When it comes to timeless beauty, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, certainly knows a thing or two. Whether she’s attending to her royal duties or enjoying a glittering evening out, she always brings her beauty A-game.
She proves you don’t need a dramatic transformation to update your appearance. Instead, she sticks to her signature style (why reinvent a winning formula?) and focuses on subtle tweaks that keep her look feeling modern, youthful and refreshed.
Of course, here on the GH beauty team, we’ve been studying up. Here, we’ve rounded up eight beauty lessons we can all learn from the Princess.
‘Round-the-clock’ glam
Day-to-night makeup has always been a big conversation in beauty, but Catherine proves that one great makeup look will work for both. Whatever the royal occasion, the Princess always brings her signature smokey eye with her.
‘Women always think they need to change their makeup for day and night, but that’s a rule to break, especially as you get older,’ says celebrity makeup artist Fiona Florczak. She explains, ‘one of the best things you can do, beauty-wise, is to find a makeup look that complements your features and style, day and night.’
The barely-there manicure
When it comes to getting a manicure, the options can feel overwhelming. Luckily, Catherine’s ‘invisible mani’ offers the perfect solution to all our nail dilemmas. As the name suggests, it’s a barely-there shade that’s timeless and flattering — and the pros say it’s good for your nails, too.
‘The invisible manicure enhances the natural beauty of the nails, creating a look that feels fresh, modern and incredibly elegant. It also puts the focus back on healthy, well-cared-for natural nails,’ says nail guru and brand founder Leighton Denny MBE.
As Catherine proves, it’s also a shade that looks particularly elegant on shorter nails — a length that Leighton tells us is especially flattering on mature hands. It’s a winner all-round.
The one product for a lifted eye
Good eye makeup does more than simply define the eyes — do it right, and you can create a clever lifting effect, too. The Princess proved just that when she added a soft feline flick to her signature smokey eye.
The liner sweeps along the lash line before extending out. It’s a technique that leading make-up artist Val Garland approves of, telling GH that a cat eye is one of her favourite ageless makeup tricks.
She explains, ‘for an older woman, you want to get that definition on the lash line and take the liner outwards and upwards. You want to keep the inner corner light. What that will do is widen and lift the eyes.’
The youthful way to go lighter
Catherine is no stranger to going lighter (we all remember THAT bronde moment). But perhaps one of our favourite shades of hers is her ‘sunlit brunette’.
Soft caramel and honey tones were beautifully woven through her brunette base, adding warmth and lightness without taking her too far from her signature shade. It gets the balance just right.
‘This shade works so well because it enhances rather than replaces her natural depth,’ says hairstylist Jason Collier, founder of Studio23 and key opinion leader for Jerome Russell Bblonde.
He explains, ‘those fine pieces of warmer tones give the illusion of sunlit hair, where the light would naturally hit. It creates softness, and makes her hair appear with a golden-hour glow at all times of the day.’
Lift with blush
Blush might just be the hardest-working product in your makeup bag. Not only does it bring a healthy flush to the complexion, but, with clever application, it can work double duty and sculpt the face, too – no contour needed.
‘Lifted blush’ does exactly what it says. It’s a technique that involves sweeping colour high on the cheekbone to create a flattering, face-lifting effect. Clearly, Catherine is a fan, and we can see why.
‘It’s an incredible trick,’ says celebrity make-up artist Mira Parmar. 'When done right, it will draw people’s eyes upwards and make your face appear more youthful.’
The high curl trick
The Princess is no stranger to a good curl. Normally, we see her opting for soft waves concentrated towards the ends, but, for a night out, she showed how one small change can make all the difference.
Earlier this year, when she stepped out at the BAFTAs, she took her curls up a notch… literally. By starting the curl higher up, her hair was given instant volume and lift. It’s a clever trick that is particularly flattering for women over 40.
Top hairdresser, Michael Douglas notes it’s especially brilliant for those with thinner hair. ‘It definitely compensates because volume mimics thickness,’ he explains.
Grown-up lip liner
Lip liner is back in a big way, and it’s brilliant news for women over 40. But forget dramatic overlining: Catherine proves that a subtle approach can make all the difference. Her soft, rosy pink liner helps to create the illusion of plumped lips.
Not only does it help make the lips look fuller, but it also restores definition to the lip line.‘Lips lose colour with age, and they just blend into your skin, which is so not happening,’ says top makeup artist Gucci Westman. ‘I’m completely committed to lip liner, I can’t be without it. I feel like the older I get, the more dependent I’ve become on it.’
A chic take on 'matchy-matchy' makeup
The shortcut to a polished, cohesive look? Take a cue from Catherine and match your eye makeup to your outfit. It really is as easy as it sounds.
Earlier this year, the royal showed us just how flattering the trick can be. Wearing a beautiful burgundy blazer and blouse, she gave her signature smokey eye a tonal update, bringing those burgundy hues into her eye makeup.
It’s an easy way to look instantly put-together, giving the impression that you’ve carefully considered every element of your look, when in reality, minimal effort is required. Thanks, Catherine!
