![\"Lexi](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784807589_477_0x0.jpg\")
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Lexi Minetree, who stars as Elle Woods in the series ‘Elle,’ a ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel.<\/p>\n
Tory Stopler Photography<\/p>\n
Lexi Minetree, 25, was born in 2001, the same year that the original Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon hit theaters. Now, in 2026, she has taken on the mantle of Elle Woods, playing the sorority girl turned Harvard Law student before she headed off to college in Elle, the prequel series to the films that airs on Amazon Prime as of July 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cElle Woods is one of my favorite characters that I\u2019ve ever gotten to play,\u201d Minetree tells me on Zoom. \u201cI feel like we always kind of take on a little part of our character whenever we play them, and she\u2019s the best character to have in your body.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, she\u2019s an optimist,\u201d Minetree adds. \u201cShe sees the best in people. She\u2019s hardworking. She\u2019s cheerful. She\u2019s silly. It\u2019s all my favorite parts of myself that I get to just step into every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Minetree says that carrying on Elle\u2019s legacy has \u201cbeen amazing,\u201d she admits, understandably, that she was nervous ahead of taking on the role. \u201cShe means so much to people, and I knew a lot of people would have eyes on this and high expectations,\u201d she tells me. \u201cAnd obviously I wanted just to do justice by her. But I was really proud of it, and I had a lot of fun getting to play her. And I think when you\u2019re enjoying yourself, I think people can see that in the work\u2014especially for a comedy. And I\u2019m really, really, really proud of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lexi Minetree on June 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by TheStewartofNY\/GC Images)<\/p>\n
GC Images\u201cShe Let Her Outfits Do More of the Talking, But the Face Was There To Elevate It\u201d<\/p>\n
While Elle is known for her wardrobe\u2019s pink color palette, Minetree, for her part, prefers the color green. She\u2019s a natural brunette, but serendipitously dyed her hair blonde \u201con a whim\u201d after she graduated college, she told W<\/a>. \u201cI felt the drive to go blonde because I was like, \u2018It\u2019s summer, it\u2019ll be fun,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201c\u2018It\u2019s a new era of my life.\u2019 Then, a couple of months later, the open call came out [for Elle], so I was very glad for that timing.\u201d <\/p>\n Elle takes place as Elle Woods turns 16 years old and is set in 1995\u2014the same year that the world was introduced to Cher Horowitz in Clueless, a year when grunge was giving way to minimalism in fashion and eyebrows were thin and highly arched. While much is made of Elle\u2019s style (as Minetree told W, \u201cyou don\u2019t have Elle Woods without the fashion\u201d), I wanted to talk about beauty with Minetree\u2014both her character\u2019s aesthetic and her own. If you\u2019re paying attention as you watch, Elle features a number of product placements, with Business of Fashion<\/a> even wondering if the show marked \u201cthe new blueprint\u201d for doing so. The prequel series, according to the outlet, \u201cis taking the ties between product and plot to another level.\u201d The show even has an official makeup sponsor\u2014L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris.<\/p>\n Laura Branik, brand president of L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris USA, tells me via email that becoming Elle\u2019s official makeup sponsor \u201cextended far beyond product placement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe worked closely with Prime Video to develop a true 360-degree marketing ecosystem surrounding the series,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n This included a phased influencer strategy \u201cthat evolved from fueling premiere anticipation to sustaining long-term cultural conversation,\u201d Branik says. It also included immersive activations that brought longtime Legally Blonde fans into the world of Elle to experience the brand\u2019s products firsthand. The brand reimagined the \u201cGet Ready With Me\u201d format, partnering with Minetree to create custom content \u201cthat didn\u2019t just showcase a look, but transported fans directly into the aesthetic and world of Elle,\u201d Branik explains. This fall, L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris will bring the collaboration to shelves, introducing what Branik describes as a \u201cretail journey that empowers viewers to claim the Elle x L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris look and make it their own.\u201d<\/p>\n The brand wanted its presence to feel like \u201ca natural extension of the story,\u201d she adds, weaving products into Elle\u2014and Minetree\u2019s\u2014routine. Branik called the partnership \u201can incredible opportunity to bring the L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris brand to life in a way that felt authentic, cultural and emotionally resonant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe loved how this series celebrates confidence, ambition and self-expression\u2014all values that have always been at the heart of L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n While brands often partner with entertainment properties, Branik tells me that this level of fully integrated collaboration \u201cis less common.