Andie MacDowell on feeling beautiful at 67: ‘It's important not to look in the mirror too much'

Telegraph

16-05-2025

The Hollywood actress Andie MacDowell is sitting across from me, virtually; she's at the Cannes Film Festival and I'm in London in the Telegraph offices. At 67 years old, it's strikingly obvious why MacDowell has been an ambassador for the beauty brand L'Oréal Paris since the 1980s; her skin is glowing (and, hurrah, not completely line-free).
She has just a smudge of eyeliner around her eyes and a rosy blush on her cheeks that resembles the sort of colour you get on your cheeks after a brisk walk. (The only walk she's likely to do in Cannes, however, is on the red carpet this week. Her appearance on Wednesday in a tailored black tuxedo suit proves what a powerfully elegant figure she still strikes).
And then there's the hair: MacDowell famously grew out her grey hair during the pandemic in 2021, telling Vogue at the time that it was a 'power move' to make her hair match the age on her face. Indeed, her tumble of tight, salt-and-pepper curls looks carefree and unfussy. 'I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction of me growing out my grey hair,' she tells me, in her charmingly pronounced, Southern accent (she grew up in South Carolina). 'I had so much love and support from everyone because it was something I wanted to do. Growing out my greys is how I feel I look good, and I feel comfortable.'
Although she sometimes wears it down for 'special occasions' I put it back a lot, as I have a lot of hair so I also sweep it back into a low bun like what you have,' she says, smiling, referencing my hair across the screen from her. 'I pull it back because you see more of my face.'
It's her face we're here to talk about, and the products she uses to keep her skin looking healthy. That includes the Age Perfect Serum Le Duo, and Revitalift Clinical SPF50+ Invisible UV Fluid, both by L'Oréal Paris, because 'I'm big into moisturising,' she explains. 'I live at the beach, so I wear a lot of sunblock because I go to the beach every morning and every evening, so I have to really cover my face.' A refreshingly simple beauty routine, I get the impression MacDowell is too busy to fuss over a complex regime. 'I stay fairly busy,' she nods. 'I take a lot of classes and have my dogs. If I'm not working, I'm always on the go so I keep it pretty easy.'
She pauses, thoughtfully. 'I think it's important not to look in the mirror too much. Your substance and your beauty comes from the inside, so I do my skincare and a little make-up before I leave the house, and then I don't think about it. Just enjoy your life and let the beauty radiate from the inside.'
L'Oreal Age Perfect Serum Le Duo, £38, Boots
L'Oreal Revitalift Clinical SPF50+ Invisible UV Fluid, £20, Boots
This mindset of beauty being enhancing but not all-consuming is what has given the actress such enduring appeal. Does she feel the impact of how, as a society, we're geared up to chase the idea of youth? 'Yes and no,' she sighs. 'I do think in a situation like this, at Cannes, you do start thinking about it. I think I start to feel it when I'm in this atmosphere, or when I think about films.' But, she laughs, 'not when I'm at home. We don't sit around thinking about trying to be a young person; that's ridiculous. Plus, it's impossible! I like dressing well, feeling good, doing my hair, putting on my make-up, but then just getting on with my day.'
MacDowell tells me she lives in a community along the coast of South Carolina, where she grew up, amongst other women her age. 'We're way too busy, all of us. Where I live, a lot of people are semi-retired, so they're playing games and doing sports and hanging out with each other, and I think everybody feels pretty good.'
Exercise comes into it, which is an important part of MacDowell's perspective. 'Most of us exercise, we take care of ourselves and we're supportive of each other,' she continues. 'The things that you think about when you age are getting your bone density test and taking good care of yourself. It's not frivolous, and it seems silly to set a standard for yourself that is unrealistic. I just want to be the best version I can be at my age.'
In the early '80s MacDowell was a sought-after model, appearing on the cover of Vogue magazine and featuring in big fashion campaigns for Calvin Klein and Yves Saint Laurent. Her first film in 1984, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes led to a string of hit films, and in 1994, aged 36, she starred alongside Hugh Grant in the hit British romcom Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Looking back, would she do anything differently? 'I would tell my younger self not to worry about what people think. To trust myself and feel good about my body. Oh my God,' she sighs. 'My legs were so great and I didn't like them because they were athletic. Also, everyone talks about ageing arms and I can be hard on myself about my arms because they're not perfect any more, but they're actually not that bad.'
What would she say to herself now? 'When you age, your skin changes, and the way your skin looks changes. I tell myself, 'in 10 years time you're going to say those arms were fabulous. Remember what you thought about your legs and all that time that you wasted?' So, for me now, I show my arms because I do work out a lot, and they look pretty good. I love to exercise, I go to yoga and I walk a lot. I try to go without sleeves and not cover up too much. They're not bad!'
This is the advice she offers to her daughters, Rainey and Margaret Qualley (she co-starred opposite Margaret in the Netflix miniseries Maid in 2021, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe; Margaret appeared alongside Demi Moore in last year's Oscar-nominated film The Substance). 'I tell my daughters to wear short dresses now, because they've got gorgeous legs. Even though my legs are no longer perfect, I now wear short shorts – because I know better. I wouldn't wear them in my 30s. What a waste of time,' she shakes her head. 'Truly, such a waste of time.'
She's embracing having fun with make-up, too, and will now often wear a purple eyeshadow 'to make my green eyes pop,' she smiles. ' If I'm doing make-up myself, I like a light clean eye with a dark lip or I like a rock and roll eye and a natural-looking lip.' As for the glowing skin, MacDowell holds up a tube of Lumi Glotion by L'Oréal Paris, a highlighting liquid that enhances the skin without looking like foundation. 'Have you tried this?' she asks me, widening her eyes. (I have, and can attest to its brilliance.) 'I use it on my cheeks and off I go to the beach. I'm using it in Cannes, too. I love being here and having full make-up applied because I don't usually take the time to do that.'
Lumi Glotion by L'Oréal Paris, £12, Boots
As one of the most recognisable faces in Hollywood, MacDowell tells me about an important initiative she's in Cannes to talk about. The Lights on Women's Worth Award is in its fifth year and is designed to elevate women's role in the film industry. 'Us women have been so repressed and diminished over the years, both intellectually and creatively,' says MacDowell. 'We've got a different perspective and so much to offer in the world of film. We deserve to be equal partners. We need more women directing films because we need their perspectives.'
MacDowell's own perspective is uplifting, and particularly rare in a world where the pressure to look younger and hit pause on ageing is increasingly present. I ask her, as our time comes to a close and before she's ushered into the next interview: what makes her feel beautiful? 'I like healthy, glowy skin. I do my eyebrows, apply a little lipstick, wear a fun dress and some cute shoes. I love to go out for dinner, have a glass of Prosecco and some good, intelligent, loving conversation. That's what makes me feel beautiful.'