Tony-winning actress Bernadette Peters has held plenty of iconic roles throughout her decades-long career on the stage and screen. On Broadway, she starred in celebrated shows like "Into The Woods" and "Sunday in the Park with George," while her filmography spans classics like "The Jerk" and "Annie."
And now, Peters is revisiting another one of her memorable roles: as a Breyers spokesperson. She first teamed up with the brand in the early '90s for a series of cheeky commercials. And now they're back together again. This time, to promote a new kind of “anti-aging cream,” which is nothing other than Breyers' CarbSmart. Because, of course, there's nothing like a sweet treat to keep you feeling young.
And for the 76-year-old, that's what it's all about, doing the things that help her feel young. "It's nice to look young and fresh, but isn't it better to feel good? To feel younger?" she shares with Shop TODAY.
One way to do that is to "start your day on a high note." And it can be simple, she says, "If you have a pet, you're looking at your pet, and that makes you feel good." Or, Peters adds, "If you walk your dog, that makes you feel good, you call a friend who might need to hear from you. And eating something delicious that you don't have to feel so guilty about —isn't that good?"
She's also embracing the joys that come with age, saying that the best part about getting older has been, "Opening your heart and being able to look at life from a positive aspect," she says. "I try to be grateful every morning, I'm grateful every night. And when you're in that space, you're more loving to people and you connect better with people."
Peters also appreciates the fact that there's a certain wisdom that can only come with time. "You might have a lot of wonderful information that you can help someone with because you have lived that many more years. And that's wonderful. Rather than [being] young and still trying to find your way, it's nice to be able to have found most of your way — I say most of your way because I'm always open to growing."
Below, we asked Peters to walk us through some of her favorite things, from the product that helps her maintain her famous curls to the shoes she wears for her weight training workouts.
Shopping Diaries: Bernadette PetersBreyers CarbSmart Vanilla Frozen Dairy Dessert
Part of healthy aging for her is eating healthy — and yes, that can include sweet treats! "Being able to have CarbSmart, meaning less carbs, less sugar — and by the way, it's delicious — it's nice," she says.
SkinnyPop White Cheddar Popcorn
Aside from frozen treats, if she's at the grocery store, Peters says that SkinnyPop is the snack she picks up, adding that she's a fan of the white cheddar flavor.
Nike Air Max
Exercise is another big part of her routine. "It's very important to exercise, keep moving," Peters says.
Her go-to workout is weight training, which not only benefits her body but her brain as well. “They’ve discovered lifting weights also helps with cognitive health, which I find interesting ... so I do progressive weight training, we start with a 10 and then I go up and I go up.” However, she emphasizes the importance of movement as a whole. “Anything you can do is important, stretching and walking.”
When she’s lifting weights, she wears Nike’s Air Max sneakers. While there are a number of versions of the shoe, we found this specific pair, which is a top-rated option for strength training.
Kate Blanc Cosmetics Castor Oil
"This has been around for years and years and years, hundreds of years probably, but I recently have found the benefits of castor oil. It's fabulous for your nails, to get your nails strong," Peters says. She adds, "I rub it on my hands every night and I've noticed that they're really growing and they're not breaking."
While she didn't share a specific formula that she likes, this one is a top-rated option on Amazon with more than 76,000 five-star ratings.
Mixed Chicks Curl Defining & Frizz Eliminating Leave-In Conditioner
If you've wondered what the secret is to Peters' famous curls, you're in luck — she revealed to us the product she uses to keep them looking their best. "I use something called Mixed Chicks, it's a leave-in conditioner ... and it actually makes your hair curl as it dries without the frizz."
Le Prunier Plum Beauty Oil
Peters shares that she recently started using this plum oil in her beauty routine. "It's supposed to keep everything plump."
According to the brand, the oil is made with antioxidants and fatty acids to help protect the skin against environmental stressorsand seal in moisture.
Petpost Dental Wipes for Dogs
Peters is a dog lover — she is the co-founder of Broadway Barks, an annual pet adoption event. And when it comes to her own two dogs, this is one of her current favorite products, which she says helps keep their teeth clean between brushing sessions. While it might not be her dogs' favorite thing, ("My one dog thinks I betrayed her when I put this in her mouth ... and my other dog he goes, OK I'll tolerate it") she says that it "really gets the goo away which is really good."
Emma Stessman
Emma Stessman is a writer for Shop TODAY.
