“I’m an eternal optimist – I know that when I put my moisturiser on it probably does f*** all, but it just makes me feel better,” she said during a promotional tour in the South of France. “I’ve always said to L’Oréal as well that I will only do what makes me feel better.”
It seems the key to Mirren’s beauty routine is something that can’t be bottled or added to a cart. It’s pure, unadulterated swagger, and she brings it with her everywhere she goes (see: showing up to the red carpet with pink hair, casually taking a shot of tequila at the Oscars, or stomping down a Paris runway wearing an Azzaro suit and a bold smoky eye).
After 30 remarkable years in the spotlight, this is a woman who doesn’t want to slip quietly off into the sunset in her ‘golden years’. “I want to age disgracefully,” Mirren told BAZAAR.com. “Ageing is a cause for celebration and the reality is that it’s a non-stop adventure. That’s what I enjoy.”
What we enjoy, apart from her incredible career, her love and appreciation for her fellow woman and the occasional curse word, is her sexiness, her style and the way she looks at beauty.
Here are some of our favourite lessons courtesy of Ms Mirren…
Beauty (Mostly) Comes From Within
“It’s those moments when you’re well-rested and you feel that the world is a wonderful place to live in that you’re at your best, isn’t it? It’s not an outer beauty, it’s an inner feeling of peace. Having said that, I also feel pretty beautiful when I’ve just spent two hours in hair and make-up!” Women&Home
It’s The Simple Things
“Castor oil’s amazing. A tiny bit on your hair gives it a little shine, a little separation. [I use it on my] eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails — just rub it in.” People
Have Fun With Beauty
“I love being creative with my hair and make-up, because nothing is permanent. A few years ago, I had this gorgeous pink and gold Elie Saab dress. I thought, ‘Ooh, maybe I’ll do my hair the same colour’. It was completely my idea: hair can be an accessory, too. The pink was wash-in, wash-out. At 6pm I was my hair colour, by 7pm I was pink and by 11am the next morning I was my colour again. Why not?” The Telegraph
It’s All About The Brows
“I’ll tell you what I had done recently, which I love – I got my eyebrows tattooed. I was fed up of my brows barely being there, and when one of my girlfriends got it done, I thought they looked great. They’re very lightly and delicately done, but it means when I get up in the morning and I have no make-up on, at least I have eyebrows! It’s made a huge difference.”
Smile
“It was a long time ago but I remember the moment – I learned to smile. I always had fat cheeks (and I still do!), so I was always sucking my cheeks in. But you can’t suck your cheeks in and smile at the same time! It’s absolutely impossible. So I guess I never smiled. Then I discovered that, actually, it’s nice to smile openly and with freedom, not a tight little smile, a big one. It certainly has served me in good stead.” Vogue
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