What one thing did Helen Mirren do every day during the COVID-19 lockdown?

Dame Helen Mirren wore makeup every day during the COVID-19 lockdown to give her self-esteem a boost.

The 75-year-old actress didn’t let her beauty standards drop during the pandemic and she didn’t do it for her husband, director Taylor Hackford, but for herself because she wanted to still feel beautiful and glamorous even though she was stuck at home.

Speaking to PEOPLE, she revealed: “Every day I put on makeup,.

“I didn’t do it for Taylor because Taylor never notices. He asks if I’ve got makeup on or not and doesn’t really care, but he certainly doesn’t notice.

“He’ll sometimes say in a rather puzzled way, ‘Oh, you look really nice.’ You just associate the fact that I look nice with the fact I’ve just spent an hour doing my makeup! But I would put my makeup on every day and get dressed every day because I enjoy it.

“I felt like I was living my life properly. So, it was actually a good experience for me.”

Helen made her red carpet return at the 74th annual Cannes Film Festival at the screening of mual movie ‘Annette’ at which she wore a bright yellow custom-made gown by Dolce and Gabbana which boasted a sweetheart neckline, fitted waist and pleated skirt finished off with a diamond necklace, matching earrings and yellow kitten-heel pumps.

The ‘F9’ star was delighted to be back at Cannes and back amongst the glitz and glamour of a major premiere.

She added: “I have to say, I love it. I love the opportunity to wear incredibly beautiful clothes. I appreciate the craft of couture. I’m a girl, I love, love dressing up. And then I’m perfectly happy to give it all away at the end of the night and go back to my scruffy, Bohemian outfits.

“Having spent a year and a half sort of behind closed doors, I’ve forgotten what this was like. So a little bit intimidating. But at the same time, it was such fun.”