‘Definition Around Diana’s Eyes Was Important’: Princess Diana’s Make-Up Artist Mary Greenwell Details Her Iconic Look

Princess Diana is an icon and her make-up looks are timeless. Season 4 of The Crown, released back in November 2020, initiated a revival of her most renowned looks, even the TikTok set hopped on board (click here to see one TikToker's Princess Diana inspired hair how-to that went viral last month). When it comes to Princess Diana's beauty looks her former make-up artist Mary Greenwell is the ultimate authority and this month Mary took time out from her ever busy schedule to talk exclusively to Grazia about her fondest memories of Princess Diana and the times they shared.

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On First Meeting Princess Diana

'The first time I met Princess Diana has to be one of my fondest memories. I was told that we were shooting someone very high profile for Vogue. Anna Harvey was styling the shoot, Patrick Demarchelier was the photographer and Sam McKnight was on hair. We were all told to arrive at the studio in East London looking very smart and neat. We weren't told who this high profile person was, but by this time we were all very used to meeting celebrities so didn't think much of it. We came to the studio and the wonderful Anna Harvey revealed to us that it was actually Princess Diana. Sam and I weren't fazed at all, Diana was terribly young at this point, Prince William and Prince Harry were maybe four and two and she hadn't really found her stride yet. She walked in and was so lovely, charming and delightful. We all got on really well and had the most amazing day. Those pictures from her first shoot are perhaps some of the most memorable of her. They helped her move her life forward. When that cover came out everyone thought "Wow, she's so beautiful," and it gave her the most enormous confidence boost. A confidence boost that I don't think she'd really had before. She started to have a bit more faith in herself. It gave her an enormous amount of confidence.'

On Her Bond With Diana

'Diana was just totally normal. When you're in the make-up chair, no matter who you are, you have to succumb to the person wielding the brush. You have to relinquish control. Diana was wonderful to work with in that way, she was so happy to do just that. We'd have a great time. Diana would ask me about beauty products that I liked. I used to go to her house and do her make-up for no reason other than she wanted me to update her look and show her some new products. We talked about anything and everything, and often I'd be there in Kensington Palace in and amongst the kids jumping around. It was all so natural. It was like spending time with a sister. She was so kind.'

On Redefining Princess Diana's Image

'Diana's look evolved over time as it does with everyone. When it came to her make-up she was initially famed for her blue eyeliner, but I don't really like very obvious blue liner or blue on the eyes so I got rid of that, which I think might have been a little bit helpful for her. I made her make-up look softer for her. Diana had beautiful skin so it was very easy for me to add make-up. It's hard to remember what products I was using on Princess Diana back then, it was so long ago, but I was most likely using the likes of Chanel, using Armani, using all the brands that I love and know.'

On Princess Diana's Use Of Eyeliner

'Diana was famed for her use of kohl but it was never used like eyeliner often is today, it never a graphic 60's-esque look, it was more about opening up Diana's eyes and subtly enhancing them. I applied black liner to the very roots of the lashes. I didn't want her eyes to look too made-up, it would have looked too much on Diana. I think make-up should always be about enhancement. Diana didn't always wear black liner though, sometimes it was brown and sometimes she wore none. Sometimes she just wore lots of mascara. Mascara, for me, is probably the most important tool in make-up. Definition around Diana's eyes was important. I love that no-make-up-make-up look but if you're being photographed a lot like Diana was, it can get lost, you do need a little definition around your eyes. It really helps you put your best step forward. And that was Diana, that's what she always wanted to do. She wanted to seem in control at all times, even though there were period when we know she wasn't, she wanted to put her best foot forwards and look like the Princess that she was. Today my go-to eyeliner is Tom Ford's Eye Defining Pen, £47. I love that. It's always in my kit. Pencil wise I love [Armani's Smooth Silk Eye Pencils, £21](http://Today my go-to eyeliner is Tom Ford's Eye Defining Pen, £47. I love that. It's always in my kit. Pencil wise I love Armani's Smooth Silk Eye Pencils, £21).

Follow Mary @marygreenwell for makeup tips, tutorials and advice.

Watch: The Princess Diana Make-Up Tutorial By Mary Greenwell

Mary Greenwell filmed a make-up tutorial based on the look she often created for Princess Diana on fellow make-up artist to the stars, Lisa Eldridge's, YouTube channel. The result is an in depth look at an expert level make-up look worn by Princess Diana, as well as a window into the moments the pair shared together more than 20 years ago.

The Princess Diana Make-Up Look

In Mary's YouTube video above the make-up artist documents all the products she'd use today to get the Princess Diana look.

The Lip Balm: 'When Princess Diana was young she had the most beautiful skin. She maintained that always. I'm going to start by putting on a tiny bit of lip blam. I always do this because by the time you get to the mouth later you don't want the mouth to be dry.' Mary uses By Terry's Baume de Rose, £32.

