How time flies. It’s exactly 15 years since Kate Middleton said ‘I do’ to Prince William, and a dive into the beauty archives shows how the Princess of Wales has completely refreshed her signature makeup look – making it regal and ageless at 44.
On the big day (29 April 2011), Kate stuck with her faithful black eyeliner, the look that had won her Prince’s heart at the University of St Andrews and had seen her through the pair’s early royal engagements and their actual engagement photoshoot itself in November 2010.
Black and kohl-rimmed was her wedding day choice, a look that clearly made the bride feel her most confident self but drew fire for being ‘heavy’ in some quarters. (Personally, we think she looked great, with a look that was both radiant and strong enough to stand out in front of the cameras.)
Fast forward to today and we find Kate is doubling down on her beauty signature. Not only is she embracing her beloved dark eye with as much enthusiasm as before, but in a way that’s been beautifully reinvented to flatter her face in her 40s.
It’s a look we see her wearing for day and night events alike, always finding ways to make it 100% modern – and sometimes more dramatic than ever, as her sultry-eyed appearance at a state banquet in March showed.
How has Kate’s eye makeup evolved?
As celebrity makeup artist Mira Parmar explains to GH, Kate is the textbook example of sticking to what you know and love (always the number one rule of beauty), but making it work for who you are now, not a memory stuck in the past.
Mira tells GH: ‘Kate obviously got criticised for her smokey eye makeup when she was younger. It was quite heavy because she used a lot of blacks and smoked out, which sometimes made it quite harsh.’
‘Now, into her 40s, she has really bought the smokey eye back, but making it elegant and more polished by wearing it in a softer way.’
Kate’s new rules for smokey eyes at 40+
1.Ditch the black
While black, kohl-rimmed eyes is a look that Kate adored and pulled off in her 20s, it’s one that’s best left behind with age.
‘When you go into your 40s, a smokey eye needs a little tweak on colours,’ says Mira. ‘Kate is using softer colours, such as browns, aubergines and greys, in matte or satin textures. These colours don’t age the eyes.’
‘Stay away from blacks and dark charcoals,’ Mira adds. ‘Generally, this can make the eyes look small.
2.Change the direction
Kate’s elevated look is literally that – using a makeup blending technique that works against gravity. ‘Lifting is key for all eyes,’ says Mira. ‘Use your brush and blend all colours upwards and outwards to create an illusion of lifting the face.’
To copy Kate’s lifted look, ‘Use a lighter colour on the middle part of the eyelid and the darker colour on the outside to smoke out, which again creates lift.’
3.Swap your products
Time to bid farewell to hard eye pencils. As Kate’s own makeup has shown, eyeliner textures have moved on immeasurably, with a shift towards soft kohls and kajals that are buttery and blendable yet still stay put once in place.
‘You definitely don’t want harsh lines with liner when you’re in your 40s,’ advises Mira. ‘Instead, use a kohl pencil such as Victoria Beckham’s Satin Kajal, which blends beautifully, with so many colours to choose from. For a more high-street option, I love Sweed Beauty and Hildun.’
4.Soften the flick
Another Kate signature is to make liquid liner ageless by adding softness over the top – you still get the impact of that feline flick but it’s softened by a blurred-out edge. ‘You can just diffuse it with a small brush and eyeshadow, and create a really nice smokey effect from that. NARS has beautiful palettes with lots of lovely browns and soft colours,’ says Mira.
5.Try tightliner
Mira notes that another clever micro-adjustment employed by Kate is to use tightliner. ‘This is where a dark kajal pencil is placed inside the inner lashline,’ she explains. Simply hold your lashes to expose the inner waterline and stroke it in place. ‘Tightliner is brilliant for women over 40 because it restores definition when lashes are depleting naturally.’
This is where a black pencil can still come into play because the impact is softened by being tucked away in the waterline, where it looks like naturally thick lash roots, not a hard, heavy line. ‘Black brings the drama,’ confirms Mira, ‘or you use dark brown if you prefer. Then just add a great mascara to finish the look.’
