Eva Mendes Is Embracing Aging — and a Bigger Phone Font Size: 'Paranoid People Can Read My Texts to Ryan' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Eva Mendes.Photo:Gotham/GC Images

Gotham/GC Images

Eva Mendesis all of us who struggle to read teeny-tiny type.The actress, 50, tells PEOPLE that she first realized her own eyes were getting a little wonky about 12 years ago.“I was around my late thirties, and I remember the moment that ingredients became a little harder for me to read,” says Mendes, whorecently partnered with Look Opticto drop a line of stylish readers and sunglasses in her signature, oversize cat-eye style.Eva Mendes x LOOK OPTIC; Courtesy of Look Optic8BIM.Courtesy of Look Optic"I was like, ‘That’s weird!,'" Mendes continues. “In my late thirties, I just didn’t think aging was really going to happen to me. I was at that point where I thought that only happens tootherpeople.“She jokes that she went through a denial phase.“I was like, ‘They’re changing things on me!’ They’re making the type so small on prescription bottles and things like that. And then I came to the terms like, ‘Oh my God. I really need readers and possibly other lenses like progressives.'“The mom of two daughters, whoshe shares with her partner Ryan Gosling, says that when she had to make the font size bigger on her phone, she really knew it was time for readers.“My fear is someone can read what I’m saying so easily!” she laughs about having the senior-size lettering on her keyboard.“Like they can be reading what I’m saying to Ryan [Gosling] or anyone. I’m so paranoid about it!“Mendes says for all this and more she couldn’t be more proud about her collaboration with Look Optic, which offers stylish styles at an accessible price point.Eva Mendes x LOOK OPTIC; Courtesy of Look Optic.Courtesy of Look Optic"Readers used to be like the things you picked up at Rite Aid, but they started having a vibe shift right when I needed them, which was good timing,” she says of more stylish options becoming available.“But they were so expensive! I need to have more than one pair because of my personality. Those people who have just one pair of sunglasses, I’m like, ‘what?’ I have to have pairs in different rooms of the house.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.She also loves that the glasses are in her favorite shape — the oversize cat-eye, which fits her vintage personality.“I started getting into vintage clothes when I got out of high school and had to start buying things on my own because of money. I started thrifting, and then I just ended up really loving the style.“Eva Mendes x LOOK OPTIC; Courtesy of Look Optic.Courtesy of Look OpticSo she wasn’t into vintage clothes in high school?“Oh no, I full embraced the ’90s when I was in high school,” she says. “There was a Forever 21 around, and it was just like, hits of dopamine going to the mall and hitting up Forever 21, and leaving with all these gems that were reasonably priced.“She adds, “The ’90s were just serving so much.”

Eva Mendesis all of us who struggle to read teeny-tiny type.

The actress, 50, tells PEOPLE that she first realized her own eyes were getting a little wonky about 12 years ago.

“I was around my late thirties, and I remember the moment that ingredients became a little harder for me to read,” says Mendes, whorecently partnered with Look Opticto drop a line of stylish readers and sunglasses in her signature, oversize cat-eye style.

Eva Mendes x LOOK OPTIC; Courtesy of Look Optic8BIM.Courtesy of Look Optic

Courtesy of Look Optic

“I was like, ‘That’s weird!,'” Mendes continues. “In my late thirties, I just didn’t think aging was really going to happen to me. I was at that point where I thought that only happens tootherpeople.”

She jokes that she went through a denial phase.

“I was like, ‘They’re changing things on me!’ They’re making the type so small on prescription bottles and things like that. And then I came to the terms like, ‘Oh my God. I really need readers and possibly other lenses like progressives.'”

The mom of two daughters, whoshe shares with her partner Ryan Gosling, says that when she had to make the font size bigger on her phone, she really knew it was time for readers.

“My fear is someone can read what I’m saying so easily!” she laughs about having the senior-size lettering on her keyboard.

“Like they can be reading what I’m saying to Ryan [Gosling] or anyone. I’m so paranoid about it!”

Mendes says for all this and more she couldn’t be more proud about her collaboration with Look Optic, which offers stylish styles at an accessible price point.

Eva Mendes x LOOK OPTIC; Courtesy of Look Optic.Courtesy of Look Optic

“Readers used to be like the things you picked up at Rite Aid, but they started having a vibe shift right when I needed them, which was good timing,” she says of more stylish options becoming available.

“But they were so expensive! I need to have more than one pair because of my personality. Those people who have just one pair of sunglasses, I’m like, ‘what?’ I have to have pairs in different rooms of the house.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She also loves that the glasses are in her favorite shape — the oversize cat-eye, which fits her vintage personality.

“I started getting into vintage clothes when I got out of high school and had to start buying things on my own because of money. I started thrifting, and then I just ended up really loving the style.”

So she wasn’t into vintage clothes in high school?

“Oh no, I full embraced the ’90s when I was in high school,” she says. “There was a Forever 21 around, and it was just like, hits of dopamine going to the mall and hitting up Forever 21, and leaving with all these gems that were reasonably priced.”

She adds, “The ’90s were just serving so much.”

source: people.com