In a Wild Turn of Events, Helen Mirren Has Blue Hair
The actress debuted her new look at the Cannes Film Festival.
Leave it to the Cannes Film Festival to bring out some wild beauty transformations. The first jaw-dropping moment from this year’s festivities is brought to us by the one and only Helen Mirren—and it’s going to be hard to top. For the "Jeanne du Barry" screening and red carpet ceremony, the L’Oréal ambassador decided to arrive in a monochromatic look that was bound to turn heads. She paired her pale blue, off-the-shoulder gown with an undeniably blue head of hair.
Upon deep inspection, the Catherine the Great actress’ new look doesn’t appear to be permanent. We’re likely dealing with some dyed extensions or clip-ins—maybe even a little temporary hair color situation. There are varying shades of blue in the mix as well as a hint of purple, but the actress’ icy roots remain intact.
Mirren has been very open about embracing her grey hair, telling Vogue that she came to the decision following her role as Queen Charlotte in the Madness of King George. “They would be powdered in white and gray because it was incredibly flattering and they understood that,” she told the outlet. “Going gray is to be encouraged.” Mirren’s decision to embrace her gray hue was relatively easy, given that she is a natural blonde, and her tone historically turned white with sun exposure. “The process of me losing the color of my hair was very easy—it just looked more and more as if I had been in the sun, but year-round.”
In short: She’s all about accepting the change—and is a proponent of others doing the same. In an interview with People, she explained that she thinks most women fear the transition as it signifies getting older; but they shouldn't. “Of course, you are in that age group. I'm sorry, but you are! So, why not just embrace it, go along with it and welcome it?" she said. "Make it a positive thing as opposed to a negative thing."
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Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.
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