**The Moisturiser: '**I'm using the Intraceuticals Three Step Layering Set, £249. Moisturising is so important, I can't stress enough how important moisturising is. Massage the moisturiser into the skin. The next step is the gel. Always go down your decolletage too it's really important. Move on to step three and massage it in. There's nothing better than massaging your face. It's great for the muscles, it's great for stress, it's great for tension.'

The Primer: 'I'm now going to move on to the Laura Mercier Primer (try Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Hydrating Primer, £32). It sets everything to create the perfect foundation, the perfect base.

The Eyebrows: 'I always brush the eyebrows, I always brush them up when I do make-up'.

The Foundation Part 1: Mary reaches for YSL's Fusion Ink Cusion Foundation, £43.50. 'This is what I would call my underneath foundation. This is the one that goes everywhere.

The Foundation Part 2: Next up Mary uses Guerlain's Parure Gold Fluid Radiance Foundation SPF30, £56.23. ' 'I do have to tell you that this is much more make-up than I would have used on Princess Diana. We, nowadays, have become used to absolutely perfect skin because of lots of retouching and because of lots of these wonderful YouTube videos. People now expect a much higher standard of skin. So I'm layering it as if I was doing a red carpet, as if I was doing someone now but not how I would have done the Princess then.'

The Concealer: 'I'm going back now to the YSL foundation that I used before. I'm using it with a brush under her eyes. Because it's the same product that I used underneath it won't look like a different texture, which can often happen with concealer.'

The Eyeshadow: 'The thing that I changed most about Diana's look was moving away from that blue eyeliner, which was something that was very ageing for her. I wanted to always have her with a very soft eye, a very workable eye, but never too much. She had this amazing smile too so it was about enhancing that.' Mary picks up Bourjois Smoky Stories Eyeshadow Palette in Upside Brown, £6.89. 'I'm using the lightest colour to highlight under the brow. This is extremely subtle and that's what we want. I'm going to go in with the minky colour and blend it across the lid. Blend it into the socket too.'

The Eyeliner: Mary picks up Hourglass' Mechanical Gel Liner in Canyon, £17. With it she tackles the top lash lines. 'I'm going to go straight in to the roots of the lashes with this. Just the roots. I do not want this to look like an eyeliner look. Take your time. Now with a cotton bud slightly blend it before it completely sets. Next I'm picking up my Bourjois palette again. Go for the darkest colour with a small brush. I'm removing the excess and knocking the product into the brush on the back of my hand. Now I'm going to smooth it onto the line, blending it into the pencil line so you're losing the pencil line completely.'

The Lower Lash Line: For the lower lash line Mary goes for the darkest brown shade of the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette (try the Urban Decay Naked3 Palette, £40.43). 'Again go into the roots of the lashes. You would often put pencil here but pencil would be too dark for the effect I want here and with Princess Diana we didn't use a lot of strong pencils around her eyes, we wanted to keep the look really soft.'

The Mascara Part 1: 'I'm going to move straight on to mascara. First of all I'm using Sensai Eyelash Base, £23. It's a white base that coats the lashes and makes them look really thick. Princess Diana had the most amazing lashes. I'm now going to use the Sensai 38C Mascara, £26. That means it only comes off at 38 degrees, which means it's pretty much water proof. You can take it off with a very warm, wet flannel at night. The brush is absolutely tiny, which I adore. Do the roots of the lashes first.'

The Mascara Part 2: 'I'm now going in with Lancome Hyponse Mascara, £27. I use this to get the lengths and then use it to do the outside corners to really get the glamour going. You can do this with false eyelashes of course but I would never have used false eyelashes on Princess Diana. Go back to the Sensai mascara for the lower lashes. I like the top set of lashes to look thick and like they've got a million coats of mascara on but I prefer the bottom lashes to look fine.

The Blush: Mary adds a slight contour to her model before adding 'On Diana I wouldn't have used contour because she had such an amazing bone structure.' Next she moves onto blush for which she opts for Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Rose Initial, £35. 'Use on the apples of each cheek just to highlight.'

The Bronzer: 'Now I want to bronze the face up a little bit. Princess Diana always loved to have a bit of a sun tan. I'm going to use the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit, £81, to warm up the face, through the hairline particularly. Princess Diana never wanted to look too pale. Keep the centre of the face paler and warm up the outside of the face.'

The Lips: Mary Greenwell takes a nude-to-rosy hued lip pencil and gently lines the model's lips. Next she picks up Lancome's L'Absolu Rouge Cream Lipstick, £27, in a pale salmon shade. A setting powder application later and the look is complete.

Shop: Princess Diana's Make-Up Look By Mary Greenwell

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