Kate the Great

Kate's evening outfit

One of my favourite parts of my own wedding day was getting my hair and makeup done. It helped calm my nerves. I felt pampered and pretty and it assured me that I wouldn’t look back at photos and think, ‘shit, I went a bit wild with the blush there’.

I don’t imagine I would have had a steady hand to apply eyeliner, let alone attempt a smokey eye (some nights I love my own smokey and others I have to start all over again).

So I find it hard to believe that the newly appointed Duchess of Cornwell, Catherine Middleton, did her own makeup. Why? Why would you bother. She is reported to have said that she knows her face best, and sure, that’s true, but there’s something so delicious about having it done for you.

Especially when you have to consider things like TV, lighting in the ginormous church and so forth. Her makeup needed to be heavy so she didn’t look washed out – especially in all white (or ivory). But to me, it looked a little bit too heavy… the blush and the eyes. Would she have done that? I’m struggling with the liner under her eyes… couldn’t she have blended it a bit? It’s such a harsh line… argh…

I like the choice of a dark eye and light pink lip that she did. It looked great. She’s absolutely beautiful, flawless skin (apparently all thanks to oxygen facials at Karin Herzog) and amazingly perfect, white teeth.

Her manicure was done by Marina Sandoval from the Jo Hansford Salon and was a blend of two polishes – Bourjois’s No 28 Rose Lounge and Essie’s 423 Allure. This was to achieve that off white shade Kate wanted.

Kate’s hair was created by James Pryce at the Richard Ward salon. I loved the soft curls. I think it’s important for brides to look like a more gorgeous version of themselves and to wear their hair and makeup as they would for a special night out. There’s nothing worse than seeing someone with a beehive when you know they’d never normally do that.

She looked amazing and she definitely looked herself. I just wish the eyes had been a bit softer… without being less-smokey.

What do you think?

Tamsin xoxo