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There\u2019s a particular kind of pressure that comes with stepping into a beloved character\u2019s shoes, especially when it\u2019s the pink pumps of one Miss Elle Woods. Somehow, Lexi Minetree, the 25-year-old actress tapped to play a teenage Elle Woods in Amazon Prime Video\u2019s Legally<\/em> Blonde<\/em> prequel series Elle<\/em>, has tackled the task with grace and earned Reese Witherspoon\u2019s blessing.<\/p>\n When talking with Minetree, it becomes immediately evident that her resemblance to the good-natured Elle Woods goes well beyond her looks. She possesses the same unshakable optimism and zest for life. Here, the actress talks pink lips, borrowed glam tricks and the best lesson she learned from Witherspoon herself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI feel like the biggest thing about Elle is that her clothing is always a big statement, but her makeup is actually pretty clean and simple and beautiful. It\u2019s really focused on the basics: a good lash, a good blush, a good lip. And I definitely feel like I’ve brought that into my own routine. One mascara that we loved using was the L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris Voluminous Mascara ($12). It\u2019s just really nice, not cakey at all and it doesn\u2019t flake, which is really important when you’re filming all day because you don\u2019t want little mascara speckles ruining a take!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, of course, the side part. I used to have a side part in high school, and those were definitely traumatizing days for me. But when Elle does it, she of course rocks it. And I think one thing that always felt like it completed the look was the lip. I remember one time Jen, my makeup artist, put on this beautiful L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris Color Riche Satin Lipstick in Tickled Pink ($13) and it just felt so youthful, so cutesy and so Elle. It was like, \u2018Okay, there she is!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI actually didn\u2019t know that you’re supposed to put concealer on and let it settle on your face\u2014let it ferment\u2014and then do a little tap, tap, tap, tap. And bada bing, bada boom, your face is clear. Perfect skin. So I’ve definitely stolen that one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe never gave me one specific beauty trick, but I think one of the biggest things I\u2019ve taken from being around Reese is that taking care of yourself is one of the best ways to unlock your inner beauty. And I also think the best accessory you could ever wear is kindness. That\u2019s something Reese has, and obviously that’s something Elle brings too.<\/p>\n Elle cares about how she looks, and she\u2019ll take time to work on her fitness and her body and her style, but she does it because it makes her feel beautiful. She doesn\u2019t ever expect anyone else to do the same. She treats everyone with the same amount of kindness and respect no matter how much makeup they wear or what they\u2019re wearing. I think style and makeup are just another way for people to have fun and express themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think the scene where she stands up for Dorky David really stood out to me as an example of who Elle is. She sees someone who\u2019s being terrorized by these mean old girls, and she could easily just walk by and do nothing, but instead she stands up for him. But she does it in a way that doesn\u2019t also tear down the girls! She actually sets everyone up for success to have a fun little cheeky night out, which we love.<\/p>\n And I think there are multiple ways to go about solving a problem. Elle just sees the world in this very specific way that a lot of people don\u2019t, and ultimately that\u2019s what helps her become an amazing lawyer in the movie. I wanted to bring that same thing into our version of Elle and the way that she kind of shifts Seattle\u2019s perspective in her own very Elle way.<\/p>\n And growing up, Legally Blonde<\/em> was one of those movies that was always there to comfort me. As a young woman, it inspired me so much to be myself and be rambunctious and silly and fun and kind, and to not let other people define what potential I had.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think Elle has taught me the power of a put-together plan\u2014alliteration intended! Sometimes life feels like it\u2019s making us fly by the seat of our pants, and that life is happening to us versus us happening to life. And I think Elle has gumption. She sees a problem, and she\u2019s like, boom, we’re gonna tackle this.<\/p>\n I also think what\u2019s so beautiful about the show is that it\u2019s about someone who loves herself deeply but is also growing and learning who she is at the same time. And that\u2019s okay! It\u2019s okay to have growing pains. It\u2019s okay to change your mind, learn from people and lean on people. Elle isn\u2019t afraid to lean on her friends.<\/p>\n And, you know, she makes mistakes in the show. She makes a little oopsie kissy kiss with a boy who she should not be kissy kissing, but she always owns up to things in her own way. I mean, that\u2019s so human. We all make mistakes. I mean, I haven\u2019t, but in theory [wink].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’m a big skin-care girl. Acne-prone gals rise up! I make sure to wear my sunscreen every day, of course, a little hyaluronic acid moment, moisturizer and I double cleanse, of course.<\/p>\n In terms of makeup, I\u2019m a simple gal. I like concealer, mascara, blush and a lip. I love the L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush ($15). I literally just put that sucker on with my hand and do a little tap, tap, tap, tap, tap moment. I know there are brushes probably intended for it, but it just feels right with my hands. I\u2019ve been really into lipstick recently because it stays on so much longer. As a girl who yaps, I need that support in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI really love the L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris Super-Blendable True Match Foundation ($14). Wow, I\u2019ve never been more humbled than when I put that foundation on one side of my face, and it\u2019s suddenly beautiful and clear, and then I look at the other side, and it\u2019s a red-hot mess. But what I really love about it is that it doesn\u2019t look like you have foundation on. A lot of times when I wear foundation, it looks like a different color sitting on my skin, or like I\u2019ve just caked something on. This just looks like my skin. It looks like I woke up that way. Tricked ya!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nElle Woods has such an iconic aesthetic. How much of Elle\u2019s look did you bring into your own personal beauty routine, and how much stayed on set?<\/h2>\n
Was there a specific beauty or hair moment that helped you finally feel like Elle Woods when you looked in the mirror?<\/h2>\n
Are there any glam tricks the hair and makeup team taught you that you\u2019ve stolen for your own routine?<\/h2>\n
Reese Witherspoon has been closely involved with this show. Did she pass along any beauty advice, on-camera or off, from her own Elle Woods days?<\/h2>\n
Is there a specific scene from the original Legally Blonde<\/em> movie that shaped how you envisioned your version of Elle? Did the movie mean something to you growing up?<\/h2>\n
What lessons have you learned from Elle Woods?<\/h2>\n
What does your actual everyday skin-care and makeup routine look like off set?<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s a product you\u2019re currently obsessed with?<\/strong><\/h2>\n