Helen Mirren’s Brilliant Beauty Advice

Dame Helen Mirren, otherwise known as a bonafide legend, has some sage beauty advice to share, especially with regard to our perceptions of attractiveness. The award winning actress has just been named as the face for L’Oreal Paris, representing their Age Perfect line and as you’ll probably agree, she’s the perfect choice. As is plain to see from the image above, the forthcoming ads will more realistic and true to Mirren’s actual look, than many other anti aging campaigns that seek to do away with lines and wrinkles, as though they are something to be ashamed of. As you get older, they’re par for the course. Live with them and learn to love them.

In an interview with The Daily Mail, Mirren says that make-up and skincare aren’t all about making her look ten years younger. She’s 69 now. On this subject, she says:??I’m not obsessive when it comes to looking after my skin. I have always used moisturiser at night and in the morning – it makes me feel better and to me that’s what I want from it.?It doesn’t have to make me?look ten years younger: it’s all about how it makes me feel better that day.?My biggest beauty advice is just to make sure you clean your skin really well and don’t smoke. I also have to have my eight hours of sleep a night.?

Sleep, don’t smoke, wash. Got it.

The Queen actress also shared her thoughts on beauty versus attractiveness:??I don’t’really like?the word ?beauty?. There are physically beautiful people in’the world (David Beckham, for instance, is unbelievably beautiful), then there are other people that are not beautiful, but are very attractive because of their personality, energy, brilliance, genius: all kinds of things.

?So I have a resistance to the word ?beautiful?. I wish we could find another word that takes it away from physical beauty and brings it more into?the world?of true attractiveness…?I think L?Oreal’s’slogan??Because I’m Worth It? really strikes a chord with women. Self-esteem is such a hugely important thing and it’s so difficult for all of us.?

Furthermore reassuring us mere mortals that she too isn’t made of steel, Mirren says:??People say to me ?Oh, you’re so self-confident? but I am not naturally self-confident, I just have had to be in my work and my life. If it’s a problem, it’s my problem – I’ve got to deal with it.?

And lastly, on the benefits of getting older and bolder with beauty:??I think the?great?advantage of getting older is that you let go of certain things…?Be bold! Be bold with your cut, really look what young people are doing and copy them – don’t copy what old people are doing.?I loved it when I dyed my hair pink. A lot of women get stuck at what they are good at and what they did between the ages of 18 and 28 and they never have the courage to change that.?You see?women from?the Sixties still with their beehives and now they’re in their 70s. You see?women from?the Eighties who still have those Eighties hair-dos. My advice is to look at what’s happening now and go with the flow – don’t do what you did when you were 24.

?Some people have a classic haircut and it works for them and that’s?great, but it’s much better to accept how you look now and then be modern.?

Now that’s the kind of advice we like to hear.

Full interview here – Daily Mail

@CarolineForan