Andie MacDowell’s Gray French Twist Deserves Its Own Palme d'Or
C'est chic.


I’ve always loved gray hair, but Andie MacDowell’s silver curls definitely take the cake. On May 14, the actress was photographed in France for day two of the Cannes Film Festival, as she left Hotel Martinez to head to the red carpet for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. While she dressed completely on theme in a black and white suit, my favorite part of MacDowell’s look was the chic French twist that she donned.
Though the actress doesn’t have an Instagram account to share the details of her glam, French twists usually follow a formula. It’s likely that MacDowell’s hair was first gathered into a ponytail, then twisted around her stylist’s fingers, and pulled to the top of her head. A few bobby pins to keep the style in place, and voilá, the chic hairstyle is born. While most French twists typically see all the hair being pulled up and back, MacDowell’s version had the most gorgeous side bang, which allowed her elegant ombré gray color to shine in its full glory.
Andie MacDowell at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 for the Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning red carpet.
French twists have long been lauded for their versatility. The hairstyle is perfect for formal red carpet events, as seen on stars like MacDowell and Mikey Madison, but it also bodes perfectly for a casual look. For me, the spring and summer are all about easy updos that keep my hair out of my face and off of my body, so I will be keeping this look in mind over the next few months. Keep reading for the products you’ll need to recreate MacDowell’s Cannes hairstyle, including my favorite French hairpin that makes this style easy to do at home.
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Ariel Baker is the Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. Previously the associate beauty editor at PS and briefly freelance, she has bylines in InStyle, Forbes Vetted, Women's Health, and more.
Since she started out in the non-profit sector, Ariel enjoys looking at beauty from a sociocultural lens, looking to avenues like politics, music, and the arts, to inform her views on the space. That being said, as a true beauty-product obsessive, testing the latest items to hit the market, keeping up with trends, and meeting industry icons, will always be her favorite part of working in the beauty space.
When she's not working, Ariel can be found hanging out with her fiancé and loving on their two cat daughters: Cow and Chicken.
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