Times Kate Middleton Went Makeup-Free And Still Looked Stunning
Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been a part of the royal family officially since she and William, Prince of Wales, married in 2011. However, she has been in the public eye for longer, ever since Kate Middleton and William's friendship caught the world's attention back in the early 2000s.
Being a royal means you are forced to follow certain beauty rules, including wearing simple makeup. For example, lip color and nail color should never be bright, and there's no place for overly dramatic makeup. Princess Diana's makeup artist even used hacks to give her a softer look.
However, it's a fine line to walk. Although the makeup for women of the royal family is meant to look understated and natural, catching a glimpse of any of them not wearing any makeup at all is pretty rare — but it happens, and there are some instances where Kate went makeup-free and still looked stunning.
Kate was the picture of casual pre-graduation
Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales, met at St. Andrews University in September 2001. They graduated in June 2005, and shortly before the graduation ceremony, Kate Middleton and her father Michael Middleton were seen around the campus. This was before Kate was glammed up with a cap and gown. On the contrary, she sported a no-makeup look and kept her hair pulled back and out of her face.
To go along with the casual look, Kate wore low-rise jeans, a thick belt, and a white tank top with a lace neckline and spaghetti straps. However, no makeup doesn't mean no jewelry. Kate wore small round earrings, silver bangle bracelets on one wrist, and a gold necklace with some kind of circular charm. The future princess also had on rings and what seems to be a watch on the other wrist. It's the kind of effortlessly casual look fashionistas everywhere gravitate toward for informal outings.
At an outdoor event, Kate seemed to rely on the sun for pink in her cheeks
While attending the Festival of British Eventing in August 2005 — which is a competition where equestrians and their horses compete in various disciplines — Catherine, Princess of Wales, went for a seemingly no (or light) makeup look. Although her slightly pink cheeks could've been from a light layer of blush, they also could've been turned pink by the sun.
Kate Middleton's outfit for the event included a brown wide-brimmed hat, complete with some feathers, and a matching brown jacket and boots. She might have had a slight layer of eyeliner or mascara on (and according to Kate's Closet, she uses Lancôme brand for both). Otherwise, it looked as if Kate was going for a natural beauty look.
Other details of her outfit were a white, patterned button-up layered with a blue sweater, jeans, and a brown belt. Kate also practiced the necklace layering technique with a blue heart-shaped necklace and a silver dallah-shaped (Arabic coffee-pot-shaped) necklace.
Kate went for an all-natural look while rowing
One snapshot of Catherine, Princess of Wales, without makeup on is from an athletic training session — but supposedly the royal family forbade her from competing in the event she was training for. For context, Kate Middleton joined rowing team The Sisterhood to trek across the English Channel for a charity competition against a male rowing team.
In a photo taken in August 2007 during a practice session, Kate looked determined, rowing alongside her teammates. She looked to be makeup-free, instead focused on the task at hand, and her hair was in a low, slightly unkempt ponytail. It also didn't look like she was sporting any nail polish. Kate was wearing a black athletic jacket with red trimming.
A few days after that photo was taken, it was revealed that Kate would no longer be competing with The Sisterhood. The Daily Mail reported the official reason was that Kate drawing attention could be a security risk to the athletes on the team. But it was believed someone working for the royal family told Kate she had to quit due to the possibility of media coverage blowing up into a big story. The outlet also speculated the then-broken-up Kate and William were officially back together, because there's no other legitimate reason for the palace to step in.