; plus, you are a television host and columnist and all sorts of other things - how on earth do you manage to look this good, woman? British angel in the kitchen Nigella Lawson has perfected that recipe. "Everything in moderation, including moderation!" is her motto. Bon appétit!
IMAN
Yves Saint-Laurent famously described her as his "dream woman". At 60, former super model, founder of Iman Cosmetics and philanthropist, Iman is dreamier than ever. In January this year, she lost her husband David Bowie to cancer, and went out of the public radar for a few weeks to grieve in private. The day she returned to public consciousness after the break - she came out of her New York home to walk her dog - her photo went viral. "She wore a black coat, thick scarf and gloves to keep warm", it was reported. And a new trend was set.
 MONICA BELLUCCI
She was probably the oldest Bond girl (in Spectre) - in terms of cold numbers (she's older than the guy who played Bond - Daniel Craig). And certainly one of the hottest. So, in the end, 51-year-old Monica Bellucci was termed just what she actually is: timeless. and her severely-reduced screen presence was hailed as being jaw-dropping. The Italian actress has always propagated the la dolce vita lifestyle, and chosen to live life on her own terms. Frequently named the sexiest/hottest/most beautiful woman on this planet, she (collectively) elicits the unforgettable lines from Malèna: "From now on, I'll be at your side. Forever, I promise. Just give me time to grow up."
 MICHELLE OBAMA
"Exercise is really important to me - it's therapeutic. So if I'm ever feeling tense or stressed or like I'm about to have a meltdown, I'll put on my iPod and head to the gym or go out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls." That's what the 52-year-old First Lady of the United States said about countering stress. But forget stress, we believe that's what's kept her in fantastic form. Michelle Obama, who's a trend-setter as far as fashion and beauty are concerned, has proved herself the 'complete woman'. First Lady, wife, mother, style icon. plus a non-complaining stress-beater.
ELLE MACPHERSON
A lot of people - including Hulk Hogan - have been known for their bodies. But there's only one The Body. Elle Macpherson. She shot into the hot zone, way back in the 80s, with an all-time record of five cover appearances for Sports Illustrated's 'Swimsuit Issue' (now, we all know what that means, right?). Today, the 51-year-old supermodel, businesswoman and television host/producer continues to be flaming hot. In between, she had a stint at the movies, and is perhaps most famously remembered as the woman who incited the formidable Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin to slug it out for her affections in The Edge. Many more would throw their hats in.
SANDRA BULLOCK
We don't know how many of you remember, but when she first started out, Sandra Bullock was the quintessential 'nice girl' (in Speed, Keanu Reeves was the one setting the screen on fire; Sandra was the 'girl next door'). Of course she's nice, but this is one nice girl who's seriously spiked up her hotness quotient. We totally think the 51-year-old has never looked as good - and as sexy - as she does now. And somehow, the gravitas of Gravity and a slew of other "thinking woman" roles have made her even sexier.
sushmita@khaleejtimes.com 
 

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