Kate Middleton is considered by many to be one of the most stylish members of the British royal family. Instead of giving in to short-lived beauty trends, she often sticks to a polished look with minimal makeup.
Over the years, the Princess of Wales has been spotted donning a no-makeup look with natural pink lips, pink blush and subtle eye definition.
Her wedding look, for example, was lauded for its minimal approach while enhancing her features. Kate, who is a long-time Bobbi Brown fan, chose its top artist, Hannah Martin, to doll her up on her special day.
However, although her approach to makeup has remained fairly the same over the years, she has made some changes here and there. Like most celebrities who spend most of their lifetime in front of a camera, Kate is also not immune to makeup mishaps.
Fans cannot help but notice that these mishaps are more prominent in recent months and wonder whether she got a new makeup artist.
Princess Kate’s assistant Natalie Barrows twinned with her in an almost identical tartan coat on an engagement in Stirling, Scotland. Kate, 44, showed her usual grace and sweetness as she interacted with fans 🥹 #katemiddleton #royalfamily
📽️: kingsguardtours pic.twitter.com/6dAk4qLIEc
— HELLO! Canada (@HelloCanada) January 25, 2026
As someone who was born in the early 1980s, Kate has a clear preference for older makeup trends. She is often overly generous with her eyeliner and prefers sculptural contouring. Her smoky eye technique is outdated and received negative feedback from beauty experts.
Recently in Scotland, Kate was photographed with smudged eyeliner. While it is a new makeup trend that was popularized by the Gen-Z in 2023.
Many celebrities, including Zendaya, have been seen wearing it unapologetically. If not done correctly, it can end up messing up one’s whole makeup.
Beauty gurus believe that Kate failed at pulling off the look. For all we know, it could also be caused by her makeup artist’s sloppy application of eyeliner.
Throughout March, Kate has been seen wearing makeup that is far from what she usually goes for. She stepped out to attend a royal engagement at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, wearing stenciled brows.
She had never been seen with square-edged brows before, and fans could not help but pick up on the odd makeup moment.
Kate Middleton was all smiles at the Irish Guards St. Patrick’s Day Parade in England. ☘️ 📸: Shutterstock pic.twitter.com/U6asdoFutC
— Page Six (@PageSix) March 17, 2026
On top of that, she reportedly did not properly blend her eyeshadow. Because of this reason, she was a victim of sunken eyes, and her overall makeup ended up looking patchy.
It appears that Kate is adamant about letting the world know about her newfound love for kohl-rimmed eyes. During the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Tuesday, March 17, she was spotted with dark eye makeup that might not have been the best choice for her dark green outfit.
She defied the unspoken beauty rule that dark colored outfits should be paired with subtle eye makeup.
