8 Ways to Feel Beautiful from the Inside Out

I have learned a lot about what makes women feel attractive as they age. And by that I don't mean which over-the-counter remedy works best or how to get just the right nip or tuck that leads to looking like a model on a magazine cover. What I mean is what really works from the inside out for real women who want to look great at any age.

Having worked inside the world of beauty—as a Wilhelmina model in the '70s—I discovered trade secrets from women whose lives were all about looking the best they could. (Yes, our objective then was to make it to the cover of those magazines!) As a psychologist for more than 20 years, I came to have a different goal: to help women understand themselves so they could feel and look their best. My two careers led me to write Face It, a book exploring the psychological answer to, "What really makes women feel attractive for life?" I interviewed hundreds of women—current and former models, psychologists, corporate execs, stay-at-home moms and women from all walks of life. Their responses revealed a number of surprising similarities and are summarized in these eight psychological tips that work from the inside out.