'Where's The Stuff Specifically For Us?': Helen Mirren's Thoughts On Beauty Products For Older Women

Dame Helen Mirren is undeniably one of the most successful actors of her generation. The Academy Award winner, who started out as a stage actor, has been successful in Hollywood since the '80s. While her career has been impressive, Mirren — who turned 80 in July 2025 — always has so much more to offer. Fashion-wise, the star has shown her expertise time and time again with stunning style moments in her 70s. What's more, Mirren's bold hair choices live rent-free in her fans' minds, so when it comes to beauty and what the current industry lacks, it's no wonder Mirren has a lot to say.

"Where's the stuff specifically for us? I mean, it's a lot better now than it used to be," the "Catherine the Great" star told Byrdie in 2024. Mirren stressed the importance of keeping up with the times and showcased how products look on the people they're meant for. "When I was in my 30s or 40s, you'd see an ad for foundation, and it was on a 14-year-old girl [...] As a 40-year-old, you're looking at it and going, 'Who are you trying to kid? I'm never gonna look like that by buying a foundation. Why are you treating me like an idiot?'" Mirren added that even though she spent years in the spotlight, her skincare routine is rather simple, with a focus on moisturizing.

Helen Mirren has spent enough years in makeup chairs to know that not everyone has it as easy as she does, at least when it comes to finding the right foundation color for her skin tone. "It really is catching up big time, but it's still got a little way to go," she told Byrdie. "You know, also, incidentally, different colored skin — the Black girls or brown girls found it difficult to find foundation to match their skin color. And that's changed, obviously." Mirren is right. While many beauty brands offer inclusive shade ranges for darker skin tones, there's always room for improvement.

As a major makeup fan, Mirren knows just how important it is to find the right products. In 2021, the "Gosford Park" star revealed that makeup played a major role in her life during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. "Every day I put on makeup. I didn't do it for Taylor [Hackford, Mirren's husband] because Taylor never notices," she told People, adding, "But I would put my makeup on every day and get dressed every day because I enjoy it."

The female body changes significantly during menopause, and Helen Mirren believes there's an entire market of women who need beauty products tailored to them. "[Take] the whole process of menopause, for example," she shared with Byrdie. "[...] Why not market things specifically for that? For those women? There's an awful lot of women out there experiencing the same thing."

Beauty and makeup products tailored for women in menopause are indeed a rather unexplored territory, and Mirren is right to believe this market deserves more attention. As times change, age inclusivity needs to be pushed further, especially for women, who don't get much grace as they grow older.