Kristen Bell made her L'Oréal Paris runway debut on Monday, 28 September and used the occasion to speak about sisterhood, self-worth and supporting other women. The 46-year-old actor joined L'Oréal Paris' Le Défilé show at Place Joffre during Paris Fashion Week after being named a L'Oréal Paris global ambassador in August.
Bell walked alongside ambassadors including Viola Davis, Aja Naomi King, Andie MacDowell, Cara Delevingne, Eva Longoria, Kendall Jenner and Simone Ashley. Before taking to the runway, Bell said Davis had given her simple advice about walking it.
'Viola told me all I have to do is make it to the end of the stage and back, so I'm going to keep it simple,' Bell said.
Kristen Bell Says There Is 'Room for All of Us'
Bell said joining L'Oréal Paris' group of ambassadors made her think about what she could contribute alongside women she had admired for years.
'These are women that I have been inspired by for so many years,' she said. Rather than identifying a particular quality she could bring to the group, Bell said she wanted to bring her 'full authentic self'. She also spoke about the show's emphasis on sisterhood.
'I love the theme of the show being sisterhood because I love rooting for other women,' Bell said. She described herself as 'a very firm believer in a rising tide lifts all ships'. She also said competition between women was 'such a waste of time'.
'I think there's room for all of us,' she said. 'Everything only gets better when you include everyone with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.'
Bell Connects Beauty With Self-Worth
Bell also discussed her views on beauty and confidence. 'Feeling beautiful doesn't necessarily mean you feel worthy. But feeling worthy guarantees you will feel beautiful,' she said.
According to the actor, becoming a mother led her to reconsider her own self-esteem and body image. She shares daughters Lincoln, 13, and Delta, 11, with her husband, actor Dax Shepard.
'I can't give my girls anything I don't already have,' Bell said.
If she wanted her daughters to develop a positive body image, she first needed to work on her own. 'If I wanted them to have a positive body image, I had to get a positive body image. I had to become comfortable in my own skin,' she said.
The same is applied to confidence and self-esteem. 'If I wanted them to have self-esteem and be confident, I had to model those behaviours sincerely and authentically,' she said.
Confidence Remains a Work in Progress
Bell said her approach does not mean she no longer experiences insecurity. 'I still, just like anyone else, struggle with it,' she clarified.
There are days when she feels 'awful and useless' and responds by considering what she contributes to her family, friendships, work, creativity and other areas of her life. 'That's what gives me self-esteem,' she said.
She has taken a similarly flexible approach to beauty with her daughters. Bell said her children may see her go to dinner without makeup, while on another day she may put on makeup before a workout.
'There's no rhyme or reason to it,' the actress concluded. 'It's because that's how I was feeling that day.' Ultimately, Bell wants her daughters to see beauty routines as choices rather than requirements.
Kristen Bell Joins Le Défilé
L'Oréal Paris announced Bell as a global ambassador in August. She made her Le Défilé debut on 28 September. L'Oréal Paris has staged the public runway event since 2017, bringing together its international ambassadors during Paris Fashion Week.
The brand's official 2026 material describes Le Défilé as a celebration of women's empowerment and says the event celebrates sisterhood alongside the relationship between beauty and fashion.
L'Oréal Paris also said Bell would walk the event for the first time as one of its newly appointed ambassadors. The 2026 lineup included L'Oréal Paris ambassadors and other figures from film, fashion and entertainment, including Davis, MacDowell, Longoria, Delevingne, Jenner and Ashley.
Bell's debut came after Davis offered her practical runway advice and as Bell spoke about self-worth, confidence and her experience raising her two daughters.
