I think it's safe to say that we're finally getting over the myth that things start going downhill at age 30. But there's still an odd stigma attached to the number, as if entering your 30s means your youth is behind you. The truth? Many women feel like their lives get better after 30.
Obviously, there's nothing magical about the big 3-0, and everybody experiences ageing differently. But the way lot of women talk about it, there are some lovely life changes that can come into play during our fourth decade. Petty bullshit falls away. What matters to you comes into focus. "IDGAF" becomes something of a mantra. Your identity crystallises. You worry a little less about what other people think. You've gained some wisdom. You feel more confident, more sexy, more peaceful, more whatever.
At least, that's how these female celebrities feel about their 30s. From Reese Witherspoon to Kristen Wiig, here are 14 famous women who say life in your 30s rocks.
Reese Witherspoon, 40
"Turning 30 was really big for me... I feel better — so much better now than I ever did in my 20s. I am calmer; I know who I am. And as a result, I feel much sexier. I don’t think I realised [in my 20s] that no one else makes you whole... You have to take responsibility for your own happiness. That took me until I was about 31 to know. "
— Glamour, 2015
Photo: Gregory Pace/REX/Shutterstock.
Dita Von Teese, 43
"I'd say between my 30s and now I've felt my best because I don't have to try to get acceptance from other people anymore. I feel very settled in myself, this is who I am. It's easy for me to say what I want."
— YourTango, 2013
Photo: Scott Kirkland/REX/Shutterstock.
Lizzy Caplan , 34
“It felt like if my 20s were — you know those Reebok Pumps? If my 20s were pumping it, then my 30s were like the release button. It was amazing. I’m 32 now, and everything they tell you is true: You just kind of chill out; you become more yourself. It has been a very welcome shift.”
— Elle Canada, 2013
Photo: Jim Smeal/REX/Shutterstock.
Jessica Alba , 35
"33 was like, my favourite birthday. I just got my groove; everything came together. And I felt good about what had brought me here; all the struggle and the what ifs, the stress and the burden of it... I feel like I'm moving forward."
— Marie Claire, 2014
Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA/REX/Shutterstock.
Christina Aguilera , 35
“I’m proud of my age... Because with it comes wisdom, and we’re smarter. And, you know what? I feel sexier than I have ever been in my whole life ... You know what you want. You know how you feel. And you know how to get it."
— Access Hollywood, 2010
Photo: Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock
Kristen Wiig, 42
“When I turned 30, I couldn’t believe my 20s were over. .. But my 30s were by far my favourite! You kind of think like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m 30. My 20s were the best!’... But 20s are kind of hard. 30s are the best.”
— Access Hollywood, 2013
Photo: MediaPunch/REX/Shutterstock.
Kate Hudson, 37
“I feel better all around. I feel like I’m more clear, I feel like I’ve had done some good work internally, and I just feel like I’m in a nice place and enjoying life... We get to a point where we’re like, you know what, one day we’re just not gonna be here anymore, so I’m going to enjoy every second of it."
— People, 2015
Photo: REX/Shutterstock.
Michelle Williams , 35
“I don’t feel as shy or nervous or self-conscious. I have more confidence that I can handle what life brings me. I don’t feel scared to have an idea and express it... I feel giddy about it because it’s a complete transformation. It’s like I’ve found my voice."
— Vogue, 2011
Photo:
P!nk, 36
"I am not really angry at the world. I have let a lot more love in. I feel once you are 30, once your Saturn returns, the world puts you right side up again and gives you a pair of glasses so you can see everything clearer."
— Digital Spy, 2008
Photo: Jim Smeal/REX/Shutterstock.
Kristen Bell, 36
“I love 30 more than I’ve ever loved anything. I feel like I was born on my 30th birthday. It’s finally the time where I’ve fully accepted and loved myself, which I’m realising more and more each day — it is so important to love yourself. Because if you don’t love yourself then nothing really matters. For a long time, I went through life kind of beating myself up and trying to be a perfectionist and do everything right and I just thought, ‘What’s the point?’ I have faults, that’s fine. I can still strive to be better, but I’m not going to be as rough on myself as I used to and it’s just kind of alleviating all of this stress and kind of taken a weight off my shoulders and I think now I’m just happy.”
— Parade, 2010
Photo: Gregory Pace/REX/Shutterstock.
Shakira , 39
“All through my 20s I spent more time worrying about what I didn’t have than thinking about what I did have ... I wished I was taller, had longer legs, slimmer hips, a smaller bottom, even straighter hair. .. Now I’m in my 30s, I’m very happy with who I am."
— Daily Star, 2010
Photo: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.
Charlize Theron, 40
"I was always in a rush [in my 20s]. I felt like time was going to run out. Now that I’m older, I know I’m not missing out on anything. Now, I go home, and that feels really good. When I hit 30, I realised I didn’t have to please everybody. I could actually enjoy life, which is not a bad thing at all."
— W Magazine, 2015
Photo: John Salangsang/BFA/REX/Shutterstock.
Katie Holmes , 37
“I definitely feel much more comfortable in my own skin... I feel sexier. I think in my 20s, it’s like you’re trying too hard to figure everything out... I’m starting to come into my own. It’s like a new phase."
— Elle, 2012
Photo: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.
Olivia Wilde, 32
"You're 30: You know stuff now. Your 20s were for 'ducking up,' as my auto-correct would say, and learning from those mistakes... Now you get to live with that knowledge under your belt... You've already lived longer than most women in the 13th century, so why not look at your 30th as a rebirth?"
— In an advice column for Glamour, 2013
Photo: Gregory Pace/REX/Shutterstock.
Beyoncé, 34
"This is such a pivotal moment in my life! I'm transitioning as a woman, and I'm finally able to express myself as I am."
— Harper's Bazaar, 2011
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