At 52, the country superstar is slimmer, prettier and perkier than ever. But though she certainly takes care of herself, the real secret to staying youthful, she tells Quick & Simple, comes from the inside. 

“I love being 50, and I will love being 60, too,” says Reba McEntire. “Age has never bothered me because I’m having a good time.” In fact, the entertainer admits, the key to her seemingly endless youth is probably just laughing — as often as possible. “It is so very important,” she insists. “It’s right up there with my love for my family and my relationship with God. I know God meant for us to laugh a lot.” And no one, Reba notes, deserves more credit for constantly keeping her in stitches than her manager/husband of 18 years, Narvel Blackstock, 50, their 17-year-old son, Shelby, and her stepkids Chassidy, Shawna and Brandon, all in their 20s.

“I pretty much surround myself with people who make me laugh,” Reba says. “That was the greatest thing about being on the Reba TV show. Those people were not only funny on television, they were even hysterical at the rehearsals. We had a lot of fun together, and that was important. Comedienne Melissa Peterman opens the show for me now during my concerts, and I look forward to her part of the show more than anything, because she makes me laugh.”

Not surprisingly, Reba’s health-and-fitness regimen has a “keep it light” quality as well. Revolving around daily vitamins, strict sun-avoidance, lots of water and brisk 30-minute walks three to four times weekly, it’s more about common sense than impossible-to-follow rules.

And with an admitted weakness for desserts and all things Mexican, she’s not putting herself through any tortuous dieting paces, either. “I love the chips and salsa and margaritas,” Reba says, noting that her favorite South of the Border combo is red beans, fried potatoes and cornbread. Though the singer is careful about what she consumes — with a family history of Type 2 diabetes, she believes in healthy eating, watching portion sizes and cutting back on sugar — she doesn’t consider any food off-limits: “I wake up in the morning thinking, ‘What can I have for breakfast? What will I have for supper?’”

And while makeup artist Brett Freedman even credits Reba’s lack of rigidity with keeping her complexion youthful, the star herself connects it to nightly makeup removal and an herbal facial cleanser from Noevir, the Japanese skin-care line, which she special-orders. “I’ve been using it for 16 years,” she says. “I’ve tried other products, but I like it the best.”

 Read the full story from Quick & Simple magazine.

The CMA Awards show is definitely country’s dressiest night, as stars abandon their favorite jeans and hop into haute couture for a few hours of photo ops. Designer duds may not be the norm for most of these artists, but it doesn’t mean they’re out of the loop when it comes to style. Trends that are hot in New York, L.A. and other fashionable cities show up on the CMA red carpet every year.
 
The menswear trend? Check. Martina McBride performed in a glam tuxedo and Sheryl Crow held the stage in a leather vest and pants. Detailing? Check. Soft, flowing gowns experimented with shirring, tucking, draping, bustling and all kinds of extras. Curls? Oh yeah. For the most part, the stick-straight hairstyles popular with young stars in the past few years were replaced with the loose ringlets seen on Carrie Underwood, LeAnn Rimes, Jewel and other attendees.
 
The word that best describes CMA fashion 2007 might be “shine.” The fashion world says the sequin is back, and it was showcased on such performers as Miranda Lambert in red and Taylor Swift in black sparkling minis, and Reba McEntire in a glamorous, orange-sequined number. (Of course, when it comes to country music, have sequins ever gone out of style?) Glittery beads also joined the party, as in Carrie’s nude-colored Badgley Mischka spaghetti-strap gown with jeweled vine details. Even Martina’s tuxedo shone onstage, highlighted by a sparkly lamé tie.
 
“It was a very glittery CMA,” agrees stylist and fashion columnist Libby Callaway. “The guys got in on it, too — lots of the men’s jackets had a subtle sheen that really showed up under the lights. My favorite outfit was Jennifer Nettles’ shiny blouse and slacks. She proved that just because you’re going sparkly doesn’t mean you have to wear a dress!”