At 66, Andie McDowell has never felt better about herself. A L’Oréal Paris face for almost 40 years, the actress has entrusted us with her beauty and well-being secrets for self-confidence. Encounter.
You have been an ambassador for L’Oréal Paris for almost 40 years, what does it mean to you to represent the brand for so long?
It’s one of my greatest prides, I think that anyone working with the same company for 39 years has accomplished something beautiful. The longevity of this relationship speaks for itself, for L’Oréal and for me, but also testifies to our ability to achieve so much together.
How has your vision of beauty evolved year after year?
I have more confidence in myself now than when I was young. Obviously I still have this voice in my head that wants me to be more perfect, whatever that means… Thinner, more presentable, with this idealized vision of perfection. Now I am softer and kinder to myself than before, the voice has become lower. When I was young she would yell at me, now it’s just an occasional whisper.
What is your skincare routine?
I love moisturizing, Age Perfect from L’Oréal Paris is a great cream for that. They know what they’re doing, they work with scientists, dermatologists, it’s a great product. I also love Golden Age oil. When I’m at home, I walk around with an oily face. It’s so good for the skin.
They also have a shampoo and conditioner, from the Elvive range made especially for gray/silver hair. It’s a lavender color, and the quality is so amazing. The hair is so soft afterwards! Often I put the conditioner on my hair and leave it on overnight. I have dry hair because curly hair tends to be dry. When I put a lot of conditioner in and let it sit, I rinse it out the next morning and it’s heaven.
Is this your own little beauty tip?
That’s what I do on the product side anyway. Afterwards, I have a lot of habits and rituals that contribute to my health. Health is also beauty. It’s beautiful to feel healthy, strong, alive, then you feel beautiful.
The skincare or makeup product you can’t live without?
In addition to moisturizer and conditioner, as we age, eyebrows tend to thin. So, don’t pluck your eyebrows! I tell my daughters this all the time, luckily they don’t! But I went through this period in the 90s… To thicken my eyebrows I use a pencil and I love the Unbelievabrow eyebrow gel from L’Oréal Paris. It keeps them in place all day, mine are curly so they tend to go down which isn’t pretty. I also love the Voluminous mascara and the Color Riche lipstick. A little of this, a little of that and I feel really glamorous.
The beauty ritual or habit passed on to you by your mother or grandmother?
My mother was a huge fan of sunscreen. I remember she put up curtains, because my sister used to lie in the sun. That’s what we did in the 70s. Luckily for me, I was too full of energy to just lie around. I would stay for five minutes, but my sisters would stay in the sun for hours and my mother would get angry to make them wear sunscreen. I did the same thing with my children and L’Oréal has a great sunscreen, which I use every day.
What is your secret to feeling good about yourself, that you might like to share with our readers?
That’s a good question! I think we all need to work on our thoughts. They are our worst enemies. We tend to be hard on ourselves, judging ourselves even more than what others do. It is important to rediscover the joy of simply being yourself, of accepting and loving yourself, of taking care of yourself, of not getting down on yourself.
For you, beauty is mainly in the mind?
A lot yes! Our perception of the world and of ourselves is where true beauty lies. It is important to work on your mind, it is this head that will judge others but also judge ourselves even more harshly. You have to be able to love others and love yourself.
Any upcoming projects that you would like to share with us?
I’m working on a new project, I’m trying to give my character a lot of depth, an assertive femininity and an awareness of who she is. I love this character! The series is called On The Way Home, it’s on Peacock. People really like the series so I’m very happy. I’m also working on a film with a director I’ve admired for a long time, Peter Chelsom. Danny DeVito will also be in it. It’s a great movie, it’s called A Sudden Case of Christmas and it’s a lot deeper than it looks.