Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Lived-in Handbags
    • Megan Thee Stallion
    • Witchy Perfumes
    • Being Black at Bravo
    • Windbreakers
    1. Beauty

    8 Beauty Rules That Princess Diana Swore By

    She never underestimated the power of presentation.

    By Lauren Valenti
    Published 19 December 2016 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Princess Diana
    (Image credit: Design by Betsy Farrell)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    "[Princess Diana] realized the power of hair and makeup, and that is something that should never be underestimated–by anyone," her makeup artist Mary Greenwell once said.

    Just as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside, everything she did–from chopping off her dirty blonde hair to wearing blue eyeliner–garnered international attention. On her wedding day alone, 17 million viewers from around the world tuned into the ceremony.

    And while a natural beauty through and through, she still had some tricks up her sleeve. Here, find a few beauty rules Princess Di lived by.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    1. Follow a proper skincare routine. "She had the most incredible skin, which frankly at the end of the day also can come down to family genes," said Greenwell in an interview withStylist. However, The Queen of Hearts never took it for granted–cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and applying serums/SPF daily.

    2. Always get enough sleep. Quality sleep was a matter-of-fact part of Princess Diana's beauty routine. And it's no wonder why...

    You may like
    • Princess Kate wears a gingham dress and has long beachy waves in her long brown hair Princess Kate Utilizes a "Core Rotation" of Beauty Tricks
    • A black and white photo of Princess Diana in a long white dress and tiara with a footman saluting her Princess Diana Changed Her Style After Queen Elizabeth "Told Her Off"
    • Princess Diana has short blonde coiffed hair and wears a bright red jacket with a black top underneath and looks sheepish Princess Diana Escaped for One "Daring" Outing

    "Lack of sleep causes the skin to look pale and tired because the circulation has been impaired," explains celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau. "In addition, it's important to get a good night's sleep because sleep deprivation also causes stress, which can aggravate all skin conditions. Bottom line: When you're tired, you look it!"

    Princess Diana

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    3. Do everything in moderation. "After I started working with her, Diana did everything in moderation," she said. "She cut back on drinking so her skin was 100 percent. If you smoke, drink or do anything to excess, you will destroy your most important beauty asset–your skin."

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    4. Have a signature makeup look. "We always started with a moisturizer, a foundation to suit her skin tone exactly, and then used a concealer to lift the eye area," noted Greenwell. "Mascara–which is a gift of all gifts–and lip color to suit her mood that day."

    Princess Diana

    (Image credit: Marie Claire)

    5. Never wear eyeliner that matches your natural eye color. Princess Di often wore blue eyeliner. Or, at least she did before meeting Greenwell. "Blue eyes should never wear blue pencil or shadow–it dulls your eyes!" she says.

    6. Apply mascara from the roots up. "I always taught her to make sure–when applying mascara by herself–that she covered the roots of the lashes too," she explains.

    7. Never leave the house without misting on fragrance. "She always, always, always wore fragrance, which is a huge thing in a woman's life," says Greenwell. "It's kind of the final touch of beauty, walking out smelling divine and chic and individual."

    8. Take risks with your hair. In 1990, on set with Vogue and photographer Patrick Demarchelier, Princess Di asked hairstylist Sam McKnight to do the unthinkable–cut off all of her hair. In stark contrast to the long and voluminous hair of the '80s, her style was a "sportier, more androgynous look." And guess what? It's how we envision her to this day.

    Princess Diana

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.

    Explore More
    Diana makeup
    Lauren Valenti
    Social Links Navigation
    Beauty Editor

    Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.

    Read more
    A black and white photo of Princess Diana in a long white dress and tiara with a footman saluting her
    Royals Princess Diana Changed Her Style After Queen Elizabeth "Told Her Off"
    By Kristin Contino
    A split image of Ken Wharfe talking to Princess Diana
    Royals Princess Diana’s Bodyguard Shares How She Made Staff "Part of the Party"
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Princess Kate star power
    Royals Royal Experts Agree Princess Kate’s Level of “Star” Power Hasn’t Been Seen “Since Diana”
    By Christine Ross
    Princess Catharina Amalia wearing a red top and smiling
    Royals Europe's Future Queens Are Making Their Own Royal Beauty Rules
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Beauty
    Woman with red hair in a low pony wearing a white lacy shirt. She is next to two bottles of perfume
    Fragrance Witchy Perfumes Are My Latest Woo-Woo Fall Hyperfixation
    A black and white photo of Princess Diana in a long white dress and tiara with a footman saluting her
    Royals Princess Diana Changed Her Style After Queen Elizabeth "Told Her Off"
     
     
    versed products on a purple backgorund next to models
    Makeup I Don’t Know How This 10/10 Drugstore Brand Is Still Flying Under the Radar
    Rodan + Fields
    Skincare My Mom Didn't Know How to Treat Her Perimenopausal Skin—These Are the Products I Think Will Work for Her
     
     
    Latest in Features
    A collage of author Tomi Adeyemi, wearing a denim jacket and leather thigh-high boots while perched on a wooden sideboard, next to her 2026 novel 'The Siren,' on a blue and black background.
    Books Tomi Adeyemi Is Ready to Move On
    A headshot of the actress Adia from 'Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.'
    Movies Adia Won't Let Hollywood Be Her Only Dream
     
     
    versed products on a purple backgorund next to models
    Makeup I Don’t Know How This 10/10 Drugstore Brand Is Still Flying Under the Radar
    blue gel background with two models wearing different color under eye patches
    Skincare Welcome to Eyepatch-Gate
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.