Lifestyle Style Andie MacDowell on Embracing Her Gray Hair: 'I Am Happier — I Really Like It' Letting her natural color come through “was something I wanted to do for a while,” the 64-year-old actress shares with PEOPLE By Wendy Naugle Wendy Naugle Instagram Twitter Wendy Naugle is the editor-in-chief of PEOPLE. She joined PEOPLE as Deputy Editor in July 2019 and helped oversee some of our largest franchises, including Sexiest Man Alive, the Beautiful Issue, 100 Reasons to Love America and People of the Year. Before that, Naugle was executive editor at Glamour, leading editorial content and the brand's Women of the Year Awards and Women of the Year Summit. Her stories on subjects ranging from breast implants to health insurance to reproductive rights won two National Magazine Awards for Personal Service and a National Press Club Consumer Journalism Award, among other honors. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 15, 2022 12:36 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Gisela Schober/Getty Andie MacDowell is proudly done with dye. The actress, 64, who stopped coloring her hair during the pandemic, tells PEOPLE that she loves the newish look, inspired by a member of her own family. "My sister's full-on silver and she's only 18 months older than me. I thought she looked so much more beautiful being silver. I was jealous," says the L'Oréal Paris international spokeswoman. "During COVID, I could see the roots with my face and with my skin and my eyes, and I liked it. I felt that I would be happier. And I am happier. I really like it," she continues. "I'm 64, and this is the time of my life. Eventually, I'm going to be silver. And I wanted to have this experience of feeling what it is." MICHAEL SCHWARTZ/Trunk Embracing her natural hair color is part of a larger effort to be more comfortable in her own skin. "Your belly gets bigger as you get older too. And I've had three babies," says MacDowell. "I'm constantly having to work on loving that part of my body. It's so hard." Celebrities Who Starred With Their Kids in Movies and TV Shows The actress says her daughters, actresses Rainey Qualley, 32, and Margaret Qualley, 27, whom she shares with ex-husband Paul Qualley, remind her not to be so hard on herself. "If I ever say anything demeaning about myself, because I've taught them not to do that, they'll say, 'Why are you doing what you told us not to do?'" says MacDowell, who also has a son, Justin Qualley, 36. Rachel Murray/Getty The actress, whose new movie Good Girl Jane premiered at the Tribeca Festival this month, says she's working to accept that her body has changed despite her active lifestyle. "Even if you work out, and I work out all the time—I hike, I do yoga, I eat super healthy—there's only so much you can do," she says. Celebrities Who've Embraced Their Gorgeous Gray Hair Going through menopause, too, has taken its toll. "Believe me, it gets even harder. Because after menopause, your hormones change, your shape changes. And I've got a very perceptive eye. So you see it. I will see it on other people, I'll see it on myself." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Though she says it's a "constant daily job" to be kinder to herself, she's getting more successful each day. "Aging is a really, really intimate educator on loving yourself," she says, "because you can't stop it. It's going to happen."