Andie MacDowell Shares Her 8 Beauty Staples
When I asked Andie MacDowell to share her favorite feature to enhance, I naturally expected us to praise her legendary hair. The actress and model has long been known for her gorgeous locks, which have, arguably, become even more so since she fully embraced gray hair in 2020. She’s inspired a lot of women to cancel their hair coloring appointments and let their silver strands grow out in all their glory.
We finally talked about perfection. lavender conditioner to lighten her hair (more on that later!), but the bulk of our conversation actually focused on a much smaller area of real estate—her eyebrow“I love doing my eyebrows. Even when I go to the grocery store, I’ll do my eyebrows. I don’t care about anything else,” she told me. “It completely changes your look… you can look polished just by doing your eyebrows.”
As someone who has succumbed to the pencil-thin arches of the ’90s (“Don’t pluck your eyebrows. I told my girls not to,” she warns fiercely), MacDowell has nailed her brow-thinning routine. “As you get older, you lose them. So I really like to fill them in. My brows can be a little unmanageable—they’re kinkier—so I have to make sure they stay in place,” she explains. She doesn’t recommend anything fancy, though. A pharmacy pencil It works wonders, whether she’s grocery shopping or strutting the runway at Place de l’Opéra during Paris Fashion Week (which she did right after our video call, in fact).
“It was a beautiful moment to finally get out there. It was a short moment, so [I’m] enjoy every minute of it,” she said of the star. L’Oréal Paris Le Défilé show. She definitely radiated that bright, glowing energy on the runway—and her brows looked flawless, if I do say so myself. Ahead, find the exact products MacDowell used for a great brow game, along with her other non-negotiable beauty items.
L’Oréal
Brow Stylist Definer Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil
“When I was young, [my brows] “They were thick and perfect. As I got older, they thinned out, especially at the ends,” MacDowell shares. “Then they grew long and had a little loop.” She swears by this retractable, waterproof brow pencil to fill in the gaps. “It’s just as good, if not better, than the super expensive ones,” she shares. You heard it here first!
L’Oréal
No mistakes up to 24 hours eyebrow pressing
Recently, she decided to pair the brand’s brow pencil with a strong-hold gel (another budget-friendly product at $15). “I work long hours, and we work really fast on the TV show I’m on, and in photos, I’ll mimic my eyebrows [sloping] “We did everything—we painted them, tried some products—and then when we got this one, it wouldn’t move. That’s my newest addition.”
L’Oréal
True Match Lumi Glotion Enhances Natural Brightness
“I love red lipstick with just highlighter on the eyes and a little mascara. I think it’s a really bold color, very French look—I love doing that,” MacDowell adds. As for highlighter, she loves L’Oreal’s Lumi Glotion, a liquid brightener that sinks into the skin easily. Personally, I agree with her, because the truth is—once you use Lumi, you’ll never want to use it again.
L’Oréal
Color Riche Intense Volume Matte lipstick
“Years ago, I asked a makeup artist to show me how to really make your lipstick last longer. [tissue]divide it into two parts, take each part individually and sprinkle flour on top. Pull it apart, [and] “It really helps your lipstick stay true to its color,” she says. She especially swears by this trick when she wants a precise lip look, like a bold red.
L’Oréal
Color Riche Intense Volume Matte lipstick
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the gorgeous shade of pink MacDowell wore during our call. She doesn’t typically stick to one signature lip color, calling her collection her “crayon box” when it comes to her favorite hues. “We did purple for my eyes, and then I did pink,” she says. [lip]”, she noted.
L’Oréal
Age Perfect Cell Renewal Night Cream
“I’m really big on hydration,” says MacDowell, who credits her glowing complexion to this nutrient-rich moisturizer. “Moisturizer protects your skin. It keeps your skin healthy and glowing.” Her makeup routine is pretty minimal most days (with the exception of carefully groomed brows and the occasional red lip), so she likes to keep her skin looking mostly glowing and hydrated.
L’Oréal Paris
L’oreal Paris Everpure Silver Care Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner Set, Nourishing Vegan Formula with Peptides to Brighten Gray Hair, 1 Set
Of course, we also had to discuss her iconic silver locks. To keep her hair looking shiny, she swears by this tinted shampoo-conditioner duo. “It’s lavender. It’s not purple,” she says, which is great for silver strands that tend to be more porous. (Dark purple formulas can sometimes dye hair purple.) “It’s better than anything else out there,” she adds. “It just makes your hair really soft and brings out the color… Over time, silver can become [too] looks gray, and this turns it back to silver [with] interesting highlights.”
L’Oréal
Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Unscented Hairspray
As anyone with curly hair knows: Humidity can easily ruin your perfect hairstyle. Luckily, MacDowell has a trick for maintaining frizz-free locks (like the one she wore at Le Défilé). “Elnett Hairspray—simply spray a little hairspray on your hands and pull [the lengths of my hair] “It will help keep those little curls from falling flat,” she explains. She uses a praying motion with her palms as she strokes her hair.
Personally, I’ll be adding this beauty tip to my beauty tips list as a curly girl, especially after seeing her rock the sleek, voluminous look on the Le Défilé runway.