L’Oréal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus called Roberts “the ultimate paradox—both timeless and utterly of-the-moment,” noting her 1990s no-makeup Notting Hill look inspired the campaign’s “Barely There, Always Extraordinary” tagline. The collaboration includes a groundbreaking clause: Roberts insisted on zero digital retouching for all images. “Every smile line stays,” she declared, pointing to her crow’s feet. “They’re my Academy Awards for living.”

The internet erupted faster than Roberts’ My Best Friend’s Wedding diner scene. Former co-star George Clooney posted a throwback of them on Ocean’s Eleven set with “Still stealing every frame (and now every ad).” Meanwhile, beauty editors praised L’Oréal for choosing a woman over 50 as their flagship face—a sharp pivot from their usual 20-something influencers.

Roberts’ first campaign drops this September, featuring her biking down Pacific Coast Highway in jeans and a tinted moisturizer. “Real beauty isn’t about standing still,” she told the crowd, stealing a reporter’s sunglasses and tossing them into the ocean. “It’s about moving through life like you own it—because honey, you do.” With that, the highest-paid actress of the 1990s rode off on a vintage cruiser—leaving no doubt that Hollywood’s sweetheart just rewrote the rules of aging gracefully.