Kate Middleton's Makeup Transformation Through The Years

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has completely transformed her makeup over decades in the spotlight. When she first came on the scene, known only as Prince William's shy, pretty girlfriend, her makeup reflected her personality as the athletic girl next door. But with the shift in her romantic relationship came greater visibility, and Catherine had to change things up in terms of how she groomed herself. The royal had to be camera-ready at nearly all times and take on a more polished style. 

Catherine's makeup evolution has shifted with great events in her life. Her wedding day was a big makeup moment for her, and when she became a mother, her look took on another change. Furthermore, deaths within the royal family meant that Catherine and William's titles changed, bringing a more increased responsibility. But in all of these changes, Catherine has effortlessly adapted her style, shifting her makeup routine to become more professional and regal.

No matter how much her makeup has evolved, a few things remain constant for Princess Catherine. She always prefers dramatic eye makeup over a statement lip, she's light-handed with blush, opting instead for a bit of a bronzy glow, and she loves a bold eyebrow, even though she's changed the shape of her brows over the years. The princess has proved she can wear both light and heavy makeup, all while keeping that professional, royal charm.  

Before Catherine, Princess of Wales, became a royal, or a global celebrity for that matter, she was an athletic art history student at the University of St. Andrews. Catherine's makeup at the time showed a natural, unfussy style. It was the early 2000s, so skinny eyebrows were trending, and Catherine kept hers thin and groomed. Like most women in that era, she obviously wasn't shy about using tweezers. Any kind of foundation was virtually undetectable, and her skin looked lustrous and healthy. The royal-to-be wore a faint blush, but nothing heavy or noticeable. The same went for bronzers and contouring; it was all done with a light hand.

The only detectable makeup that Catherine wore consistently before she became globally recognized as Prince William's girlfriend, was eye makeup. She used a black liner liberally, and followed this with mascara. Even on occasions when Catherine was photographed in the evening going out on the town, she stuck to this makeup formula. She may have worn a bit of lip gloss here and there, but it was always subtle and clear. It was evident from her unfussy makeup routine that Catherine didn't perceive herself at this time as a public figure. She was only dating William during this era, and obviously saw herself as largely removed from media consumption. She wasn't crafting a celebrity image, but just being herself, as a dutiful university student and a young woman in love.

Princess Catherine's wedding day beauty decision was one of her rare rule-breaking moments, as she did her own makeup for the big event in 2011. Not only did she put other public figures to shame by being her own glam squad, she also broke royal protocol by wearing her hair down, despite some royals wanting her to wear it up.

In terms of her makeup, though, Catherine did consult a MUA before the wedding to learn the ropes. She worked with bridal makeup expert Arabella Preston to achieve dramatic brows, eye makeup, lustrous skin, and pink lips.

Beauty writer Elsa McAlonan noted for the Daily Mail that Catherine had no excessive shine on her wedding day — a concern for many brides. "Kate's skin had just enough gleam under the bright lights in Westminster Abbey, with no hint of shimmer or shine, and that's probably down to a light dusting of the finest powder applied to the bits most prone to oiliness (forehead, nose and chin)," McAlonan wrote. Catherine's bridal makeup was significant because she nailed it so perfectly; she looked like the ideal bride, with pink cheeks, full, dark lashes, and glowing skin. Best of all, she did it by herself, which somehow amplified her readiness for royal life and the optics that would be on her from then on. 

One of the biggest changes in Princess Catherine makeup transformation came when she changed her eyeliner application. Prior to, Catherine was known for her heavy use of kohl eyeliner on her upper lash line, as well as her lower one. The eyeliner style was so severe that it earned Catherine a place in royal makeup fails that we couldn't ignore. The eyeliner was something of a mystery, as it appeared almost goth on the otherwise delicate and demure princess. "I think she's got a problem with eye make-up," Designer Vivienne Westwood told the Sunday Times Magazine (via the Daily Mail) in 2011 of Catherine's beauty regime. "The sharp line around her eyes make her look hard. Either she should be smudgy or wear none." That's some tough feedback. 

Designers Viktor & Rolf also commented on Catherine's eyeliner the same year. "We'd like to see [Catherine] wearing different make-up and hair — less eyeliner, less hair," the duo began (via Glamour). "It would bring out her natural beauty." It seems like Catherine listened to this feedback, because she noticeably changed the way she used eyeliner after this. Instead of a harsh line under her eyes, she applied the product with a much lighter hand, smudging it out or going without under eyeliner all together. It really freshened Catherine's appearance, and made her look younger and more approachable.

