As of this year, Dame Helen Mirren has been working with L’Oreal Paris for an entire decade. Still, she didn’t realize the enormity of the anniversary until someone pointed it out to her; time flies when you’re having fun.
One of the best parts of the gig—which she also didn't realize when she joined the brand as an ambassador in 2014—is taking part in their Women of Worth network. Each year, the brand gives ten non-profit leaders $25,000 to use in supporting their charitable causes. And each year, Mirren is blown away by the women she gets to meet.
"It's one of the best nights of the year for me, because it reaffirms your belief in humanity and in women. And how incredibly organized and proactive and powerful women can be. Not always, but can be," she tells Byrdie. "You come out of there sort of on cloud nine, saying, 'Oh, the world is going to be fine.'"
An acting-world fixture for 60-ish years (she’ll celebrate the 50th anniversary of her West End debut next year, another major milestone), Mirren is an icon to the point where she literally narrated the Barbie movie. She’s one step away from an EGOT (though her four BAFTA and five SAG Awards should more than fill that Grammy spot, in my humble opinion), and still, she’s always open to garnering a little wisdom—when she’s not doling it out on her own, that is.
Before she headed to the Women of Worth event on November 21, we chatted with Mirren about her skin, her favorite products, and her thoughts on aging.
About Her Skin
"My skin's pretty good. Surprisingly good, actually. I have to say, I'm probably a sort of Viking. I've never actually done my DNA, but I think I'm sort of Baltic, if you like. So I do have very fine skin. And I'm very jealous of that beautiful [strong, thick] skin.
"I do everything that I'm not supposed to do. I do sit in the sun, because I love having a bit of a sun tan. I probably don't treat it nearly as well as I should, but it's pretty good. It behaves itself in general."
Her Approach to Skincare
"It's very interesting how your skin responds to your state of mind and certainly your physical state, whether you've got a cold or if you're run down. I know, because being an actor you have to get made up every day. So you know how it's all reacting.
“I’m not someone who’s incredibly knowledgable about those sorts of things. I don’t often have a facial. Quite rarely, really. Maybe once a year, if that. So, I’m not obsessed with those sorts of things, but I do love product and I love makeup. It’s great to go out and buy a new eye shadow and get it home and try it out. For some reason, I love that.”
Her Morning Versus Night Routine
"People keep asking me what my nighttime system is, what I do at night, then what I do in the morning. I don't really think that I wash my face… I put a bit of moisturizer on, honestly, and that's it.
"I always moisturize when I go to bed, and then I always moisturize in the morning. It just makes me feel better."
The Product She's Used the Longest
“There’s no one thing I would say that I have got and I stick to for my whole life. Elnett Hairspray, of course, is most amazing—all hairdressers use Elnett.”
Her Favorite Products
“I love trying different things; I’m always sort of mixing it up. There’s a couple of L’Oreal products at the moment that I’m really enjoying. I do love their Midnight Cream. Actually, at the moment, that’s my go-to at night. I like an Epsom salt bath. It’s a good thing.”
Her Best Skincare Advice
"Don't smoke. That is the single most destructive thing for your skin, for the outside of your body and, obviously, for the inside of your body. Don't smoke and don't drink too much, either. That doesn't help, and it's a shame, because it's such fun to drink too much. But better not, in general.
"Oh, and pomegranate juice! As pure as possible."
Her Thoughts on Aging
"People have finally realized, which I've been saying—because I've been old for quite a long time now, actually, for ages—here we are! We want to look great. Where's the stuff specifically for us? I mean, it's a lot better now than it used to be. I'll tell you. When I was in my 30s or 40s, you'd see an ad for foundation, and it was on a 14-year-old girl. A 15 year old, by the time they're 18, they're already too old to advertise makeup because their skin had to be absolutely perfect. As a 40 year old you're looking at it and going, 'Who are you trying to kid? I'm never gonna look like that by buying a foundation. Why are you treating me like an idiot?' So I used to get cross with the whole thing.
"It really is catching up big time, but it's still got a little way to go. You know, also, incidentally, different colored skin—the Black girls or brown girls found it difficult to find foundation to match their skin color. And that's changed, obviously.
“I’ve witnessed a lot of change, which is great. And I still think we’ve got further to go in that whole process. I mean, [take] the whole process of menopause, for example. The way your skin changes, your temperature changes. Why not market things specifically for that? For those women? There’s an awful lot of women out there experiencing the same thing.”
