- Princess Diana’s beauty routine evolved from bright blue eyeliner and frosted makeup to soft neutral tones and glowing skin.
- Her short, pixie-bob, understated manicures, and refined makeup still define her beauty aesthetic today.
- Clarins, Max Factor, and Elizabeth Arden were among the beauty brands she most associated with throughout her life.
Few beauty icons have inspired the kind of lasting fascination that Princess Diana continues to command decades after her death. Every detail of her appearance—from her feathered haircut and glowing skin to her famously expressive eye makeup—helped shape her beauty legacy. “Princess Diana’s approach to beauty shifted over the course of her life,” says Eloise Moran, a fashion journalist and author of The Lady Di Look Book: What Diana Was Trying to Tell Us Through Her Clothes. “By the 1990s, her beauty aesthetic became much more refined—even sexy. What made her routine so enduring, however, was that it never felt intimidatingly perfect. It reflected a woman whose relationship with beauty evolved alongside her growing confidence and independence.”
Ahead, Moran reveals the skin-care, makeup, hair, nail, and fragrance favorites behind Princess Diana’s enduring beauty look.
Soft Makeup
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In the 1980s, Diana favored a look that balanced soft, natural skin with touches of color, often wearing Max Factor’s Tint of Pink lipstick, Elizabeth Arden’s Blue Kohl 636 eyeliner, and Clarins Satin Finish Foundation. These products have since been discontinued, but modern alternatives include Max Factor Lipstick in Pink Brandy, Maybelline Tattoo Studio Eyeliner in Galactic Cobalt, and the Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation.
By the 1990s, her makeup evolved into something noticeably softer and more refined, opting for a modern palette of beige, rose, peach, brown, and champagne tones. Her look became centered on softly defined eyes, feathered brows, and a diffused blush that enhanced her natural bone structure. “Nothing looked too severe or overly theatrical,” Moran explains, noting that Diana’s complexion appeared radiant rather than matte or heavily powdered, a modern approach at the time. One notable exception came during Diana’s now-famous 1995 Panorama interview, where she wore heavier black eyeliner. “It appeared as a sort of armor,” Moran says.
Hydrating Skin Care
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“Diana was extremely diligent about skin care, particularly cleansing and moisturizing,” Moran says. “She appeared to prioritize hydration and maintaining a natural glow and was said to have loved Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. There have long been reports she used Clarins moisturizers.”
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Diana embraced a more holistic approach to self-care later in life. “She seemed to value simplicity and consistency over excess and favored facials and professional skin-care treatments,” says Moran. While there were also longstanding rumors that Diana dealt with skin sensitivity and redness, Moran notes, “What does seem evident is that she gravitated towards calming, hydrating skin-care and complexion products that created an even but natural finish.”
Warm Floral Fragrances
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Princess Diana’s fragrance choices evolved alongside the rest of her beauty routine, shifting from romantic florals to richer, more sophisticated scents. “She was linked to Penhaligon’s Bluebell and reportedly wore Houbigant Paris Quelques Fleurs on her wedding day,” says Moran. “Her fragrance choices reflected her broader style evolution: romantic and powdery florals early on, eventually transitioning into richer, more sophisticated scents with warmth and depth.” But of all the perfumes associated with the princess, one stood out most. “I do think Hermès 24 Faubourg is probably the closest thing she had to a signature fragrance because it aligned so perfectly with the polished, quietly glamorous image she cultivated in the ’90s,” Moran says.
Lightweight Stylng Products
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Princess Diana’s pixie-bob haircut became one of the most recognizable hairstyles of the 20th century, inspiring countless salon appointments throughout the ’80s and ’90s. “The feathered blonde cut became iconic globally and one of the most replicated of all time,” Moran says. Still, Diana wasn’t afraid to evolve her look. “Her hairstyling became sleeker, shorter, and more modern throughout the ’90s, particularly after working with hairstylist Sam McKnight, who famously said Diana allowed him to cut off her old ‘frou-frou’ hairstyle,” says Moran. “Her look from the mid-to-late ’90s perfectly complemented the cleaner, more minimalist direction her fashion and beauty choices were taking.”
Although there’s less public information available about Princess Diana’s exact hairstyling products, her overall hair philosophy remained remarkably consistent: polished without ever feeling overly stiff or overdone. “Sam has discussed using lightweight styling products that maintain softness and movement rather than overly lacquered hair,” Moran says. “Her hair always retained touchability and natural texture, even when highly styled.” Today, McKnight may reach for the Cool Girl spray from his eponymous hair-care line.
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Classic Nail Polish
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Like many royal women, Princess Diana typically kept her nails short, understated, and impeccably groomed. “She favored pale pink or neutral manicures rather than bold shades,” says Moran. “An exception to this rule was red nail polish, which we saw her sport throughout the ’90s, including at the Serpentine Gala in 1994, where she paired scarlet nails with her now-iconic ‘revenge dress,’ following her separation from then Prince Charles,” Moran shares. “To me, the red nail polish showed rebellion.” There’s no single confirmed nail polish brand or color that Princess Diana used consistently, but royal beauty reporting has linked her to Essie Ballet Slippers and Revlon Red.