Shortly after her wedding to Prince William, Princess Catherine got into sunless tanners and bronzers. In 2012, she was notably more tanned and golden than she was in previous photos. During this time, tabloids were buzzing about how to get the "Kate Middleton tan." She looked glowing and healthy, and it obviously looked good because others wanted to replicate it. 

"[Catherine] takes incredibly good care of her skin, so a light, sheer self-tan on top is all she needs for a polished glow," tanning specialist James Harknett told the Daily Mail in 2012. Harknett added that Catherine let her tanner fade naturally, as opposed to slathering on more and more color, which is why it looked so natural. "The trick is to moisturize generously morning and evening, and use a body brush to exfoliate, letting the color fade completely before having a fresh spray," Harknett added. If the color is overdone, then it instantly looks fake and tacky. 

Catherine has often had to walk a fine line with tanning and her use of bronzers and blushes. Because she's naturally quite fair, color shows up dramatically on her skin. The lightest touch of contour and the whole world knows she hollowed out her cheeks. However, if she goes without some kind of blush or bronzer, she looks shockingly lifeless, and the event gets counted among Princess Catherine's worst makeup fails of all time. She's really in her sweet spot when it looks natural and effortless. 

The Princess of Wales seems to change up her makeup style whenever she's embarking on a new chapter in her life. So when Princess Catherine and Prince William had children, she inevitably altered her beauty routine. The Duchess of Cambridge also made changes to her appearance in general when she entered the chapter of motherhood — just look at evidence of Princess Catherine's stunning pregnancy style. 

Prior to her pregnancies, Catherine's base tones were more bronze and gold. In large part, this was enhanced by her occasional, very natural spray tan. However, she completely stopped getting spray tans once she was pregnant. In 2013, a source told the Daily Mail that this was one clue she was pregnant. "The first sign Kate was expecting came in October, when she suddenly canceled her spray tans," they revealed. "She has a lady who goes to Kensington Palace, although she always makes sure it goes on sparingly." 

Catherine had to forgo her tradition of a little base color because pregnant women aren't supposed to have spray tans. Without her trusty tan to give her that golden goddess base, Catherine welcomed her children with a new palette, one that was more pink and rosy. She embraced her natural, pale skin and wore pink blushes, and leaned into soft, salmon-colored lips. The look was a more subdued makeup than people had previously seen on Catherine, and marked her transition into motherhood.

Princess Catherine has had an eyebrow evolution throughout her decades in the public eye. When she first became widely known following her engagement, she had defined eyebrows that matched her brunette hair. But around 2015, people noticed that Catherine had changed her approach to brows, and the final consensus was that she got too heavy-handed. 

Catherine's brows were fuller and thicker, but in a way that was unnatural, which was rare for the royal who historically liked to keep her makeup looking relatively subdued. Her brows had lost their light movement and arch; instead, they looked heavy, fake, and they ended up aging her. 

"[Catherine's] used way too much brow make-up without blending," brow brand founder Natalie Plain told the Daily Mail in 2016. "She has such fine delicate features and her brows should complement those — not be distracting." Perhaps hearing what people were saying online, Catherine eased off of the exaggeratedly dark brows. As she's climbed the ranks in the royal family, she's certainly kept her eyebrows well defined, but doesn't fill them in so drastically any more. 

No moment in her history has featured such iconic makeup as when Catherine, Princess of Wales, showed up as a glittering Bond girl. In September 2021, Catherine and Prince William attended the "No Time to Die" premiere in London at the Royal Albert Hall. She wore a glittering, gold gown by Jenny Packham, and she absolutely stunned. While there was so much to love about this look — from her dress, to her accessories, to her hair — Catherine's makeup was also completely different. Her dramatic, bronze look was a big departure from the more simple makeup styles that she had previously been favoring. 

Makeup artist Laura Kay told the Daily Mail what made Catherine's makeup so unique at this event. "Kate has applied a bronze cream highlighter to contour the length of her face, contouring the top of her forehand, below her chin, jawline, as well as cheekbones and temples, to sculpt and add dimension," Kay began. "She finishes of her look with a tint of rose cream on her cheekbones for extra oomph." Catherine's eyebrows, lifted and full without looking thick from build-up, were also a big talking point of the night. "Kate appears to have used a soft pencil to build up her brows to achieve a lamination effect and brushed with a powder to add extra dimension," Kay added. She ditched her matte foundation in favor of dewy skin, and had a light shimmer on her lips. Sensational. 

