What Dame Helen Mirren wears on the red carpet

Dame Helen Mirren’s main priority for a red carpet outfit is comfort

The 76-year-old actress insisted how she feels in a dress is far more important than what it looks like because even if she hasn’t chosen the “most glamorous” piece, she can still dress it up in other ways and she will enjoy herself more if she’s wearing something she feels relaxed in.

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She said: “For Cannes Film Festival I chose a Jenny Packham dress. She’s a wonderful British designer whose dresses I’ve worn a few times. I don’t know how she does it – she creates these incredible sparkly things and they’re always really comfortable to wear.

“I’ve learnt over the years that to find something that is comfortable is almost the most important thing. Even if it’s not the most glamorous item in the world, you can do fancy hair or wear beautiful jewellery, but comfort is terribly important because then you’ll actually look like you’re enjoying yourself. It makes a big difference for me.”

This year, the ‘Duke’ actress teamed her pink Dolce and Gabbana dress with a matching headband and though she loves a hair accessory, she learned very quickly that hats are not the best items to wear on the red carpet.

“I’ve only recently discovered headbands, and have worn a few on the red carpet. I always worried they looked a bit Sloane Ranger so had a resistance to them, but now I think they add a lot to an outfit. I also love a scarf tied around my hair, or a turban… and I used to like hats.

“In 1995 I went to the Oscars the first time I was nominated and wore a hat – I don’t know what possessed me! I thought it was like going to an English wedding, or even Royal Ascot. I’ve never worn one on the red carpet since.”

And Helen loves “being creative” with her hair and make-up.

She said: “I love being creative with my hair and make-up, because nothing is permanent. A few years ago, I had this gorgeous pink and gold Elie Saab dress. I thought, ‘Ooh, maybe I’ll do my hair the same colour.’

“It was completely my idea: hair can be an accessory, too. The pink was wash-in, wash-out. At 6pm I was my hair colour, by 7pm I was pink and by 11am the next morning I was my colour again. Why not?’”
The star previouslt revealed to MarkMeets.com that she never goes bare-faced, even at home, as it makes her feel better to have some make-up on, saying ” I put make-up on every day even though it was just me and my husband and he didn’t care about it”.

Mascara and lipstick are great. “I love make-up and I’m probably at my happiest sitting putting it on. But one of my rules is: put it on, then take half of it off.
A good tip I was given is to open your refrigerator and pop your face in for 30 seconds after doing your make-up – to cool and set it.

“I do love a suntan. My excuse is I’ve got to get my vitamin D. I try to be more careful now, because as you get older you start to see the effects, and you say: ‘I see, that’s what they were talking about.”

And Helen also likes to do her own nails at home.

She said: “I do my nails at home. I go to nail bars occasionally, but I don’t like them – I am always suspicious that girls are trafficked and it makes me feel uncomfortable. When I go to the Cannes Film Festival we have a fantastic manicurist.”