The Duchess of Cambridge debuted a new, more ‘serious’ look for her first engagement of 2022, a beauty expert has explained. 

Kate, 40, joined Prince William, 39, at the Foundling Museum in London yesterday, as they returned to in-person royal duties following a few weeks off over the festive season. 

The mother-of-three, who has been patron of the museum since 2019, complimented her clothing choice of wide-leg black trousers, black polo neck jumper and a long-line navy coat, with a darker hair colour and toned-down makeup to create an overall ‘professional’ look, in contrast to the ‘Christmas glamour’ of recent months.

While her makeup in the weeks leading up to Christmas was characterised by a bronzed glow and dewy skin, yesterday Kate enhanced her natural English rose complexion with just a touch of pink on the cheeks and a slick of lipstick. 

Speaking to FEMAIL, Laura Kay, makeup expert and founder of Laura Kay London, added that she has swapped her richer, chestnut autumn locks for a single darker brown shade that reflects the sombre mood at the start of the year. 

‘To kick off the New Year Kate has emerged with a completely toned-down appearance,’ Laura said.

‘Her make-up is clean and fresh with a natural pink lip. Her matt foundation is quite powdery which contrasts against her new hair which is a dark brown block colour.

‘Her new hair colour looks very grown up and serious in comparison to her recent richer tones, but the soft waves make her look youthful.

‘Kate’s overall look is quite striking even though separate elements seem more reserved than we have seen lately.

‘The powdered foundation might be to hide the appearance of dark circles under her eyes. The only heavy part of Kate’s look is the application of eye make-up. 

‘Black or very dark brown eyeliner and eye shadow has been applied heavily with subtle blending to soften out. Kate is wearing thick mascara and her brows are brushed up and coloured in for effect. 

‘To help her brows and eyes stand out she has applied white or lighter eye make-up above the folds of the eyes. This is a classic trick to reflect the light and helps flatter the face.

‘Kate is only wearing a small amount of pink powdered blusher and her cheek bones look fresh and rosy.

‘Kate’s choices might be down to the daytime occasion as she may want to appear professional and natural looking – not too drastic or ‘overdone’ for the meeting. 

‘Kate is wearing a face mask in some photos which could also be the reasoning behind her make-up choices as she doesn’t want too much transfer or smudging to occur.’

The Duchess of Cambridge wore a favourite pair of Jigsaw trousers for yesterday’s engagement with a blue coat from her wardrobe.  

The royal, who wore her brown locks down in a loose curly blow dry, added a touch of glam to her outfit with a dazzling pair of £7 earrings from Accessorize. 

She and William wore face masks as they walked inside the building in accordance with the museum’s policy, which asks those visiting to wear a face covering. 

The Duke and Duchess listened to the stories of those who have experienced life in care today, but William could not avoid the drama of his own family as a TV crew asked him ‘do you support Prince Andrew?’ as the couple left the museum.

William leaned closer to hear but then walked past without commenting. 

Earlier the couple met adults who grew up without settled homes but had managed to turn their lives around at the London museum, which tells the history of the Foundling Hospital the UK’s first children’s charity founded in 1739 as a home for children whose mothers couldn’t keep or care for them.

Kate, who last year set up her Centre for Early Childhood, and William spoke with charity bosses who discussed homelessness, mental health impact and helping young people in care who fail or slip through the cracks. 

Taking their seats, Kate asked the experts: ‘From your experience what makes the difference between a young person succeeding after leaving foster care and when they do not.’

They heard about ‘challenges for young people’ when they regularly move home and are sometimes exploited by the criminal world.

William added: ‘If you keep moving a child around when they are an adult their relationships are so short and shallow.’

Kate said she was concerned that without providing stable homes for children they risk being moved around and having to ‘tell their story again and again.’

William said: ‘That may become emotionally exhausting to tell the story again and again. We’ve had that in the mental health side of things, people end up on the street, go through hoops and hurdles, tell so many people in authority and nothing changes. 

‘You have to get to them a lot earlier so they don’t have to keep doing this.’

The couple were said they also worried about the ‘consistency in care:’

Olympic athlete Kris Akabusi, poet Lemn Sissay, and Allan Jenkins, editor of Observer Food Monthly, told the Duke and Duchess their experiences of growing up in care.

Akabusi said: ‘I enjoyed the stability. It was a saviour for me’.

He said leaving care aged 16-years-old was ‘very traumatic’.

Kate replied: ‘You are petrified leaving for independence’. She asked the 400m hurdler if it had affected his relationships.

Kris, with his distinctive laugh, replied: ‘Yes, but I am a loner.’

He added: ‘Now aged 63 there is no stigma attached when I say I was brought up in care but there was a stigma when I was 16.’

Women who had previously been in care then joined the couple in an ‘ice-breaker’ armed with three-foot long pencils. 

They drew on a canvas what they could see in front of them without looking down at the floor.

Kate – who scored a master of arts degree in art history at St Andrews University – laughed out as she struggled with the artwork which had the look of a vast doodle when it was finished.