Rare is it for the Princess of Wales to stray far from her signature beauty aesthetic of elegant brunette waves, pinched blushed cheeks and a classic rosy lip. However, over the last few weeks, Catherine, who has been attending to royal duties in the UK, has been going against the grain and switching up her beauty routine in favour of bolder make-up choices and a move away from her classic hairstyle.
First, Kate Middleton debuted a dramatic smokey eye at the RHS Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital, leaving behind her soft brown eyeshadow look for a slate grey and smoked-out effect. Now, for the Wimbledon final, for which the princess presented trophies to the winners and runners-up of the tennis tournament, she has once again stepped out of her beauty comfort zone.
Chris Jackson//Getty Images
Debuting her longest hairstyle yet, the princess, who attended the final of Wimbledon over the weekend, also unveiled her lightest shade to date. Grace Burke Donovan, a colourist at John Frieda’s salon in Mayfair, describes her new colour refresh as “a slated honey or honey salt, which means it’s quite a flattened honey tone. It’s not a super-rich, warm tone, but more of a medium blonde,” she shares. “This colour is created by mixing a honey glaze with a beige ash,” she adds.
Donovan suggests that this popular neutral, mid bronze is a perfect upgrade for the summer months, when typically there is more demand for lighter highlights and balayage. “Kate’s hair is a softer, minimal take on balayage; it takes the principle of a balayage, but rather than having a chunkier, heavier amount of lightness through the mid-lengths and ends, there are lots of similar tones to create a multi-dimensional colour.” This avoids any streakiness and the result is a lighter, warmer mid-blonde.
Karwai Tang//Getty Images
Related Story
Though the colour refresh was clearly a novel move for the princess, Kate Middleton didn’t venture too far from her signature blow-dry for the Wimbledon final. “This smooth blow-dry can be emulated with the right tools and products,” notes Donovan. “First of all, you need to create volume: use a round brush and a lightweight oil through the mid-lengths and ends to achieve this, such as the Virtue Healing Oil to enhance shine, and a hold spray, such as Sam McKnight’s Volumising Spray. Once blow-dried, use a medium tong to create uniform curls.”
Karwai Tang//Getty Images
Donovan emphasises the importance of the tong needing to work in the same direction throughout. “Once the hair cools, brush it through with an oval bristle brush in one continuous brush stroke. Brush from the crown, working through to the bottom, and then let the waves fall between in the palm of your hand,” she shares, adding that you can use a spritz of hair spray at the end.
Kate Middleton’s sartorial choice was very much in keeping with the princess’ timeless style. For the occasion, she wore a cream Self-Portrait dress which featured a cinched-in belt, which she accessorised with an Anya Hindmarch clutch. Whether she is sticking to her classic style or opting for a bolder aesthetic, the Princess of Wales proves the instant power in switching up your beauty routine for the summer months.
Related Story