At 65, Sharon Stone is still doing bikini selfies better than anyone – and here’s how you can too

Still causing a stir at 65 with her incredible beach body, Sharon Stone posted a picture of herself on Instagram on Wednesday, attracting more than 230k “likes”. Wearing a tiny Dolce & Gabbana green leopard print thong bikini, she sent the selfie from her Beverly Hills home with the caption “ready for the Summer” accompanied with the red lips and sunglasses emojis.

How on earth does she look this good? It’s not as though the picture is even airbrushed or filtered (you can see it’s a normal photo from the couple of bruises and a possible mosquito bite on her inner thigh).

Stone is certainly not shy of a bikini selfie, they do seem to pop up on her feed annually. Last year there was her tanned end of summer snapshot in a string bikini selfie and before that a topless one (head thrown back, laughing poolside with towel draped casually across her nipples) which Vogue hailed as one of the most nonchalant bikini selfies of all time (quite the compliment given they have become a celebrity rite of passage).

Having those famous legs that go on forever is a definite plus to looking good in a bikini (even with those few minor imperfections). Stone’s ramrod posture is also key but more than anything it’s the confidence and sense of humour that prevails. Look carefully in the background of this latest selfie and her French bulldog, Bandit, is lying on a toile du jouy sofa giving her the side-eye.

But styling and wry dogs aside, if you’re inspired to take a bikini selfie this year, here’s a few considerations before following suit.

Find the perfect bikini

“As a general rule, I’d always opt for colour rather than a print unless you have a body like Sharon Stone’s. It’s more flattering,” advises stylist Fiona Rubie. She also counsels that the most flattering bikini combinations keep a substantial gap between the bottom of the bikini top and the start of the bottoms to elongate the torso – in other words, don’t choose a high waisted bikini. They’re just not very flattering unless you’re a twenty something hottie.

“Melissa Odabash bikinis are hard to beat. If you’ve got big boobs a halterneck can work well, like the Melissa Odabash Brussels which is very good for those with a D cup or bigger. Hunza G is also a great brand to investigate, especially if you want to emulate Stone’s high-legged style. I also love the new retro inspired Nou Nou bikini brand from Annie’s Ibiza which has beautiful and flattering 60s and 70s styles.”

The toning exercises

Sharon Stone has told Vogue that when it comes to emulating her exercise routine, “all you have to do is move”. “People think you have to go to the gym, but you don’t. I do squats wherever I can.” Trainer Vivian Fonseca agrees that a gym isn’t always necessary: “You can change your body doing just five minutes of exercise a day. Do it in front of the television, just fit it in. Use exercise bands for extra resistance.”

Fonseca’s tips for the best exercises to try? “Place the band above your knees and try squats getting up and down from the sofa. Try three sets of 20. A great glute toning exercise pre bikini is to sit on the sofa with your feet flat on the floor, place the band above your knees and pump out the knees. Again do three sets of 20.  And don’t forget about the arms. Tricep dips (with your hands placed behind you on a chair) are good. Try three sets of 15.”

Try Intermittent Fasting

Martha Stewart recently said that she cut out carbs two months before she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in a swimsuit. Nutritionist Gabriela Peacock prefers intermittent fasting to shape up rather than carb cutting. “My five principles if you want to slim down are eat protein with every meal, choose high fibre, low-GI carbs, include healthy fats, try eating a rainbow diet and drink plenty of water.”

Glow up your skin

There’s a serious number of what I call “emergency” body serums on the market that I wouldn’t dream of using regularly as they’re so expensive, but as a once a year pre-bikini splurge they do make a difference. Dry body brushing will definitely improve the texture and tone of the skin (do it pre shower) and follow with something like Legology’s Peach Lite Super Lift for the Derriere, £55 (Fenwick.co.uk) or the utterly brilliant U Beauty Resurfacing Body Compound, £118 (Net-a-porter.com).

Eye Wateringly expensive but it magically makes even wrinkly knees look more smoother. Sharon Stone is a fan of Augustinus Bader The Body Cream, £73 (JohnLewis.co.uk) but a better priced alternative is Naturium’s Bio Lipid Body Lotion, £16.50 (Spacenk.com) – a great new discovery which leaves legs and arms looking really velvety.

The Tweakments

I highly rate aesthetic practitioner Dr Galyna at Dr Rita Rakus clinic  who specialises in the body toning  Endospheres treatment for a last minute pre-beach transformation.

It’s wonderful for de-puffing legs, making them look more toned and yes my thighs were slimmer after a course of four. Dr Preema Vig rates the new Emsculpt Neo treatment which incorporates radio frequency and core muscle tightening. “The end result is like an invisible corset. You end up with better posture and less backache as well as a tighter core,” she says. I’m still not sure if it would entice me into a green thong.