Have You Ever Noticed Princess Diana Was Obsessed With Blue Eyeliner?

Princess Diana was one of the most photographed women in the world, but there's one detail you probably didn't notice: she always wore blue eyeliner. It was her signature look and certainly very of-the-moment in the '80s. Her makeup artist Mary Greenwell, however, was not on board.

She admitted in an interview years later that she was the one who weaned Diana off the colored liner in favor of a softer look. "I think beiges and browns are just so much prettier — simple as that," Greenwell told Yahoo Beauty back in 2017. Still, while the two mutually agreed to leave the blue eyeliner behind, they still had fun with makeup. "She loved to exaggerate her gorgeous eyes and wear loads of mascara. 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 more about really getting her to look absolutely beautiful all the time."

In a more recent interview with Vogue Greenwell, clarified that it wasn't that she didn't like the blue liner, it was more about curating a more sophisticated look for big events, a time when royal traditions and protocol was more strictly adhered to. "In the '80s, a lot of people were wearing blue eyeliner, and she was so young. She could get away with doing whatever she wanted," Greenwell said. "She was experimental and absolutely loved makeup, but when she went out on the red carpet, we just tried to make her as glamorous and gorgeous as possible for the time."

While we totally understand the shift to a more neutral look over time — as well as the royal family's strict adherence to dress codes at the time — we have to admit that we wish Diana had continued her love affair with blue eyeliner. The bold color was such a fun beauty trademark, especially when you consider that being British royalty typically means being more conservative with personal style.

At least we have photo evidence of her bold taste. Here, look back at 15 times Princess Diana stepped out in blue eyeliner — it might make you want to ditch classic black for good.