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Why Princess Diana stopped wearing her daring blue eyeliner

The Princess of Wales had a signature makeup look

princess diana eyeliner
Fiona Ward
Acting Fashion and Beauty Editor
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Princess Diana was a style icon in so many ways - and while she often turned heads with her fashion choices, she was also partial to a bold makeup look.

The late royal was in fact fond of electric blue eyeliner, and was often pictured with the bold pop of colour at her waterline - while the rest of her makeup was left soft, peachy and natural. 

MORE: Prince William helps Princess Diana with her makeup in adorable unearthed clip

In Lord Snowdon's stunning 1981 portrait of Diana, the subtle line of blue under her eyes just co-ordinates with her stunning sapphire earrings, making her beautiful eyes stand out even more. 

princess diana blue eyeliner

Princess Diana loved her blue eyeliner even before she joined the royal family

And an archive face chart from one of the Princess of Wales' early photoshoots reveals that she wore Elizabeth Arden's pencil in 'Blue kohl 636', which she teamed with a co-ordinating mascara from the same brand.

MORE: 11 royal hairstyles The Crown absolutely nailed: from Emma Corrin to Olivia Colman

But as the years went by, Diana began to embrace a more natural, neutral look - which her makeup artist Mary Greenwell has since revealed was all down to her. 

WATCH: Princess Diana's boldest beauty looks

Speaking to Yahoo!Mary said: "I think beiges and browns are just so much prettier. Simple as that."

MORE: Princess Diana's wedding dress featured a secret detail - exclusive interview with David Emanuel

She added of Diana's more classic look: "She was someone who was in the public eye presenting herself all the time to the public. It isn't particularly appropriate to go on changing your look every five seconds."

princess diana 1988

Wearing electric blue in 1988

Mary did reveal that Diana still loved to play with makeup, however. "She loved makeup and loved experimenting. It wasn't to the point of going from green eyeshadow to blue eyeshadow, but just experimenting with ways to bring her eyes out more. It was just much more about really getting her to look absolutely beautiful all the time."

princess diana eyeliner

Pictured in 1995 wearing a more classic liner look

The iconic royal may have moved towards neutrals in her later career, but series four of The Crown has certainly brought her signature blue eyeliner back to the public's attention - so much so that sales of the bold product have shot up, according to beauty retailer Escentual.com.

We've rounded up some of our favourites below...

elizabeth arden liner

Elizabeth Arden High Drama Eyeliner in Midnight Dream, £14.75. Escentual

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Make like Diana and opt for a creamy Elizabeth Arden pencil! Draw along the lashline and then smudge at the root for a lived-in look.

marc jacobs liner

Marc Jacobs ultra-skinny gel crayon in Code Blue, £19, Net-a-Porter

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The ultimate electric blue, this highly pigmented crayon glides on super smoothly - you can be really precise with it, too.

kiko liner

Super colour eyeliner, £6.99, Kiko

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Fancy a flick? This liquid liner is ultra-pigmented.

blue mascara ysl

YSL mascara in Extreme Blue, £21, Look Fantastic

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Go for the full Diana by adding lashings of blue mascara - YSL's offering is the perfect electric shade. 

Get £114 worth of royal beauty treats for just £38

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HELLO!'s Royal Treatment beauty box is packed full of amazing products (including Royal Warrant holders) to give you an at-home beauty experience fit for a duchess! Featuring incredible brands like the Queen's much-loved Molton Brown and Elizabeth Arden, this is an incredible gift for any royal fan.

HELLO! The Royal Treatment Beauty Box, £38 (worth £114), Latest in Beauty

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HELLO!'s selection is editorial and independently chosen – we only feature items our editors love and approve of. HELLO! may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. To find out more visit our FAQ page.

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