The make up artist trusted by a queen and future queen has been sharing tips ahead of one of the biggest days in her royal clients’ diaries.
Belgium’s Queen Mathilde and her eldest child, Princess Elisabeth, are set to take centre stage in their country’s National Day celebrations on July 21.
Now, the woman who helps them look picture perfect has revealed what working with two high profile royals is like and how she’ll be making sure they’re ready for their close ups on National Day.
The make up artist invited to a palace
Anouchka de Bellefroid is a former model who took up a career in make up and soon caught the attention of Queen Mathilde. She was first called to the Belgian royal palace in 2019 and is now one of the Belgian queen’s most trusted stylists. In 2024, she was named as a ‘Patented Supplier to the Court’, a form of a royal warrant recognising exceptional services given to the palace for at least five years.
Speaking to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, Anouchka de Bellefroid revealed that good make up starts with a strong foundation and she advised ”give it radiance, freshness and light with a blush that gives a healthy glow.”
Another tip from the much valued royal make up artist was to ”blend, soften, blur, melt the material between the points of light and the shadows.”
Queen Mathilde isn’t the only royal to benefit from the expert advice of Anouchka de Bellefroid. She’s worked with Mathilde’s two daughters – heir to the throne, Princess Elisabeth, and the youngest of the royal siblings, Princess Eleonore, who has just turned 17.
And her advice for all three, as well as others, is to us make up to ‘‘highlight….not hide…we don’t camouflage.”
Looking good is part of ‘Brand Belgium’
Anouchka de Bellefroid has accompanied Queen Mathilde on some of her biggest recent events, including a much followed State Visit to France. She says that she sometimes feels nerves but has to overcome them quickly, as ”I really have to stay as relaxed as possible because if my hands are shaking, I can’t do a good job.”
She says she enjoys the feedback on her work and scours social media, papers and websites for photos to make sure everything looks perfect. And she is adamant that make up matters, saying that how Queen Mathilde looks on state events really carries importance as ”it’s a brand image for Belgium and so if I can make my little contribution, so much the better!”
But there is one thing she won’t share and that’s her private conversations with her royal clients. She told RTBF that ”The anecdotes that take place there stay there.”