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s consumers expect brands to participate in culture in meaningful ways rather than simply advertise alongside it,\u201d she says. \u201cFor L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris, we\u2019re increasingly focused on partnerships where there\u2019s authentic alignment between the story being told and our brand purpose. When that alignment exists, it creates richer storytelling, stronger consumer engagement and ultimately more meaningful business impact.\u201d<\/p>\n While L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris was the official makeup sponsor for season one, she tells me that the brand doesn\u2019t currently have an announcement to share at this time about season two involvement.<\/p>\n Elle embodies the brand\u2019s \u201cWorth It\u201d spirit, Branik says\u2014a nod to its longtime \u201cBecause you\u2019re worth it\u201d slogan. \u201cL\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris has a long history of championing women\u2019s empowerment, confidence and self-worth, values that naturally align with the spirit of Elle,\u201d she tells me. \u201cWe believe beauty is about empowering people to define success on their own terms, making the partnership feel like a natural extension of both brands.\u201d<\/p>\n One specific L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris product Minetree\u2019s makeup artist Jennifer Powell used was L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s Infallible 8 Hour Pro Lip Gloss in the shade Tickled Pink. (Powell also told Allure<\/a> that she used Benefit\u2019s Benetint\u2014the original version from the 1990s\u2014and, if a gloss was needed, MAC Lipglass on top.) <\/p>\n \u201cI feel like Elle loves a lip stain, and I love a lip stain because it kind of just looks like you ate a lollipop and it\u2019s really cutesy, very demure,\u201d Minetree tells me. \u201cIt\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, this is my natural lip,\u2019 but it\u2019s not. You know what I mean?\u201d In her real life, \u201cI was like, \u2018I need to try lips more because I\u2019ve been leaving them bare bones,\u2019\u201d Minetree says.<\/p>\n Elle is also on trend for the mid-1990s \u201cno makeup makeup\u201d look, very less is more or, in Minetree\u2019s words, \u201chighlighting the natural beauty.\u201d She tells me that on set they used L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s True Match Foundation and made it \u201cjust blend,\u201d Minetree explains. \u201cAnd it\u2019s almost like if you looked at it, it would almost look like Elle isn\u2019t wearing makeup, but she was.\u201d<\/p>\n Minetree also tells me that her character used a purple eyeliner, \u201cwhich I love, because of course Elle Woods would have a little purple eyeliner, but it was very subtle,\u201d she says. \u201cShe let her outfits do more of the talking, but the face was there to elevate it.\u201d<\/p>\n Lexi Minetree attends the ‘Elle’ U.K. special screening at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on June 30, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Jeff Spicer\/Getty Images\u201cI\u2019m Playing a Teenager\u2014I Need To Do Everything I Can\u201d<\/p>\n In her own life, Minetree loves \u201ca good blush,\u201d she tells me. \u201cI\u2019m a blush girl over contour for sure. When I wear contour, I look like I put dirt on my face. It just doesn\u2019t work for me.\u201d In true Elle Woods style, Minetree says, \u201cSome of us are more blush girls. That\u2019s okay. We should accept and love ourselves.\u201d When it comes to blushes she\u2019s into, she points to Milk Makeup, Merit Beauty and Ilia Beauty; she appreciates the latter because \u201cit\u2019s very natural,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a stick, too. I love a stick moment. You just put it on and then I blend it with my fingers\u2014which, I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s right or not. I just do it.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s also a fan of \u201ca lash moment, making your eyes pop, mascara,\u201d Minetree says. She uses L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s Voluminous Lash Paradise, which she \u201cliterally will swear by\u201d and has been using for years. \u201cIt\u2019s waterproof,\u201d she tells me. \u201cIt has to be, because I\u2019m a crier. It really has to be waterproof.\u201d To illuminate her point, she adds that \u201cIt lasted through Hamnet. Enough said.\u201d<\/p>\n For skincare, Minetree admits that her routine is \u201cabsurd\u201d\u2014\u201cnine steps,\u201d she tells me. \u201cAnd I\u2019m going on a hiking trip soon, and I\u2019m scared because I don\u2019t think I can bring it all with me. So we\u2019re going to see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Minetree swears by her NuFace microcurrent device, practicing the art of sculpting \u201cbecause my face is very round, so I do what I can,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I needed a little bit of help.\u201d <\/p>\n At night, she\u2019ll do an oil cleanser\u2014\u201cgot to get off that mascara,\u201d she explains\u2014and double cleanses with her regular cleanser. Then it\u2019s time for hyaluronic acid spray and a moisturizer. She\u2019s also using a hydrating retinol from Canadian brand Skin Girls that she describes as \u201cchef\u2019s kiss, the best thing ever. It\u2019s the only retinol that I\u2019ve ever been able to use that doesn\u2019t actually make my skin turn into a red welt.\u201d Like me, Minetree has sensitive skin, and this retinol works so well for her, she says, that she\u2019s sometimes used it multiple times a day. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t do that,\u201d Minetree quips. \u201cBut I\u2019ve done it, and it\u2019s been fine.\u201d<\/p>\n In the morning, she\u2019ll use her moisturizer and a tinted sunscreen, as well. \u201cI also have an eye cream that I wear because I\u2019m playing a teenager,\u201d Minetree says. \u201cI need to do everything I can.