Julianne Moore Shares Her Bag of Beauty Tricks

Speaking of “the job,” Moore needs that long-lasting, moisturizing lipstick to take her from early morning to late night given her hectic 2023 press and filming schedule. She has the movie, When You Finish Saving the World, written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, and costarring Stranger Things’s Finn Wolfhard, out on January 20. Then, on February 10, Sharper, a wildly twisty thriller she produced and stars in, alongside John Lithgow, Sebastian Stan, and Justice Smith, opens in theaters. (It will then premiere on Apple TV+ on February 17.) In between it all, she heads to London for another project, all while spreading the word about the importance of Hourglass's newest launch. “So it's kind of crazy…but that's nice, right?” she says. 

Hourglass Unlocked Satin Creme Lipstick in True Red

Hourglass Unlocked Satin Creme Lipstick

And while Moore does have help—with her schedule, with styling, with hair and makeup—she'll be the first to tell you that she's learned plenty of tricks on her own to carry her through the crazy times. For Glamour's latest Big Beauty Questions, she opens up about all that and more. 

Glamour: What are the little things that help you feel powerful and confident?

Julianne Moore: Being prepared makes me feel powerful. When I know what my scenes are, when I know what my lines are…that kind of thing. And making sure I have enough rest, plus feeling I'm in control of the things in my life I can control. We can't control everything, but we can certainly control the food that we eat, and the sleep that we get, and what our immediate environment is like.

But if you don't feel like you've done the preparation that you need to do, then that makes me feel off balance. And if I feel off balance, then I don't feel confident. Sometimes people talk a lot about confidence and self-esteem, and I think that puts a lot of pressure on people to come up with something by themselves, when in fact, for me, it really is about education, preparation, and care.

What is one beauty rule that you swear by?

Sunscreen. It really makes a huge difference. But you can't just slather on sunscreen and then sit at the beach. You should wear a hat, you should sit under an umbrella. You should expose yourself only at certain times of the day. You can't go to the beach at 12 o'clock. I've actually been pretty lucky because I've stayed out of the sun most of my life. 

What is one beauty rule that you think is BS?

That you have to look a certain way or that you have to wear makeup. I think that makeup is something that you should want to wear, but you shouldn't feel like you have to. I think it's an antiquated idea, this idea that we put makeup on to cover something up, to cover up our flaws, or to look professional. You can be professional without makeup. Makeup should be a want, not a need. If it makes you feel confident or professional, that's great. If it does not make you feel that way, then don't use it in that capacity. I think that's the most important thing. That's the biggest change that I think we've had in the beauty industry…is that you do it for yourself, not because you feel that you have to.