Dame Helen Mirren has made her debut as the new face of L'Oreal Paris. The 69-year-old stars in the cosmetic giant's new Perfect Age campaign, her first since being announced as a UK brand ambassador in October.
A still from Dame Helen Mirren's new video for L'Oreal Paris
Dame Helen gives fans a glimpse of her on-screen beauty as she stars in a short video which sees her initially being offered a seat at a bus stop by a younger woman. "Ever feel like you go unnoticed?" she asks the camera. "And when you aren't? Enough!" The short clip then sees the stunning actress heading home and changed into an edgy leather biker jacket, teamed with a bold statement red lip. "Are we worth it? More than ever!" she concludes. It is the first time that the BAFTA winner has lent her name to a beauty brand, and she has been praised for insisting that images of her must not be retouched. "I am not gorgeous and I never was," said the modest actress. "I was always OK looking and am keen to stay that way." "I have always loved the L'Oreal Paris brand," she added. "I hope I can inspire other women towards greater confidence by making the most of their natural good looks. We are all worth it!" Dame Helen joins the brand's impressive list of ambassadors which counts stars such as Beyonce Knowles, Eva Longoria, and Lea Michele. "She is subtle and alluring," said Elen Macaskill, the brand's General Manager. "To women in the arts, she's an inspiration and a tireless supporter of emerging talent. As you can tell I'm a huge fan and we're incredibly excited to introduce her as an ambassador for our brand."
"You're thinking 'it's the Queen, it's the Queen'," she said, and asked whether she still got star-struck replied, "Of course, even more so I think because I feel self-conscious, you know." "I am genuinely always astounded by her aura, her twinkle, her presence. It never fails to surprise me, and again it's what everyone says when they meet her — it was what overwhelmed me the first time I met her."