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep in mind that Minetree wasn\u2019t yet alive in 1995, so as she played Elle, she learned that skincare wasn\u2019t always as advanced as it is in 2026. \u201cThe thing that cracked me up the most, though, was there was one scene where she\u2019s washing her face with soap,\u201d Minetree tells me. \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018Maybe that was a \u201890s thing, but I would never.\u2019\u201d She adds, \u201cThey told me to do that, and I was like, \u2018Whoa, whoa, whoa.\u2019\u201d When I tell her that the skincare market wasn\u2019t nearly as saturated or elevated in 1995 as it is today, she says, correctly, \u201cWe\u2019ve come so far. We really have.\u201d<\/p>\n Lexi Minetree at Prime Video’s ‘Elle’ New York City premiere on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Kristina Bumphrey\/Variety via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Variety via Getty Images\u201cIt\u2019s Everything That We Loved About Season One on Steroids\u201d<\/p>\n Minetree describes Elle as \u201cheartwarming\u201d; Amazon Prime has already picked up the show for a second season, which has already been filmed. In season two, she tells me, \u201cwe get extra silly. We get extra fun. We get extra kooky bananas. We had a good time. Me and the cast, we\u2019ve talked about this. We might even like season two more than season one. Season one is amazing, but just, season two\u2014it\u2019s everything that we loved about season one on steroids.\u201d<\/p>\n The writing is elevated, she explains; all of the actors understand their characters more. Season one was about introducing the people of the show, and in season two, \u201cwe can just go even deeper into all the relationships and everything,\u201d Minetree says, teasing that she \u201cgot to do my own stunts\u201d\u2014but she leaves it there.<\/p>\n Minetree tells me that they wrapped season two of Elle and immediately went into press for season one. \u201cIt has been a whirlwind,\u201d she says, telling me as we speak on Thursday that she just got back on Sunday, a few days prior. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s been amazing is the reception of it,\u201d she says of Elle. \u201cI mean, you work so hard on something and to finally have it out in the world and for people to be able to enjoy it\u2014it\u2019s really special.\u201d<\/p>\n Minetree is especially touched by little girls doing watch parties with their friends where they all wear pink. \u201cIt\u2019s so special to hear,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n As iconic a character as Elle Woods is\u2014Minetree is just getting started. \u201cObviously, this was a really special character,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I\u2019m excited to show my range and dive into something else, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Lexi Minetree is seen at NBC Studios on June 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall\/GC Images)<\/p>\n GC Images\u201cStepping Into Shoes That Are Enormous and Pink and Six Inches Tall Can Be Scary\u201d<\/p>\n Witherspoon has been \u201cincredibly supportive,\u201d Minetree told The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>. Throughout Elle\u2019s press run, Minetree\u2014who had been told she looks like Witherspoon long before she landed the part of Elle\u2014notably wore a Marc Jacobs dress that Witherspoon wore to the Legally Blonde premiere a quarter century ago. When Minetree\u2019s stylist Molly Dickson pulled it out and Minetree tried it on, \u201cit fit perfectly,\u201d Minetree told W. \u201cNo tailor needed. It was kind of spooky, honestly.\u201d Minetree also wore a pink strapless archival Stella McCartney gown to a U.K. screening of Elle that Witherspoon previously wore to the Met Gala in 2014.<\/p>\n Lexi Minetree and Reese Witherspoon on June 20, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images for Prime Video)<\/p>\n Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images for Prime Video<\/p>\n On the July 22 episode of \u201cThe Who What Wear Podcast,\u201d<\/a> Dickson told Hillary Kerr, \u201cAt this point in my career now, my one big thing is I only want to work with nice people. And Lexi is literally the biggest sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n After an hour and a half Zoom where they got to know one another, \u201cWe were talking about boys and, like, it was just\u2014it was like two girlfriends catching up,\u201d Dickson said. \u201cI think we literally talked about fashion for maybe five, 10 minutes.\u201d At Minetree\u2019s first fitting\u2014which lasted \u201csix, seven hours,\u201d Dickson said\u2014Lana Del Ray \u201ccame to say hi,\u201d Dickson added, \u201cwe got McDonald\u2019s, and I\u2019m like \u2018This is how it should be.\u2019 Like girls playing dress up. It should be fun, and we shouldn\u2019t take it too seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to sharing clothes with her, Witherspoon has had high praise for Minetree. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon<\/a>, Witherspoon described Minetree as \u201csuch a bright light\u201d and elsewhere as \u201csuch an incredible person\u201d<\/a>; she\u2019s also said that Minetree\u2019s audition tape for Elle \u201ctook my breath away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, \u2018I want you to understand the responsibility of what this means to people,\u2019\u201d the Oscar winner said in a video shared to her Instagram<\/a> last month as she fought back tears. \u201c\u2018Little girls are gonna come up to you, and it\u2019s, like, massive responsibility.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n