Andie MacDowell is almost as famous for being the poster girl for grey hair as she is the actual poster girl on films like Four Weddings And A Funeral. And the moment that truly cemented her decision to go silver? When her famous daughters gave her the perfect words of persuasion.
Andie’s grey journey began during the pandemic, when salons were closed and nature began taking its course. Andie was encouraged to make it a permanent switch to silver by her actress daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley – ironically, the latter being the star of The Substance, where visible ageing is fought tooth and nail.
‘They encouraged me to do it,’ recalls Andie, talking exclusively to GH. ‘They saw me when it was just growing out, and I was pulling it back and they would be like, “You look badass. You’ve got to keep it!” No-one had ever told me I looked badass.’
There was another, even more powerful reason why she loved what she was seeing in the mirror so much. ‘My mother died when I was 23, and I never got to see her go through this [grey] process. She was 53,’ Andie explains. ‘But my father never coloured his hair. He died when he was 89 and he was completely silver. So I thought of how I saw him go through all these stages of his life, and how this was something that I wanted to experience because I knew I looked a lot like him.’
‘I felt it would suit me. And so I gave myself permission to do it,’ she says. ‘I saw myself like I saw my father.’
‘I don’t think it’s for every woman,’ she adds. ‘I have a lot of women friends my age, and probably the majority of them colour their hair and that makes them happy. But I just feel like grey looks better on me. I don’t even think about it. I just live it.’
As part of that, Andie is thrilled to be a positive role model for her daughters. ‘I think they really enjoy watching me be a powerful, strong woman,’ she says. ‘I think they respect me for ageing in the way that makes me feel comfortable. I advocate for myself and say, “No, this is who I am.”’
Going grey could have been a tricky conversation to have as an ambassador for a beauty brand, but L’Oréal Paris backed her all the way. ‘Their whole message is finding your own self-worth, and they’re supporting me in who I am as an individual,’ says Andie, who's been walking the red carpet for L'Oréal Paris at the Cannes Film Festival. ‘I think that’s where you find your true beauty. Everybody needs to be able to express themselves in the way that they see themselves.’
In a word: badass.
Do you feel more relaxed about beauty and ageing than you did earlier in your career?
I do because I think once you get past 60, your perception of what beauty is changes. You go inward, you’re a much deeper person after you’re 60. So, the way you see ageing changes drastically. I’m really comfortable and really love where I am and appreciate myself.
What do you know now that you wish your younger self knew?
The idea that this is a bad time is a misconception. Because it’s a glorious time. And no one talks about that. These are the best years of your life. You’re finally in this stage where you truly love yourself and you don’t have these external ideas about what is beautiful. It’s hard to explain, but you’re going to know when you get there. When you get to 68, it’s pretty fantastic.
Is there anything you do, beauty-wise, that you didn’t before?
I take more chances now. I think I had the idea that I had to be a very particular kind of beauty, perhaps a beauty that was glorified by men. You know, whatever makes them happy. And I no longer do that. Now I just want to be my interpretation of free. I don’t restrict myself.
What’s been the best beauty risk you’ve taken?
Last year at Cannes, I went very much as a man for one of the red carpets and I thought that was really liberating. It felt so free and it gave me this particular sort of masculine energy. I thought it was a fun thing to embrace. And then the next night I wore something very feminine and it does have an effect on you and how you feel.
I also love a strong, sexy, heavy eye and I think maybe I wouldn’t have done that so much in my 50s. I thought maybe I had to transform myself into this person that restricted herself as she aged, but I don’t feel that way anymore.
Amen to that! How do you look after your skin as you get older?
I would say it’s all about the moisturising, I’m now using Age Perfect because they have done all these studies on the different components that are important for ageing skin. I especially love the night cream. And I drink a lot of water, hydration drinks and algae collagen. I study foods, and I’m just making sure that I’m eating the right things. I love to cook, so I nourish myself both inside and outside.
L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Night Cream
But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to have a glass of wine every once in a while, too [laughs]. I went through a thing where I was not drinking at all at home and it did feel great. I have to say, it felt fabulous, I was sleeping really well. But since I’ve been here [in Cannes], I’ve been having a little rosé. And I think that’s important, too.
Agreed. Do you think you’re kinder to yourself as you get older?
Oh for sure, yes. Oh my god, I used to be so hard on myself. And I did teach my kids you need to watch how you speak about yourself, and they’d turn that back on me. I think it was really something that was so ingrained in me that I didn’t realise I would diminish myself with my own words.
I’ve now learned self-love is just so vital. I really enjoy my company. I can have the most fun just walking on the beach looking for shells. I’m one of those women that finds a shell and I feel like I’ve just gotten the best gift ever.
But I also love to find other women that want to do a lot of nurturing and self-care, too. I particularly think it’s important to have a great group of female friends that advocate for each other, that don’t gossip, that lift each other up.
Finally, how does it feel to represent a beauty brand in your 60s?
What I enjoy most is, so many women my age are told they no longer fit in or that they’re not beautiful or that age has made them less than. The most rewarding thing for me is to show women that’s just not true. That we are beautiful at every age and this is a glorious time in our life.
I always say we not only deserve a seat at the table, but that we deserve to be at the head of the table.
At the head, with our glass of rosé.
[laughs] With our rosé. For sure.
Andie’s Cannes must-haves
For this year’s red carpet, L’Oréal Paris global makeup artist Harold James created a gorgeous statement eye for Andie. The iconic L’Oréal Paris Panorama Mascara was used for bold and voluptuous lashes, followed by Infallible Grip Liner and Brow Lamination to achieve the eye-opening look.
Andie MacDowell is a brand ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, the official makeup partner for Cannes Film Festival. Andie is a supporter of The L'Oréal Paris Lights On Women’s Worth Award
