Now that Kate Middleton has officially been a member of the royal family for almost a decade after marrying Prince William, we have her general style down – and that includes her makeup choices. The Duchess of Cambridge usually goes for timeless, neutral looks, and selects from a palette consisting of brown, nude, and gold colors. She opts for low-key lip looks that almost always match her natural shade. But once in a while, she decides to pull out all the stops, going for a makeup look that is truly daring — at least, where Kate is concerned!
Of course, Kate is not a YouTube makeup guru, so she has to keep a certain level of professionalism to her cosmetics collection. We can't imagine what Queen Elizabeth would think if Kate suddenly showed up in neon! But when she does decide to get a little wild, it always leaves an impression.
Keep scrolling to see Kate's boldest makeup looks from the last few years. While she always looks good when stepping out in natural makeup, Kate looks great when she mixes it up a bit, too.
Pink Tones
Those of us who keep up with Kate's makeup looks know that she usually goes for eye shadow in the brown and nude family. But here, she matched her makeup to her clothes. Because she was wearing pink, her eye shadow was a pretty pink look, too — and it complemented her outfit perfectly.
The 2020 BAFTA Awards
Attending an award show is the perfect excuse to change up a makeup look — after all, Kate has to wow on the red carpet! At the 2020 BAFTA Awards in February, she definitely did, wearing coral lipstick and a lot more eye makeup than she usually does. The perfect evening look.
Off to a Gala
When attending the Action for Addiction gala in the summer of 2019, Kate wore this gorgeous off-the-shoulder gown, and she paired it with makeup that was definitely out of the norm for her. While she kept her lips low key, she really played up her eye makeup, going for a smoky bronze look.
Out on the Town
If Kate's going to wear a pink Gucci gown as gorgeous as this one, she definitely has to make sure her makeup is worthy of it! Here, Kate attended the 100 Women in Finance event in 2019 and decided to go for another smoky eye look with peachy blush that complemented her dress so well.
Striking in Florals
Kate doesn't usually wear patterns, but she wore this floral dress to a visit to the National Portrait Gallery in 2018 and changed up her normal low-key makeup look at the same time. A bright lip color and dark eyes? This almost never happens, but Kate rocked it.
On the Red Carpet
When Kate attended the 2018 BAFTA Awards, she walked the red carpet showing off her baby bump in this gorgeous emerald dress. (She was pregnant with Prince Louis at the time!) But it wasn't just her gown that caught people's eye. Her heavier makeup look was totally out of the norm, but perfect for the event.
All About the Eyes
Don't get us wrong, Kate's beautiful hazel eyes always stand out. But this eye look definitely called attention to them when she attended the Royal Variety Performance in November 2017. That dark eyeliner may not be an everyday thing for her, but it worked!
Bottoms Up
It's not just for fancy events in the evening that Kate pulls out all the makeup stops! In Berlin in 2017 she took part in a champagne toast at the Queen's Birthday Garden Party, and not only is her red off-the-shoulder dress stealing the show, but so is her makeup.
That Highlight, Though
In 2019, Kate and Will toured Pakistan, and this look Kate wore at one of their stops is amazing. Not only is her sparkly green dress to die for, but so is her highlighter. With those cheekbones and brows, she should consider highlighting her face like this more often!
Long Lashes
During another stop on Will and Kate's 2017 Germany tour, she decided to highlight her eyes in the best way possible. Not only does her heavier mascara make her lashes look super long, but the darker eye shadow really brings out the hazel in her eyes. Such a pretty look!
Dressed To Impress
We know when Kate attends an event where tiaras are required, it's serious. And this time, she didn't let us down with her makeup either! This photo was taken at the annual Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace, and Kate took the opportunity to dress up her eyes and go for darker brows.
Lady in Red
In 2017, Kate pulled this stunning look out of her closet. It doesn't get much more impressive than this red Marchesa dress! But what really stood out about the look was her makeup, especially when it came to her eyeliner. She doesn't normally go that dark, but when she does, it looks great.
Smoky Eye, Red Dress
Is it just us, or does Kate really kill it in red? Here, she's wearing a pretty red gown during a trip to Canada in 2016. When it came to her makeup, she played up her eyes with dark shadow and liner while keeping her lips in a more neutral tone. Such a good move considering how bold her dress is!
Prince Louis' Christening
When Prince Louis was christened in 2018, Kate looked beautiful — and she stepped it up a notch with her makeup look. Along with her white dress and cream headpiece that matched Louis' christening gown, she went with darker eye makeup while keeping the rest of her face pretty low key.
Announcing the Winners
In fall 2020, Kate got all dressed up to talk about her lockdown photography contest at the Natural History Museum. Not only did her choice in wearing all black turn heads, but so did her makeup, especially those pink lips. This will definitely end up being one of Kate's most unforgettable looks!
