Renée Zellweger looks better than ever at 55 – here’s how she does it

It’s official, the Renée-sance is upon us. After nine years of waiting, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy finally arrives in cinemas this Thursday, with Texan actress Renée Zellweger returning as our perennial singleton with a habit of saying the wrong thing.

Unsurprisingly, anticipation surrounding the film’s release is at a fever pitch. Not only does our Bridge remind us of what was, in hindsight, a far simpler time (no social media, no online dating apps), but the latest instalment offers double the amount of eye candy, with Leo Woodall and Chiwetel Ejiofor playing her love interests.

And as well as the inevitable fixation over the age-gap relationship at the centre of the story (yawn), the other theme that has been running throughout the film’s press tour is just how incredible our 55-year-old heroine is looking – a common refrain among Hollywood’s midlife stars at the moment.

From her bold red carpet fashion choices to her natural beauty look, her gym-honed body to her low-key buttery blonde hair, we’ve broken down exactly how Zellweger has achieved this megawatt look, and speak to some of the people behind it.

Her low-maintenance blonde

While her character, Bridget, is mostly associated with a slightly grown-out blonde look, Zellweger’s red carpet blonde is the perfect buttery hue, which suits her pale complexion perfectly.

“It is such a joy and great pleasure to work with Renée and the team creating Bridget’s signature low-maintenance hair colour,” says her hair colourist, Josh Wood. “After filming and restoring the colour to a post-Bridget look, I use highlights and balayage to frame the face and give a look that is super natural and looks sun-kissed, something that will grow out with ease and flatter the skin tone again. I use my Icy Blonde Gloss to tone the hair so the end result is soft and natural.”

And while she recently rocked a punk crop for her British Vogue cover story, Zellweger’s red carpet look has been far more low-key. “My inspiration for the press tour was a very natural and easy approach,” shares her hair stylist, Richard Collins. “I switched between soft waves down, or a textured chignon, and always a soft fringe/bangs, either completely off her face, or framing her face with loose waves. I used Oribe Imperial Blowout Styling Cream and Oribe Dry Texturising Spray, with Oribe Très, Set Structure Spray to set the look.”

Her natural, radiant approach to beauty

Working with her make-up artist, Kindra Mann, Zellweger’s signature beauty look for the Bridget Jones press tour has comprised of glowy, highlighted skin, pink blush, dewy lips, great mascara and fluffed-up brows, focusing on a pared-back, girlish aesthetic rather than full-on red carpet glam.

“Renée’s make-up look is all about natural, radiant beauty,” shares Mann. “I focus on keeping her skin fresh, dewy and glowing, with a clean, effortless finish. It’s never heavy – it just enhances her natural features while keeping everything soft and luminous.”

Ahead of the red carpet, Mann gives Zellweger a pampering pack in case she wants to use it, but says she takes such good care of her skin, she doesn’t really need it. “I like to leave things out like face masks and eye patches from Revive, and tools like the Therabody de-puffing wand or the BioSculpt tool the night before, so if she wants to use anything ahead of time, it’s ready for her,” she says. “Keeping the skin hydrated and prepped is key, so we focus on that leading up to the event.”

On the day itself, Mann starts with great skincare. “I start with a rich, nourishing moisturiser like Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream to lock in moisture, followed by a generous amount of hydration spray to give her skin that fresh, dewy glow,” she says. “Then I use the Lisa Eldridge Complexion Pens for natural-looking coverage. I set everything lightly with the BareMinerals face powder to keep the skin looking smooth but never heavy. For a healthy flush, I love using the Westman Atelier cream blushes – they blend beautifully into the skin. And of course, we finish with Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk lipstick, which is the perfect soft, flattering shade for any red carpet moment.” Et voila! You’ve got that Renée glow.

Her form-fitting fashion

A press tour is always a great opportunity for a celebrity to showcase their style. After all, with multiple appearances over a short space of time, and all eyes on you, it’s very much a moment that you want to capitalise on to announce your sartorial prowess. Zellweger and her stylist, Petra Flannery, have done exactly this via a carefully planned trousseau of looks, each tailored perfectly to the occasion.

There was the decidedly sexy, black lace, one-shouldered Saint Laurent look for the Paris premiere; the floor-length, one-shoulder Giorgio Armani gown with chain mail detail at the Rome premiere; and the strapless fuchsia Balmain gown in London – pulled from the archives in a pink hue that we have come to associate with Bridget.

One uniting factor of all of her looks is that they have been sculptural and form-fitting, both age-appropriate and cool. “For her current press tour, Renée has favoured elegant, form-fitting dresses with a playful edge,” says celebrity stylist Ella-Louise Gaskell. “Her style has evolved from previous Bridget Jones red carpets by becoming more cohesive and reflecting her personality through a blend of elegance, sophistication and playfulness. Her Balmain look is the perfect example of how her style sticks to these core principles. The long train of the gown adds an elevated element and touch of drama.”

Her dedication to weight training

With strong, svelte arms and a swan-like décolletage, it’s no coincidence that the majority of Zellweger’s red carpet looks have been strapless or one-shouldered. Personal trainer Luke Worthington, who has worked with several Hollywood actresses over the years, explains that it is Zellweger’s dedication to weight training that has paid dividends.

“Building muscle is actually a very difficult thing to do, and takes years of specific and dedicated training; it’s definitely not something that happens accidentally,” he explains. “The lean, toned, athletic look is the result of smart and structured training with weights. The key to obtaining and maintaining the lean muscle is progressive resistance training. This means lifting a slightly heavier weight, lifting it for more repetitions, and either adding an additional set or having a slightly shorter rest period in between sets.”