Princess Catherine turned 40 on January 9, 2022, and with the dawning of a new decade for her, the princess' makeup routine evolved yet again. In September of that year, Prince William and Catherine became the Prince and Princess of Wales, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. This change in title and duty impacted the princess, including the way she does her makeup.

Catherine has found a sophisticated balance between glamor and enhancing her natural features. She wears a light foundation, dips into blushes and bronzers as needed for a pop of color, and has mastered the art of her eye makeup. She's long ditched that heavy under eyeliner, and instead uses a light brown tone, applied in a diffused blur, to give her under eyes a dramatic finish. She still loves liner on the top of her eyes, and uses mascara, too. It's rumored her personal favorite is the Lancôme Hypnose Mascara, using it liberally. The royal still loves a defined brow, but doesn't overdo it, and still steers clear of lipstick. Furthermore, she no longer gets spray tans, at least for public events.

Princess Catherine and Prince William traveled to Boston at the end of 2022. The couple was there to host the second annual Earthshot Prize, and to keep it eco, Catherine rented a green dress from the rental company HURR, and wore the famous emerald choker that the late Princess Diana wore. While this was all very exciting, what caught everyone's attention was Catherine's makeup that night. 

She bypassed her typical, subdued makeup in favor of a dramatic, lifted eye. She used a rich, brown shadow for a smoky statement look that reached out past the corners of her eyes, and followed with a liner. Such a sweeping, bold eye isn't a common makeup move for Catherine, and was a change that many people noticed and lauded her for. PopSugar published a piece about her Boston makeup look entitled: "Is It Just Us, or Is Kate Middleton Taking Bolder Beauty Risks?" This is exactly right. Catherine stepped out of her makeup comfort zone and went for something bold. Better yet, a lifted smoky eye is a shrewd makeup tactic to give the illusion of lifted, youthful eyes, and her Earthshot look did exactly that. 

Catherine, Princess of Wales, uses makeup and glamor to signal what she's doing. If it's a big event, she'll amp up the dramatic appeal, but if it's work-related, she'll tone things down to keep the focus on the task at hand and the causes close to her heart. This was evident in September 2023, when she brought her Shaping Us program to the National Portage Association to speak about the importance of early childhood development. Instead of wearing her hair down in long curls, Catherine pinned it back. She wore flats, plain black trousers, and a red blazer. But the biggest tell that this was work and not pleasure was her makeup.

Catherine wore a barely-there foundation, pale pink blush, eyebrow pencil, and very light eye makeup. Rarely one to wear any kind of lip product, Catherine kept her lips natural. "Kate is known for her natural makeup look that showcases beautiful, glowy skin with a darker eye and a natural pink lip," makeup artist Sarah Egan told Byrdie. As the 2020s have rolled on, Catherine has continued to experiment with minimal makeup. Over the years, Princess Catherine has gone out in public makeup-free and looked stunning, but it's rare to see her with absolutely no makeup on. Instead, Catherine has started wearing a very light kind of makeup to events. While it doesn't have the "va va voom" factor that we love to see on her, her fresh-faced approach still looks professional and polished. 

By 2025, Princess Catherine solidified her distinct makeup style. At royal engagements, like the Commonwealth Day Service on March 10, 2025 or the St. Patrick's Day parade on March 17, 2025, Catherine showed signs of a revamped, yet classic, approach to makeup. She bucked makeup trends and instead, focused on a consistent makeup routine that was flattering and elegant. At both events, she showed off glowing skin, embracing its more pale, natural tone compared to the spray tan era of a bygone time, though she did add color with a warm, golden-toned blush. The princess' love of dramatic eye makeup has remained as part of her style. She leans on neutral, rich eyeshadows, in combination with liner and thick lashes. She'll always love a detectable eyeliner, and uses mascara liberally, adding a dramatic flourish to her routine. She's even started incorporating lip color, like soft, peachy tones.

Her makeup evolution in 2025 all points to her future role within the British monarchy. "[Catherine] has literally been rebranded in line with her new level of authority as the Princess of Wales and her position as our future Queen," style expert Miranda Holder told Hello! While this rebranding applies to Catherine's style as a whole, from clothing to hair, it also includes her makeup. She's found a cosmetic style that works for her, and one that reflects her essential role within the firm. It's elegant, self-assured, and flattering.