More modern, less girlish. The Duchess is saying goodbye to the signature
style that made her famous. It's not the only change in the new Kate.The British tabloids have been asking the same question for years: How on earth is it possible that Kate Middleton's hair is always so perfect? With average humidity between 70 and 90 percent in London, it's hard not to notice the Duchess's always-perfect mane, full of volume, shiny, with wavy, bouncy ends, and not a trace of frizz. The image is so striking because, compared to the rest of us mere mortals, she always looks like she's in a Pantene hair commercial.
Her hairstyle is so distinctive that it has its own name: Chelsea Blowout. Its creator is super-stylist Richard Ward, who has been styling the Duchess's hair for over a decade. "It's not just about Kate's hair (shiny and frizz-free): it's a hairstyle that's well done," she once told People magazine, revealing some of the tricks behind it. For around 300 euros, you can get it at the stylist's salon next to the Saatchi Gallery, but you can also recreate it at home with a round boar bristle brush, a hairdryer on a low setting, and Velcro rollers. Enviable, yes, but a bit too elaborate in some people's eyes.
The truth is, maintaining a suitable and consistent public image over time is no easy task. Like other royals (such as Queen Sofia, who styles her hair like a queen), Kate has relied on a signature hairstyle over the years to be recognizable. However, in her latest appearance, there's a noticeable change in image: from the utterly perfect Kate, bordering on the saccharine with her curled hair, to a more modern Kate, with straight, and above all, more natural hair. The problem with wavy ends is when, instead of looking youthful, they start to look the complete opposite. It's as if they go from a girl's hairstyle to a mature one, with no middle ground. And it's a style that, at first glance, says: I have the time and money to dedicate to it.
So the change is obvious and successful.
Kate looks like a woman her age (she's 44) with a fresher and more authentic image. Less like a fairytale.
Another change to her hair is the color. Last fall she already shifted the tone towards a more reddish finish, and now she's found hazelnut, honey, and golden highlights that soften her features without needing such an elaborate hairstyle. But her hair isn't the only change in Kate's new look…
Eyeliner
One of Kate's most distinctive makeup features is her use of eyeliner. Whether in black or a brown shade, she has rarely skipped eyeliner on both her upper and lower eyelids. Like her signature long hair, her eyeliner technique is also different: on the lower lid, she has always drawn it not on the waterline but outside the base of her lashes. Now she has eliminated it from the lower lid and simply applies a touch of mascara to those lashes.
Outer eyeliner creates a more intense effect on the eye, adding intensity to the gaze, but as the years go by, professional makeup artists stop recommending it for everyday makeup. The reason is simply that as skin matures, we want the under-eye area to look as clear, bright, and fresh as possible. Experts say that when the first fine lines begin to appear, around age 35, any lower eyeliner is likely to accentuate the signs of aging, even more so if it is a dark color. Instead, they recommend mastering the technique of concealer and highlighter, and brushing the eyelashes with a light touch of mascara.
Eyebrows
Over time, Kate has also refined her eyebrows. Considered the frame that defines the face at a certain age, they now have a less pronounced arch, a thicker end, and, ultimately, a more natural shape. They also appear warmer, in keeping with her new hair color, and highlight her blue-green eyes.
Foundation
Stay away from heavy, matte foundations, and you'll look younger, as they tend to settle into fine lines and wrinkles. This advice, widely shared among professional makeup artists, seems to be Kate's new guideline. It's true that the Duchess currently has a slightly tanned complexion, but if we compare older photos of Kate with more recent ones, her choice of foundation seems to have changed from a more opaque, full-coverage finish to a more hydrated and dewy one. The immediate result is a younger, fresher look. Any foundation with light-reflecting particles can create this luminous appearance that professionals call the "healthy glow."
As you can see on Kate, any foundation looks more flattering on sun-kissed skin. For those who want a light, natural tan before hitting the beach, there's a new option: bronzing mist. Self-Tan Purity Vitamins from the iconic self-tanning brand St. Tropez is a water-based serum made with extracts of peach and hibiscus blossoms, avocado oil, green mandarin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C that not only tans the skin but also hydrates it.
Blush
In addition to choosing a lighter foundation, Kate seems to have made another change to her blush, perhaps using a lighter bronzing powder or switching to a cream or mousse formula, which leaves a beautiful, hydrated glow on the skin.
