TBH, Helen Mirren's Not That Convinced Her Moisturizer Does Anything At All
Dame Helen Mirren’s happy to be rid of the insecurities that come with youth. “The great thing that happens is that you don’t give a flying [f*ck] so much, that’s the thing,” the 75-year-old told High50 about getting older. And while, sure, she maintains a skincare and beauty routine, she’s less preoccupied with what other people think of her—and through that she’s gotten a major confidence boost you can’t get from a bottle.
She’s pretty chill about the whole aging thing too. People get older. That’s just how it works. “…women have been being 50 for a very long time, or 60, or 70,” she added. So, she says trying to fight it is pointless. That’s particularly why she's called b.s. on the term “anti-aging.” In the end, beauty should just be about how you feel, she told Good Housekeeping. “You just want to look and feel as great as you can on a daily basis.”
It’s this mindset that’s made Helen’s role as a L’Oréal ambassador pretty damn major. She requested that her images used in the brand's ads and campaigns not be retouched so people know they’re getting the real deal. Her goal: To “inspire other women towards greater confidence by making the most of their natural good looks,” per High50.
If you were in doubt before, now you know. Helen Mirren’s got nothing to hide, so when it comes to what she says she does to look and feel so good, you can believe her. Read on for the facts:
She keeps makeup to a minimum these days...
"I look back at some photos of myself and think, 'Oh my god, I look awful,'" Helen told Women And Home magazine. "Ninety-nine per cent of time, it’s because I’ve been wearing too much makeup. I’m finding that as I get older, I wear less because makeup is so advanced now that you can do more with less, can’t you?"
Plus, going lighter on the stuff (or completely bare-faced) can have some major skincare bennies, too. “Often, a barrier of makeup increases oil production, so not wearing makeup can decrease oiliness, clogged pores and pimples," explains Hadley King, MD, a dermatologist in New York City previously told Women's Health.
It could be the key to a smoother skin texture, too. “Makeup, especially powder makeup, can rest in fine lines and wrinkles and can actually make them appear more pronounced, especially around the eyes,” says Nadia Kihiczak, MD, a dermatologist at Spring Street Dermatology in New York City. “Then, the process of removing the makeup nightly can result in tugging and pulling the skin on a regular basis which can affect the elasticity of the skin and, therefore, accelerate aging.”
A post shared by Helen Mirren (@helenmirren) on Mar 31, 2020 at 8:30am PDT
...But when she does wear it, she always takes it off.
Achieving great skin doesn't have to be an all-night affair. "I only spend five minutes on my skincare regime," Helen told Woman And Home. "I take my makeup off with a cleanser, then splash my face with water before wiping everything away with a flannel. In my bathroom at home, you’ll find a big pile of flannels (about 10), all stacked by the sink because I use one and then put it straight in the wash."
It's a good thing too since, “if you don’t remove your makeup at night, everything that’s been sitting on your face all day long can contaminate your skin and clog your pores,” makeup artist Adriana Aude previously told Women's Health.
Moisturizer is a must.
After a good wash, Helen tops off the routine with moisturizer. She's not married to any particular one, telling Woman And Home, she often switches it up, but "L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Re-Hydrating Day Cream always makes [her] skin feel good."
But, TBH, she's not all that convinced it does anything at all.
'I'm an eternal optimist," she told The Telegraph. "I know that when I put my [moisturizer] on it probably does fuck all, but it just makes me feel better."
And she's into the way it makes her face feel. “...my face can move, I feel fresh, comfortable and ready for the day, and I think that is really as much as you can ask any beauty product to do for you," she told High50.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Helen Mirren (@helenmirren) on Sep 29, 2019 at 2:58am PDT
Price tags and fancy ingredients can't lure her in.
Helen needs products that work, no matter how inexpensive they are. She can't be swayed by dollar signs or uppity-sounding add-ins. “I don’t approve of those insanely expensive ‘miracle, blah, blah’ [creams] – not – things have have ‘pure gold’ or caviar in them or whatever it is, and cost £200 for a little thing, I think that is terrible,” she revealed to High50.
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