Dame Helen Mirren is no stranger to events requiring lavish hotel suites, intricate couture gowns and a crowd of hair stylists and talented make-up artists. I’m talking to the 78-year-old actor the morning after the night before: his appearance on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, which he’s attended for more than a decade. We talk over Zoom: I’m in London and Mirren is in the L’Oréal Paris suite at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes (the brand is the official makeup sponsor of this year’s festival). Mirren certainly does, wearing a polka dot silk blouse, her sparkling white hair parted stylishly from her face, and a vibrant pinkish blush on her cheeks. Negative Looks like he had a late night.
But still, I get the impression that the actress has a very well-arranged agenda when preparing for an event or a big occasion. Rather than simply getting dressed, putting on makeup, and packing away for flashing cameras, Mirren is involved every step of the way. She really has a bolder, bolder approach to dressing than most. Case in point: Mirren dyed her hair pink for Cannes in 2019 and wore thick, cat-eye eyeliner in 2022; This is a look that doesn’t look good on fashion runways. (He has previously said that this look received a reaction of “fear and surprise”. This was very pleasing to him.) The most surprising thing at Cannes last year was that he dyed his white hair in a conspicuous way. She chooses electric blue to match her 18th-century Del Core dress.
For her final appearance in Cannes on Friday night, at the premiere La Plus Précieuse des Marchandises (The Most Valuable of Cargoes) Mirren wore a floor-length purple dress by Elie Saab, one of her favorite designers. Her hair and makeup were relatively simple: a sleek bob tucked under and a pretty rose lipstick. Perhaps it’s understated, but it’s by no means simple. Mirren tells me how she prepares for a big event and then relaxes afterward.
choosing the dress
Mirren is passionate about choosing a dress that makes a statement, whether it’s because of her relationship with the designer or her appreciation for the work that goes into making it. “It’s such an honor to wear these dresses, the artwork in them is extraordinary. “It’s an incredible experience to wear one of these dresses even once in your life,” she says. “But it doesn’t necessarily have to be comfortable!”
Before hair and make-up
Mirren always makes sure she sleeps well the night before. “I definitely don’t eat,” she says that day, “and if I’m wearing a very tight dress, I definitely don’t drink.” “These are classic things.” The makeup artist will take care of your nails before sitting down. “I’m taking out the old paintbrush to make sure everything is clean because you want to give these people a clean slate to work their magic on.”
Set
Preparation for Mirren to hit the red carpet takes at least a few hours. “I have an amazing team here in Cannes, and yes, the preparation is quite extensive, but watching them all work is like a poem in motion,” he explains. Mirren has six hairstylists and a team of leading makeup artists working on her at once. “If you don’t look good at the end of this, shame on you,” he laughs.
on the chair
I feel like I already know the answer to this, but any snacks? “No, snacks are not allowed,” he said firmly. Is there any music or playlists in the background? “I am such a distant person from music that I never turn on music in the background. There was a great sound incident with the hair team yesterday though; there was some really nice, interesting music playing,” she tells me. Mirren preps and moisturizes her skin using L’Oreal Paris’s Hyaluronic Acid Filler Serum (£16). “I don’t really have any rituals, because I make sure I look and feel great in front of the carpet. “I really trust the team.”
big reveal
As we expected, Mirren loves to make a statement. “For me, the red carpet is a short theatrical moment and that’s how I like to do it. “I’ve done a lot of theatre, and the red carpet really is theatre,” she tells me. “I love dressing up and I love costumes, that’s partly why I’m an actor.” Would she ever consider dying her hair a bright color again? “I’m sure I will,” she says. “The great thing is, you can be my color at six o’clock, bright pink or bright blue at eight o’clock, and then you can be my color again at 11 o’clock that same night. Everything is great, especially if you have gray hair like mine.”
on beauty
“I’ve always been a bit anti-beauty as a general term,” she tells me. “I love looking at beautiful people, seeing a beautiful man or a beautiful woman is nothing but pleasure, but this is not the case for all of us. A small part of us is beautiful. The rest of us look great. He paused. “I look good in a way, but you’re not Naomi Campbell and I’m not David Beckham,” he laughs, “if that’s what we’re talking about real beauty.” According to Mirren, the term beautiful is “unattainable”. Mirren prefers the term “cool” over beauty. “We can all be cool, we can all wear an outfit that makes us feel ‘oh wow… I’m going there, I’m going to have a good time.'” We can also do make-up.”
Confidence with makeup
Whether she’s working on a movie set, walking the red carpet, or walking around the house with her husband (director Taylor Hackford), Mirren loves the effect of wearing makeup. She told me that during the Covid lockdown, she was “at home with my husband for the first time in our entire relationship, the first time we managed to be at home together for a long period of time and it was wonderful.” ”. She wore make-up every day. “He didn’t care, he didn’t notice, he doesn’t see these things, but I do. “So when I walked past a mirror and saw myself, I saw a person ready for the world, and it made me feel alive and present,” she says. “I don’t know why this happens, but it does.”
Unwinding after an event
Appearing on the red carpet, Mirren is eagerly waiting for the moment when she will get out of her dress, untie her hair and take off her make-up. “I make sure I remove my makeup thoroughly, feel my face again, and nourish and hydrate my skin.” Age Perfect Golden Age Cooling Night Cream from L’Oreal Paris, £20, leaves her skin feeling “incredible” after a long day of make-up. Then she’ll take a bath using Epsom salts (try Epsom Bath Salts from Westlab, £3).
“I love a nice bathroom, an old-style bathroom with candles. “I love that clean feeling and then applying a nice body cream.” Mirren isn’t interested in beauty tools or gadgets. “I’m fascinated by all these rollers and red light masks, but I do it for two days and then forget about it. “Once the first two or three are gone, I lose interest,” he tells me. “After all, life is too short,” she laughs.