During the Cannes Film Festival, Andie MacDowell walked several red carpets and ended up debuting her full mane of curly grey hair. She’s 63 years old and she had been dyeing her hair various shades of brown for years. As someone who had a lot of grey in my 20s and 30s, I’m still not in a place emotionally or psychologically to go grey or go natural. I need to dye my hair right now, at my age. But sure, I hope when I’m in my 60s, I will feel fine with letting my grey hair fly, natural and free. It’s different for actresses and public figures though, and Andie apparently got a lot of push-back from her team when she wanted to go grey. She spoke to Vogue about all of it (you can read the piece here). Some highlights:
Why she chose to go grey: “At the very beginning of quarantine, my hair started growing and every time my kids would see me, they kept telling me I looked badass with my gray hair. When I pulled it up in a bun, all you could see was the salt and pepper, which is what I am, you know, dark and silver. I like to compare myself to George Clooney because why not? I’ve been saying for a while now it was time for me, personally, to make that transition because I felt like it was appropriate for my personality and just who I am.
She got pushback from her team: “During lockdown, I had a lot of downtime and became obsessed with Jack Martin, who did Jane Fonda’s hair. I shared those pictures with a lot of people going, ‘Hey, I want to do this.’ I got a job and very quickly I had to make up my mind about what I was going to do. My managers had actually said to me, “It’s not time.” And I said, “I think you’re wrong, and I’m going to be more powerful if I embrace where I am right now. It’s time because in two years I’m going to be 65. If I don’t do it now, I won’t have the chance to be salt and pepper. I always wanted to be salt and pepper!”
She had apprehensions: “At first. I was so cautious because I didn’t want anybody to be upset, and I was trying to figure out how I could wear wigs to please people. But then once I did it, it was just so clear to me that my instincts were right because I’ve never felt more powerful. I feel more honest. I feel like I’m not pretending. I feel like I’m embracing right where I am. I feel really comfortable. And in a lot of ways, I think it’s more striking on my face. I just feel like it suits me.
The products she’s trying: “You have to use a lot of silver-hair-color products. I cautiously use purple shampoos on my hair because they’re drying. I use a lot more products that boost color, like foams or purple conditioners. I use a lot of purple conditioners to make it look silver, and it’s amazing how they work. I love L’Oreal’s different purple products.
She wants to work, just with silver hair: “In terms of opportunities for work, I think it’s more interesting to see me like this. I suffered in this business as an actress, with people always wanting me to look younger. For me, it kind of hurts my heart that I can’t embrace where I am because honestly I feel like I am enough right where I am. I’m in great shape. I exercise all the time. I can pretty much keep up with the kids. I feel valuable where I am. I don’t want people to have the expectation that I need to look younger to have value or to be beautiful or desirable. We don’t do that to men! We love an older man. We love men as they age. I would love the same expectation for women, and we’re getting there…you know, baby steps.
Something I think about too much is how many older women in media feel the need to dye their hair. Legitimate journalists who know that their jobs are on the line if they go grey. They know they won’t be allowed on camera anymore. I imagine it’s the same for actresses too – once they go grey, they know they won’t work as much, or that they’ll just get drastically different roles. The prejudice against women going grey is very real.
Sidenote: I feel like this is very nitpicky about Andie and her appearance, but I have to say it. She needs to change her makeup now that she’s gone grey. Her coloring is different and now her makeup needs to change too.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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