There are moments in a woman's life she will never forget: her first kiss, her wedding day and the moment that Barbra Streisand touches her arm and says four words, "When do we eat?"
The icon of all icons is hungry. It's noon at the Four Seasons Hotel during our interview for her new movie "The Guilt Trip" and I'm feeling sort of guilty.
"We've been doing all this talking and now I'm starving. No one will feed me," Streisand says in her trademark, lyrical voice.
Barbra is standing only inches in front of me and we're alone. I want to whip up some fabulous meal, but it's impossible for two reasons: I don't cook and I'm in awe.
Somehow I snap out of it long enough to tackle the matter at hand: What are Barbra Streisand's beauty secrets?
When I ask the questions, her line-free, beautiful face looks a little sad for a moment. And I know why? Barbra has spent a lifetime not feeling that beautiful. She talks about it in almost every one of her movies and has been upfront about it in interviews.
Now, she's 70 and standing there looking so lovely in leggings and a black sweater. In person, she's a slip of a woman, thin and muscular, and she has that lovely, stick straight, perfectly high-lighted blonde hair.
Hello, gorgeous!
BARBRA STREISAND'S SECRET BEAUTY TIPS
Mention her flawless skin and she looks very uncomfortable. "Beauty secrets? Please," she says. "If you only knew all of my self doubts.
"I don't know how I look this way," she says.
Then she thinks about it and offers a beauty secret that I've never heard before during my decade plus of beauty reporting.
"Maybe I'm slightly childish," she says. "I think beauty comes from your spirit.
"I like the child part of me. It reflects in my face," she says.
She adds that happiness in her life is another great beauty tip.
What makes her happy? She mentions who makes her happy – her family, including grown son Jason and her husband James Brolin, father of actor Josh Brolin.
She says her home life comes first.
"I make it hard for people to hire me. I love the nights," she says and smiles. "My husband and I stay up until two or three in the morning every night. We don't function in the early morning.
"We love to watch political shows in bed or go on road trips. We love being together," she says. "We get up on Sunday mornings and watch all the political shows in bed. It's lovely."
HER NEW FILM "THE GUILT TRIP" AND WHAT SHE CAN'T DO
Tomorrow, Barbra will tell this blog about her new film "The Guilt Trip" and her views of mothers of grown children and how to make that relationship sing.
For today, we stick to personal topics including what one of the greats considers her major flaw.
She's the voice of our times, plus acts and even directs films to massive critical acclaim.
Does Streisand have a flaw? What can't she do in life?
She laughs and tosses that blonde mane back.
"I can't cook," she says with a warm laugh. "I mean, I can't cook at all. I wouldn't know how to make coffee or boil an egg.
"I took cooking classes," she offers. "I even know how to make a chocolate soufflé. But I found out that I like for someone else to make chocolate soufflé and give it to me."
She makes a face. "Cooking is so filthy with all the stuff on you! Then there's the cleaning up!" she rants. "I don't like it at all."
