Helen Mirren’s Oscars Before and After Pictures Prove She’s a Queen Among Mortals

The ever-regal Helen Mirren has been called on many times to play the role of a royal. But after the 90th Annual Oscars this year, Mirren proved she’s a real-life queen in another way: she shared candid selfies of her before and after her Oscars night transformation into a red carpet glamazon, giving fans a peek into her natural state — and proving that self-confidence is the most important part of any look.

Fans are giving her props on social media, commenting with their love of her willingness to be open and honest about the process of aging and give a peek behind the curtain into what it’s really like to experience the magic of a professional makeup artist. (Actually, as she notes in the “after” photo, it really takes a whole team.)

This is not the first time Mirren, 72, has shared frank photos on her Instagram. And although she can clearly get dressed up with the best of them — she even was selected as the model who helped show off the jet ski that was up for grabs on Oscar night — she also keeps a healthy sense of humor about the whole thing.