Mandy Moore has had a handful of blonde phases through the years, but her original honey hue was inspired by none other than the one and only Gwyneth Paltrow. 

In a Thursday, July 8, interview with Bustle, the 37-year-old actress revealed that she looked to the Goop queen when deciding on her glam for the 1999 Billboard Music Awards. 

“I didn’t go to prom, so my first red carpet was a huge moment for me. Remember when  [Gwyneth Paltrow] wore that ballgown? That was what I referenced,” she told the outlet, talking about Paltrow’s 1999 Golden Globes dress. 

Moore continued: “She was wearing this shimmery, iridescent green skirt [and] she had long, blonde hair. Gwyneth was a huge style icon for me — she still is amazing — and I wanted to look just like her. So that was my nod to that era with the long, pin-straight blonde hair.” 

Her hair may have been on point, but the This Is Us actress doesn’t have as fond memories of her outfit for the occasion. 

“I had this little pink shell that Swarovski crystals on it and this lime green, bubblegum pink and purple plaid taffeta skirt — it was hideous,” the new mom recalled. “I had matching green eyeshadow [and] I just thought I was the coolest.” 

The A Walk to Remember star, who recently welcomed son Gus with husband Taylor Goldsmith, hadn’t been “really blonde” since 2005, but in May she decided to go back to her OG hue. 

“Surprise! Summer is right around the corner, and I decided to switch up my look 💁🏼‍♀️What do you think?!” she captioned her Instagram post, debuting her lighter locks. “Huge thank you to everyone who followed along on my hair transformation today and helped me choose the perfect Garnier Nutrisse shade in Dark Blonde 70 Almond Créme.” 

She continued: “It’s so much fun to be blonde again, and I’m completely in love with my new hair already😍Check out my Stories for tips on how to find the perfect hair color!” 

In her Stories, Moore, who is a brand ambassador for Garnier, explained that she used the brand’s shade selector tool to try on a handful of hues. 

While she tried on everything from icy blue to pink, she eventually decided on a light blonde. “I love it. It’s so bright and fun and sort of the perfect color for the summer,” the actress said in the clip. 

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Samantha Holender