Diamond Jubilee Beauty Special: How to: Look Like an English Rose

Tue, 5 June 2012 8:34AM

Beauty trends may come and go but one look remains eternally gorgeous: the English Rose. She’s the girl with the pretty dresses – and soft feminine features to match. Think Keira Knightley, Felicity Jones and Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery …

Keira Knightley

Felicity Jones

Michelle Dockery

Seeing as we’re celebrating British beauty this Diamond Jubilee week, it would be remiss of us not to honour the English Rose, too – and look at exactly how she manages to look so damn pretty. Here goes …

The Flawless Face. English Rose makeup naturally lends itself to pale complexions (we could say something here about England’s weather but that would be unkind …), so if you’re on the lighter side of things, this one’s tailor-made for you. Pale skin, as you would know, shows up flaws more than darker tones do, so make sure you camouflage and even out your complexion by applying a creamy, medium-coverage base. For best results, use a foundation brush. And visit Bobbi Brown for a great range of foundations and tools.

The Rosy Cheeks. First up, consider this: how rosy you go with your apples depends on how much lip you want to give. Basically, the stronger your mouth, the paler your cheeks should be (and vice versa). You should also make sure you work your blush texture back to that of your base: if you have set your face with powder, and want that perfect doll-like look, match it with a powder blush, such as MAC’s Pink Swoon, $41, MAC; if, however, you’re after more of a dewy face, follow your creamy foundation with a liquid blush, like Benefit Posietint, $55 from Adore Beauty, and By Terry Rose de Rose Liquid Blush in Fresh Rose, $98, from Mecca Cosmetica.

The Pretty Pout. As mentioned above, you should tone down your lips if your cheeks are your key makeup feature; in this case, try Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter, $21.95, from pharmacies, in one of the so-pretty pale-pink shades. If, however, you want to make your mouth to be your focal point, choose a fuchsia or candy shade of lipstick, and make sure it’s one with good pigment pay-off; we love Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Candy Pink, $23.95. The Flirty Eyes. Darkly defined eyes are the perfect counter-balance to a pale, pinky face, and give a great visual anchor point. Not to mention a dash of spice to all the sweetness that’s going on. So, load up on the black mascara and add falsies for extra flutter power. Strong brows similarly give your look a little oomph, so treat yourself to regular brow grooming sessions to keep your arches in check. As for upkeep: if you have naturally pale brows, consider also booking in for salon tints, or else brushing on brow powder to deepen their hue. And, at all times, keep your brows in place with a clear gel (even a dash of hair gel does the trick).

Hair Note. While English Rose makeup is immaculate in execution and beautifully detailed, its complementary hair need not be so perfect. Tousled waves, breezy updos and bedheady styles all fit the beauty bill – and offset the daintiness of the makeup, ensuring that the overall effect is modern and approachable. If you want to infuse your skin with a dainty glow, prime it pre-foundation an illuminating lotion, such as Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer, $29.95, from pharmacies. As for your finish, you can either leave your complexion looking dewy for a casual feel, or dust on a translucent powder to create a more polished, porcelain-like effect.

The Finishing Touch: Fragrance. The ideal scent for setting off the English Rose look? An, uh, English rose fragrance. We adore Stella by (an English Rose herself) Stella McCartney, from $82 (edp), from department stores.

Posted by: Katrina Lawrence

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