It's a well-known unwritten rule in the royal family that, when it comes to beauty, understated is the way forward. But, Princess Diana showed us that rules are made to be broken.
The Princess was famous for bending the system, whether she was taking her boys, Prince William and Prince Harry, to McDonalds or sailing down a rollercoaster with them to give them a glimpse of a normal upbringing. Or, of course, when she was (metaphorically) putting one scarlet painted finger up to the establishment with her choice of nail polish.
Queen Elizabeth was known to favour barely-there shades like Essie's Ballet Slippers, which is a move both Kate and Meghan (when she was a working royal) have largely followed.
However, throughout her tenure as Princess of Wales, Diana was famous for experimenting with fashion and beauty. She made blue eyeliner her signature, and her revenge dress and cycling shorts are an iconic part of fashion history. As for her nails, while she flirted with red lacquers (as above), by the time she hit her 30s Diana's go-to mani was the classic '90s French tip, which she wore semi-short and squared off on numerous occasions.
Now that The Crown is back for it's 6th season, we've all been reminded of some of Diana's signature beauty moments, and her mani is trending again.
Of course, French tips have had a resurgence in their own right in recent years, with skinny tips and almond Frenchies giving the throwback style a modern spin, but we're expecting to see more of the OG ‘90s shape and style emerge again, alongside other comeback ’90s beauty signatures like the bouncy blow dry.
Experts are also predicting that Princess Di's frosted pearl nails will trend again (consider them the precursor to glazed donut nails). A spokesperson for salon booking platform, Fresha London, said: “Princess Diana was synonymous with daring style and, while she’s most commonly associated with the scarlet polish she wore with her ‘revenge dress’, she was ahead of the curve with her neutral nails. While adding a glazed topcoat to a neutral shade is a great way to make nude nails more up-to-date, those looking to update their glossy manicure for the colder months might want to consider opting for a pearlescent topcoat instead, like Diana, as it will work to add a seasonal ‘frosty’ feel to what is otherwise a fairly basic and overdone design."
And, if your torn between two of Diana's favourite manis, you can always combine. “If you want to add a touch of class, consider adding a pearlescent topcoat to a French manicure, just like Diana, as it’s a great way to modernise the classic go-to – especially if you’re attending a wedding or need some neutral proposal nails," says Fresha.
So, for some winter (or year-round) mani inspo, Princess Diana remains our forever muse.
For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
