Makeup Monday

{Image via the Daily Mail}

In honour of the Duchess of Cambridge's 30th birthday (and for my first post of 2012!), I thought it might be fun to do a post on Kate Middleton - or, Kate Middleton's makeup, rather. I wasn't a fan of Kate to begin with, but she's really started to grow on me since the Royal wedding. So much so that I caught myself watching 'The E! True Hollywood Story: Kate and Pippa' not once, but twice over the weekend. What really strikes me about the Duchess is her ability to look so effortlessly put together, all of the time. 

 

{Image via glamour.com}

I think the trick to the Duchess's beauty look is the fact that she plays up her best features - she never steps out without a bit of liner to highlight and define her beautiful hazel eyes, and her hair is always impeccably styled to make the most of her natural wave.

To recreate Kate's signature look, opt for a tinted moisturiser (these are fantastic in summer, as they're lighter than regular foundations and tend to contain an SPF to top it all off) and apply a rosy blusher or a cheek stain (I'm a huge fan of Benefit BeneTint, which can be used on both lips and cheeks) to the apples of your cheeks for a beautiful glow. Next, use a black eye pencil to line both your upper and lower lash lines, smudging the upper lash line ever so slightly for a subtle smoky effect. If you don't own one already, I highly recommend investing in an eyelash curler. You'll be amazed at the instantly wide-awake effect these have. After gently curling your lashes, apply two coats of mascara and finish off with a nude gloss (I am smitten with Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss in 'Nougat' at the moment!). I'm usually a fan of heavy liner and smoky eyes, but decided to keep my makeup minimal during my two week break over December. I found it rather difficult to get back into the swing of things with a full face of makeup after two weeks of barely-there, so I've found that Kate's makeup look is just perfect for easing myself into the new year. I've been playing around with Kate's naturally pretty look for almost a week now and I must admit that I've enjoyed it. As you may recall, one of my beauty resolutions is to experiment with new makeup looks, so I think I'm doing pretty well so far!