As well as influencing fashion trends and regularly causing their high street buys to sell out, the royal women have also been known to start a beauty trend or two and are arguably beauty icons in their own right.

So, as our thirst for nostalgia never really wavers, we’re taking a look back at some of our favourite royal beauty moments from days gone by.

From blue eyeliner to dark nail polish, bouncy blow dries to messy buns, here are five times the royal women both set and elevated some of the biggest beauty trends in history…

Meghan Markle's messy bun

This is a little different to your "I’m hungover and my hair is long overdue a wash" messy bun, but nevertheless Meghan Markle put the style firmly back in the public eye. During one of her first ever royal engagements she stepped out with an effortless-looking messy bun, and then went on to make it her wedding reception hairstyle on the day she became the Duchess of Sussex.

"The messy bun purely came off the back of making the hair both appropriate and adhering to royal protocol, and modern at the same time,” hairstylist George Northwood, the man behind Meghan’s evening wedding ‘do, told British Vogue of the signature look.

“We wanted it to be up, because a lot of the time it was appropriate for it to be up, but we didn’t want it to be too formal. We always wanted it to be refined imperfection – that’s what sums [Meghan] up."

Kate Middleton's bouncy blow dry

If you say to your hairdresser that you want a Kate Middleton-style blow dry, they’ll know exactly what style you’re after. In the 10 years since her wedding day to Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge has well and truly established herself as having Great Hair™, and the big and bouncy look is easily her most recognisable style.

Although her hair length has varied over the years, from her shoulder-length middy cut to what looks like extensions, the duchess has put voluminous loose curls (and the Kate Middleton blow dry) firmly in the beauty history books.

Princess Diana's blue eyeliner

If there’s a beauty product that’s synonymous with Princess Diana, it’s blue eyeliner. The look is so iconic that when The Crown’s fourth season dropped on Netflix, online searches for blue liner went up by 50% in a nod to The People’s Princess.

And although her beauty look was reworked in the early nineties when she started working with legendary makeup artist Mary Greenwell, we never really did stop associating the Princess of Wales with a sweep of the blue stuff.

“Blue eyes should never wear blue pencil or shadow – it dulls your eyes! From that moment on, she was open minded about trying new looks and colours," Mary told Stylist magazine of the first time they met.

Meghan Markle's dark nail polish

Meghan Markle has had many breathtaking beauty moments during her few years as a royal, but one in particular was during an appearance at the British Fashion Awards in 2018 while pregnant with her and Prince Harry’s first child.

In a move away from what royal protocol has seemingly cemented before now – the Queen’s signature nail polish shade is of course Essie Ballet Slippers, £7.99 here – rather than sporting an understated nude nail, the Duchess of Sussex went for a vampy dark shade of polish to finish off her glamorous makeup look.

Sure, berry makeup might not be a groundbreaking new trend, but it was a daring move for a royal nonetheless and a great reminder of these shades’ timeless appeal.

Kate Middleton's "laminated" brows

Earlier this year the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out at the premiere for the new James Bond movie with a brow look that was similar to the brow lamination trend, albeit a more groomed and defined version.

"I love Kate's brows,” says Sherrille Riley, founder of Nails & Brows Mayfair. "Her style is so effortless and her brows mirror this.”

She also speculates: "I believe Kate gets her brows professionally tidied on a monthly basis to maintain the natural shape, and she uses brow makeup and tools to enhance them for special occasions."

Here’s to all the royal beauty moments that are yet to come!

For all the latest beauty news, including royally approved tips and tricks, sign up to the OK! Daily Newsletter now

Source: Read Full Article