It's been a busy week for the whole Wales family; Prince William represented the royals in Oslo for the funeral of King Harald, while Prince George started at his new school, Eton.
Princess Kate proved what a strong presence she is in the family, standing by her son on his first day, as well as supporting Prince William on Thursday on a trip to Liverpool for a cause close to their hearts - suicide prevention.
Royal watchers praised the Princess of Wales for her compassion and kindness when talking about the difficult subject, and as is always the case with the Princess, fans were full of admiration for her style, with the 44-year-old looking blonder than ever.
© Getty ImagesPrincess Kate's fresh balayage
When Princess Kate dropped Prince George off at Eton, her hair was its usual glossy chestnut shade as she sheltered under an umbrella to stop the rain from ruining her perfect waves.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesBut just days later, the royal's hair looked lighter, negating the idea that her hair has simply been lightened by the sun during our long, hot summer. Her new colour is deliberate – and it was an excellent choice, according to hair experts.
© Getty ImagesI turned to celebrity hair stylist Stephanie Economou for her take and she was quick to agree with my thoughts – the royal has had her balayage refreshed this week – and doesn't it look lovely?
The power of face-framing highlights
As you can see in the beautiful photos of Princess Kate, the strands around her face are the lightest section of her hair – and there's a reason for this approach.
Sometimes called baby lights, sometimes called face-framing highlights, Stephanie explained that lighter sections at the front of our hair brighten and lift the complexion – and they're a brilliant approach if you need to blend in grey hairs.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington Pala"As we get older, our skin tone changes as well as the colour of our hair," Stephanie said as I sat in her chair at Soho's Salon64. "Lighter face-framing highlights mask white hair as well as complementing our changing skin tone better than darker hair."
Many people notice white hairs around their face first, and lightening the hair here blends natural white hairs in. "Even one shade lighter makes all the difference," Stephanie says.
© GettyShe adds that because lighter hairs around our face brighten our complexion, they prevent clients who have always been brunette from looking washed out by grey hairs.
"There's no need to wear as much makeup if you lighten the front strands; you look alive again, youthful and natural. This is one trend that is not going away."
Blending away the greys
Stylist at Hershesons Belgravia, Hannah Gayle, agrees that baby lights around the face are ideal for working with your greys, rather than against them, for beautiful, effortless colour.
"Soft baby lights and carefully placed dimension can blend greys seamlessly, creating softer tones rather than a harsh block of colour.
"Grey itself is so underrated," she adds. "When paired with the right tones, it can feel elevated, expensive, and incredibly modern. Think of it as a hair refresh that evolves with you, complements changes in skin tone and creates a softer, more effortless feel.
© AFP via Getty Images"For me, less is often more. Beautiful colour doesn't always mean more maintenance and a softer grow-out and fewer colour appointments is definitely a win."
With her busy schedule of royal engagements paired with being mum to three kids, anything that makes Princess Kate's life easier is surely a win!
