Smart, stylish, beautiful and successful—indomitable social doyenne and philanthropist Elisabeth Waters was born and raised in Austria, and began her career as a chemical engineer. From there, she became a successful entrepreneur and mother. She arrived in Sarasota in 1992, and in 1998, she met her love Gil Waters, who she endearingly calls Gilbert.  

Now, when she's not supporting her favorite charities, you'll find this grandmother of three bopping about town splitting her time between friends, family, Pure Barre, Bikram yoga and Orange Theory—sometimes all in one day! And through it all, she manages to look beautiful and put together. It's no surprise that I want to know everything about her beauty routine, and here she tells all.

Describe your morning makeup routine.

My morning routine is pretty simple. I wash my face with a mild cleanser. Then I put on serum from SkinMedica, followed by Total Defense+Repair, also from SkinMedica. This product has a sunblock and is essential for me. Then comes light make up, including lip liner from Estee Lauder in Café Rose, which I have using for more than 30 years. It goes with almost every lip shade. On top I dab a little lip gloss. And to finish up, I apply a little rouge to my cheeks. Since I have lash extensions and my brows microbladed, I do not use any eye makeup for daily use.

What did your mother/mother-figure teach you about beauty?

My mother very rarely used makeup. I had to figure it all out by myself!

How do you nourish your beauty from the inside?

I've been a vegetarian for 40 years, and try to eat unprocessed food. Once a year, I do a 14-day detox at an Ayurvedic spa in Austria. 

Any treatment that you outsource?

Once a month I treat myself to a hydro-facial.

How about your nighttime skincare ritual?

I once again wash with a mild cleanser, then use serum and Lytera 2.0, both from SkinMedica. 

Do you have a signature scent and what do you love about it?

My scent for decades has been Red Door by Elizabeth Arden. Before that, it was Ysatis.

What is the biggest beauty blunder most women make?

Believing all the promises made by companies [that their products will] get rid of wrinkles just with the use of a splash of their product.

More women should…

Women should take good care of themselves, from the inside and the outside. Keep busy, work out and have friends with the same interests. I've never seen a woman with a smile on her face who is not beautiful.