Andie MacDowell admits she struggled to say L'Oreal's iconic slogan 'because I'm worth it' during her nearly 40-year partnership with the brand over fears it made her seem vain

Andie MacDowell has admitted she struggled to say L'Oreal's iconic catchphrase 'because I'm worth it' - despite working with the beauty brand for nearly 40 years.

The actress, 66, has appeared in dozens of advertisements since 1968, saying the lines 'Because I'm worth it', 'Because you're worth it', and 'Because we're worth it' countless times.

However, the Four Weddings And A Funeral star had struggled with saying: 'I'm worth it' for fear of coming across vain.

Andie revealed it wasn't until she watched the documentary about the origin of L'Oreal's slogan that she realised the importance of the line.

Speaking at the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity, she said: 'I have said this line so many times, and I didn’t want people to think I was vain saying it.

Andie MacDowell has admitted she struggled to say L'Oreal's iconic catchphrase 'because I'm worth it' - despite working with the beauty brand for nearly 40 years

Andie first began working with L'Oreal in 1986 and has starred in numerous campaigns  (pictured 2011)

The actress, 66, appeared at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Wednesday where she spoke about her nearly 40-year career with the brand

'I was really comfortable saying "You’re worth it" or "We’re worth it", but to feel empowered enough to say "I’m worth it" ... I had something in my mind that that would be vanity, or something.'

This changed when she watched The Final Copy of Ilon Specht which told the story of female copywriter Ilon who created the 'Because I'm worth it' slogan at 23.

Andie said: 'Watching the film completely changed how I felt about that – because I am worth it.

'I’m so grateful that watching the documentary has taken away any pain I felt saying that line.'

The Final Copy of Ilon Specht is a 16-minute film and details how Ilon Specht who came up with the phrase in 1971.

'Because I'm worth it' was first said in 1973 in a television advert featuring American model and actress Joanne Dusseau.

In the mid-2000s, the catchphrase was modified to 'Because you're worth it' and, in 2009, the phrase changed again to 'Because we're worth it'.

L'Oréal says on its website: 'When we say, “We’re Worth It,” it’s not a tagline, it’s a brand mission.

'Taking your beauty into your own hands is empowering. Believing in your own beauty is something no one else can control. That is your power.

'L’Oréal Paris is working towards the day when you hear, “we’re worth it,” and women everywhere will reply: "We never doubted it for a moment."

'Since its inception, "Because You’re Worth It" has been translated into 40 languages and has become the militant tagline uniting women around the world, encouraging them to fearlessly embrace their ambitions and believe in their self-worth every day.

Andie decided to stop dyeing her hair the dark brown it used to be in 2021 and debuted her natural locks at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

Andie pictured in one her many campaigns. The actress decided to stop dyeing her hair the dark brown it used to be in 2021

The American actress has uttered the lines 'Because I'm worth it', 'Because you're worth it', and 'Because we're worth it' for the beauty brand countless times

Andie said: 'Watching the film completely changed how I felt about that – because I am worth it.' Ilon (pictured) died in May at the age of 81

Andie pictured with, L-R: Ben Proudfoot, a director from Breakwater Studios, who made the documentary, and L'Oréal's Charlotte Franceries and Delphine Viguier-Hovasse

The Goodrich star finished: 'I’m so grateful that watching the documentary has taken away any pain I felt saying that line'

She told SheKnows in February: 'If I were coloring my hair, people might perceive me as being younger.

'I just don’t need that; it's not something that I desire. It’s not a perception that would be satisfying for me. I’m comfortable being seen as an aging woman.'

Andie said she first stopped dyeing her hair during the pandemic—a decision initially inspired by her daughters.

She told The Drew Barrymore Show in 2021: 'You could see my roots, and [they] kept telling me that I looked badass, and the idea that I could look badass really appealed to me. So, I went for it.

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