This before and after selfie is the reason why Helen Mirren is an empowering beauty influencer for women now
If there is one A-lister you can count on for straight-talking beauty, it’s Dame Helen Mirren; the woman who admitted that moisturiser probably does “f**k all” while fronting a L’Oreal skincare campaign for, well, moisturiser. “It just makes me feel better,” she said at the time. “I'm not setting standards for others, all I can do is be who I am”.
While actively, she may not be trying to set beauty standards, the honesty she lives by is catching. Case in point: The time she dyed her hair candyfloss pink aged 68, admitting she saw it on someone else and thought “that would be cool. I might have a go at that”.
Or, the time she got a tattoo “when only Hells Angels, sailors and convicted felons got them.” Before admitting that “I’d like a whole sleeve. As you get older, I think it’s a better and better idea.”
And recently, she bucked the trend for glossy behind-the-scenes pictures of Oscars preparations by giving us a raw insight into what she really looks like before the glam squad get to work - a move which is bound to bring comfort to women who draw comparisons to celebrities they see on social media. In fact, while Instagram is awash with photos of toned, tanned celebrities setting #redcarpetgoals, Mirren’s own Instagram feed is a welcome return to normality. Appearing with wet hair askew, eye-bags out and an entirely make-up free face, Mirren shared a getting ready picture with the caption “What did you think? It all came naturally?” A departure from photos of professionally serviced skin, this was Mirren, just out of bed - no filters, no braggy agenda.
Later, Mirren followed the picture with another showing her completed hair and make-up, writing '..and after, with a great team, aided and abetted by Harry Winston’s gob smacking gorgeousness.”
Dressed in a flowing pink gown, with her hair blow-dried into a flattering choppy crop and accessorised with a punchy fuchsia lip, there’s no denying she looked fantastic. However, it's refreshing for her to admit that it took a bit of elbow grease to get there. Something most actresses keep behind closed doors.
In a smoke and mirrors industry, Mirren's frankness is singling her out as a trusted voice for women of all ages to accept the ageing process and embrace hair and makeup as a fun way to express their individuality, rather than a means of covering up their age or their flaws.
While it may seem like Hollywood actresses are a different species, without a team of professionals behind them, they look a lot like the rest of us - a bit groggy without makeup, a hell of a lot better with a good blow dry, and more (not less) comfortable with age.