Selena Gomez says fans still want her to look like she did in 2016. The 34-year-old Emmy-nominated actress and Rare Beauty founder, who is married to producer Benny Blanco, says she is having “so much fun” getting older.
Selena Gomez explains why she embraces getting older and refuses to fear how her appearance will change
Speaking to People for its cover story published on September 16, the singer-actress opened up about getting older. Gomez, who is being honored with the inaugural Beauty Impact Award for her efforts in mental health advocacy, said, “Getting older has been so much fun. I’m not scared at all. I love getting older. Yeah, things are going to change, and things are going to sag, but you’re alive… I think age is just a number in many ways.”
Gomez’s 2016 beauty looks continue to attract attention online, with her smoky makeup often going viral. Rare Beauty recently tapped into the same 2016 nostalgia. Gomez, however, says she is not looking back and feels happy with who she is today. “I got to be honest, the 2016 throwbacks and all of it is so much fun, but people get really intense. I always make this joke where I think people want to freeze me in time to that period of my life,” Gomez said.
Reflecting on her younger self, Gomez said she wishes she had carried the same confidence as her younger sister, Gracie. She said, “My sister is so much cooler than me. She’s 13 and has more confidence than I do. She is actually so thrilled to try things, but she also knows she doesn’t need it.”
Gomez rose to fame as a teen star playing Alex Russo on the hit sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place. At 23, she became the most-followed person on Instagram. A decade later, Gomez has built a successful beauty business and is married to Blanco. The couple married on September 27, 2025, at a private estate in Santa Barbara, California. They are now approaching their first wedding anniversary.
