Mary Greenwell has worked with the most famous faces in the world. Among them, Meghan Markle Cate Blanchett, Linda Evangelista, Emilia Clarke, Amanda Seyfried and Lily James (to name a few). She was a core member of Princess Diana’s glam squad (creating the makeup look for Di’s first Vogue cover shoot and countless high profile events that followed). Which is why it’s beautifully fitting that a generation on, she’s remained a royal favourite – entrusted by Meghan Markle to get her ready for important moments when she needs her best game face. And like Diana, Mary helped to get Meghan ready for her own magazine shoot with Vanity Fair in September 2017, in the exciting period leading up to her engagement that November.
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It’s an intimate experience, spending time so closely with these women before pivotal points in their lives and careers. One that, having spent decades doing the job, Mary is well primed for. Her blend of classic, beautiful makeup – with a fresh modern feel – is what’s made her a veteran in the little black beauty books of the rich, famous and royal. But with her trademark white hair so full of secrets from what’s been a long and eventful career, we tapped Mary up to extract a few nuggets of beauty wisdom.
How do you go about doing the makeup for your high profile clients, is it a collaborative thing?
It’s always a collaboration and often develops as we work, starting from the client’s vision to developing the beauty look with the hairstylist and complimenting the tones, shape and texture of the outfit for a perfected final look.
How do the Royals like their makeup?
It’s all about creating a polished look. Soft-focus skin that looks flawless and natural both in person and on camera is key. To create this, I would use a satin-matte, light coverage for the base and target areas and blemishes that need extra coverage with a concealer for the most natural finish. My favourite do-it-all concealer right now is the ICONIC London Seamless Concealer. The formula is creamy and buildable, so it works beautifully on any blemishes and under the eye. I tap into the skin and blend directly with my fingers to create custom coverage.
Royal makeup also isn’t about trends but about timeless, classic beauty. So to create a fresh and naturally glowing look I’d avoid shimmery or high impact highlighters and instead use a radiant blush, which lifts the complexion in such a beautiful way. Using your fingers again, use a liquid or cream formula like ICONIC London’s Sheer Blush for a soft, lightweight colour that melts beautifully into the complexion. I’d then use a very small amount of highlighter just on the high points of the cheekbone, layering with a liquid formula again. When you layer liquid formulas they really melt into the skin, and if needed you can dust a loose powder on any oily areas of your face to prevent shininess.