While the Duchess of Cambridge opts for very dark eye makeup for formal events, it seems that in her day-to-day life, her trick for a more natural look is to use eyeliner differently.
In an era where cosmetic minimalism has made skin (from highlighter to blush) the star of every makeup look, it's curious that in the royal world, trends follow a different direction.
Yes, it's true that Queen Letizia has been toning down the intensity of her eyeliner and eyeshadow to create "no-makeup" looks, but without sacrificing the emphasis on her eyes. However, whether through mascara or by matching the eyelid and cheek colors, royalty continues to highlight their eyes.
In Kate Middleton's case, the British royal has never shied away from heavy eye makeup. Her eyes, framed with black eyeliner, are practically her signature look, a makeup style she even wore on her wedding day.
However, when you look at Kate's face not only at formal events, but also at daytime events where she opts for a more understated and natural style, and even when she shares snapshots of her family life, her eye makeup is different.
It's a subtle difference that might be difficult to spot at first glance, but with it, the Duchess of Cambridge completely transforms her gaze, opening it up and filling it with light. Instead of applying her signature black eyeliner to the waterline, a gesture that adds drama, she uses a white, beige, or nude eyeliner.
At daytime events, you can sometimes see that, in addition to applying the white eyeliner to the waterline, she also lines her lower lash line with a brown eyeshadow or pencil. This eye makeup creates a greater contrast and opens up the eyes, but it doesn't achieve the same natural look as when only white eyeliner is applied.
The purpose of this old trick, revived in the 1960s, is to create the effect of a larger sclera (the white part of the eye). Besides playing with the eye's dimensions, it also brightens the gaze.
Eyeliner Pencils to Recreate the 'Refreshed Kate' Look
In recent months, many makeup brands have not only relaunched highly pigmented white eyeliner pencils but have also expanded their range of light colors, such as Fenty Beauty and Makeup Forever.
Fenty Beauty's Fine Linez
Sometimes, white can even look artificial, as pure, stark white is uncommon in nature. Instead, depending on skin tone, we can find nude pencils—for pinker skin tones—beiges, creams, or very light browns.
But the important thing is that we've learned Kate Middleton's trick for opening up, brightening, and achieving a rested-looking gaze simply with a light eyeliner pencil. Of course, we'll continue to closely analyze the Duchess of Cambridge's makeup to see if, instead of just a trick for light looks, this trick becomes her new signature style.
As an affiliate, Vanitatis earns from qualifying purchases. The inclusion of links does not influence the editorial independence of this publication: writers select and review products freely, according to their own criteria and expertise.
