Veteran actress Nia Long has been admired for her timeless beauty, and at the age of 51, people are still astonished by the Love Jones actress’ beauty, referring to her as “ageless.” And while Long is appreciative of the admiration, she claims she doesn’t want to capitulate herself to the burdens of perfection.

In an interview with People Magazine, the actress expressed that she’s proud of her age and all that accompanies it.

“I so appreciate the compliment,” Long told People. “But I have to tell you, there’s so much pressure in this industry to stay beautiful and to stay young. And I’m not really interested in leaning into this idea of perfection.”

“I am proud 51, and eventually, I’m going to age in a way where it’s obvious and I want it to happen beautifully and gracefully,” she continues. “I don’t really want the pressure of feeling like I have to be beautiful and perfect because I think beauty comes at any age.”

Long has been in the entertainment industry for more than two decades and admits to being hard on herself when making public appearance, something she has been doing since she was 20.

“The business is very different now from when I was 20 years old,” Long said. “I don’t even know that I was aware of the amount of pressure that I was putting on myself to be perfect. I don’t know that I was able to articulate that as a young woman. And, so what I know now is grace and patience and acceptance are much more interesting to me than perfectionism.”

Disregarding the quixotic perfection expectation that comes along with the industry, Long takes care of herself by avoiding “anti-aging” products and using methods that maintains her healthy and vibrant skin while aging like hydration, vitamins, wearing little to no makeup, serums, and biotin.

She even makes sure her sons, Kez Sunday, 10, and Massai Zhivago, 21, practice good self care, stating that beauty has no gender. Long embracing real beauty is part of the reason she partnered with SmileDirectClub, saying it’s a relief seeing the smiles that have been covered up by masks during these troubling COVID-19 times.

“I honestly think the real beauty comes from within,” Long said. “And I know for myself, I am working in progress. I meant, we can use all the creams, all the lotions, all the makeup in the world, but if you’re not feeling good on the inside, the beauty just isn’t radiant. It becomes sort of this superficial mask.”