Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Beauty

    The British Beauties That Get It Just Right

    'There is not beauty without some strangeness', said fashion giant Karl Lagerfeld.

    By Alix Rentsch
    Published 13 June 2014 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Rita Ora
    Rita Ora
    (Image credit: Rex)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    'There is not beauty without some strangeness', said fashion giant Karl Lagerfeld.

    Yet, for years the world has been bogged down with perfectionism.

    But, there's something about our British girls that sets us apart from the conventional - and it’s all in their make-up. Here, We've rounded up our favourite Brits who aren’t afraid to buck the trend and push the boundaries of beauty. Rita Ora What she says: 'I love eyebrows - they structure the face. I love the fact that mine are thick and dark with such blonde hair. My face is all about brows and lipstick.' What we say: When it comes to make-up, it is commonly advised to focus on just one statement. But Rita has ripped up the rule books and pulls off not one but three statement features: eyebrows, eyes and lips. Do you dare, ladies? Key product: Rimmel London Colour Rush Balm in The Redder The Better, £5.99.

    Alexa Chung What she says: 'I don’t like to wear anything too fussy but my nails are a whole new ball game. I like to get creative.' What we say: If you aren’t quite daring enough to slap on some red lippy, try a bold nail polish instead. It’s a great way to build up your confidence. Alexa’s new Nails Inc range comes in all kinds of weird and wonderful textures and colours. Key product: Nails Inc Alexa Camo Special Effect Polish, £15.

    Alexa Chung

    Alexa Chung
    (Image credit: Rex)

    Cheryl Cole What she says: 'I always think I've got little legs, but I keep them bronzed with a touch of make-up to make them appear longer. I can't wear fake tan as it doesn't suit my olive skin tone.' What we say: She's right, it is difficult to get fake tan to exactly match your skin tone and we love that Cheryl is bold enough to ditch it. Brushing on a touch of body bronzer over your legs evens out the skin. Better yet, it washes straight off and doesn’t streak! Key product: L'Oréal Sublime Bronze One Day, £11.99.

    You may like
    • Expensive beauty products, luxury beauty The Expensive Products That Are Actually Worth It, According to Beauty Editors Who’ve Tried Thousands
    • New Beauty Products: The Beauty Digest The Beauty Digest: Dyson Does Teeth, Fenty Rips Up the Rulebook (Again) and a Surprisingly Fragrant Week for Dogs
    • Cara My Life in London Cara Delevingne on Designing Her First Collection for Topshop and London's Best-Kept Secrets

    Cheryl Cole

    Cheryl Cole
    (Image credit: Rex)

    Paloma Faith What she says: 'I look and feel better if I am wearing make-up and I certainly couldn’t live without my trademark bright red lipstick, which I find very empowering.' What we say: Bold is best this summer, so ditch the drab pale pink lipstick and replace it with something brighter. We love a liquid lipstick that moisturizers as deeply as it stains. If you aren’t quite brave enough to go all out on your lips, try a bright nail polish instead. Key product: Hourglass Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in Muse, £21.

    Paloma Faith

    Paloma Faith
    (Image credit: Rex)

    Emma Watson What she says: 'Emma has often been quoted saying skincare is much more important than make-up application. And it shows, because she's regularly seen out fresh-faced and fabulous with no need to cover her skin up. What we say: Strip off the foundation and invest in a cleanser. Good skin will always comes down to good skincare. When properly looked after, there is no need to conceal imperfections, giving you the confidence to bare all. Key product: Lancôme Smoothing Protective Cream SPF 30, £24.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Emma Watson

    Emma Watson
    (Image credit: Rex)
    Alix Rentsch
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    Expensive beauty products, luxury beauty
    Beauty The Expensive Products That Are Actually Worth It, According to Beauty Editors Who’ve Tried Thousands
    New Beauty Products: The Beauty Digest
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Dyson Does Teeth, Fenty Rips Up the Rulebook (Again) and a Surprisingly Fragrant Week for Dogs
     
     
    Cara My Life in London
    Fashion Cara Delevingne on Designing Her First Collection for Topshop and London's Best-Kept Secrets
    Kiko Milano
    Make Up I Watched Kiko Milano Build a Beauty Empire in Plain Sight—Now the World Is Finally Catching Up
     
     
    Latest in Beauty
    The Beauty Digest: New Products to Know
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: A Foundation With Infinite Shades, Diptyque Does Bodycare, and the Exhibition Every Beauty Lover Should See
    Autumn Nail Trends 2026
    Nails From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
     
     
    Anti-Grey Hair Longevity Serum
    Beauty Anti-Grey Serums Are Haircare’s Next Big Thing—Trichologists Give Us the Truth About What They Can Actually Do
    Fenty Beauty Pro Filtr Fluid Flex Foundation Review
    Make Up Fenty Beauty Just Replaced Its Most Iconic Foundation—3 Editors Put Its “Flexible” Full Coverage to the Test
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Autumn Nail Trends 2026
    Nails From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
    A woman stretching, dry brushing, and taking supplements at home
    Wellbeing Meet the AI Wellness Influencers Making Dubious Health Claims—and What Their Boom Means for Women’s Health
     
     
    Anti-Grey Hair Longevity Serum
    Beauty Anti-Grey Serums Are Haircare’s Next Big Thing—Trichologists Give Us the Truth About What They Can Actually Do
    Fenty Beauty Pro Filtr Fluid Flex Foundation Review
    Make Up Fenty Beauty Just Replaced Its Most Iconic Foundation—3 Editors Put Its “Flexible” Full Coverage to the Test
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.