It’s already happening in fashion. A small, but definite shift towards the celebration of older women in ad campaigns, and with news that Charlotte Rampling has just signed for cosmetics behemoth Nars, it seems like this new pro-ageing approach is slowly filtering through to the beauty industry too.

But they’re not the first. In 2012, avant-garde make-up brand Illamasqua put models in their 50s and 70s behind the lens on their Generation Q campaign. The shots were unretouched and real, signalling a new acceptance of the wrinkle, the fine line. But did it shift any more lipsticks?

It’s a bold move by Nars who are set to celebrate their 20th anniversary this September. Beauty demands a whole other, close-up aesthetic than a glossy full-bleed fashion campaign, but the brand does have form when it comes to off-kilter casting choices. And at the end of the day, the risk is calculated. At 68, Rampling is still as ravishing as ever. Beauty like hers doesn’t really diminish, merely gets softer and diffused around the edges. Kudos to Nars, then, for making a bold gesture that will do much to broaden their appeal to a more mature audience, but also in choosing the kind of face that women in their 20s and 30s, let alone women in their 60s, still identify as a marker of true and enduring beauty.

If you need any further evidence, we’ve pulled together our favourite Rampling looks from over the years.

Shot here in black and white (which will also be the aesthetic for her upcoming beauty campaign) the aspiring actress channeled a beatnik vibe with her backcombed hair and black kohled eyes.

As a 19 year-old, fresh from her success in Gregory's Girl, we get the first full-colour glimpse of her flawless complexion, and this was before retouching even existed.

She always possessed a mature, knowing beauty that shone through, even in her 20s. Perhaps this is why make-up artist Francois Nars has cited her as one of his earliest muses.

By 1975 Rampling was in demand as an actress, enjoying success in films like The Night Porter. Her cheekbones, which could cut glass, and chestnut mane cemented her status as one of the most beautiful actresses of the 70s.

Here, a note on freckles. Dermatologists would wince at her sun kissed skin, but it's so alluring. In a weird way her smile lines belonged to an older face, but they made her even more beautiful in our opinion. 

In the mid 80s, with roles in eclectic French films like Max, Mon Amor, Rampling experimented with a shorter hairstyle and more made-up appearance, but it was the 80s, so we'll forgive this slight deviation.

Still very much a jobbing actress in 1992, Rampling was entering her fifth decade, but showing no signs of losing her beauty appeal, especially in this flattering black and white shot. One word: cheekbones.

Fast forward to the noughties and Rampling's beauty formula of fresh, natural skin, side parted mid-brown hair and softly contoured cheeks is unchanged. 

Into her 60s and now working with contemporary directors like Laars Von Trier (as well as some lesser publicised turns in films like Streetdance 3), Rampling is evidence that a stellar bone structure, untampered brows and a slick of dark pink lipstick is all that some women need to age with elegance.