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The Brit It-Girl has long been a subject of fascination and enamour. Admired for her tenacity and tenderness; that irreverent, raw spirit of the Londoner has been personified in a string of multihyphenates – models, actresses, singers, celebrity offspring – all who embody the grit and glamour of their milieu. Much like French girls have nonchalance, Italian bellas ooze glamour and New Yorkers are typically minimal, the Brits have their own kind of beauty persona. A strong one. An indifferent one. But one that is remarkably synergist; they like to have beautiful skin, but a smudged-up, sooty kohl. They like to wear their hair scruffy, yet dot it with daisies. They wear smocks with gumboots. Red lips with ripped jeans. Fisherman caps and feline flicks. Their fashion and beauty wardrobe is one of idiosyncrasy – and that’s why we love it.
Here, the classic beauty moves every Brit It-Girl swears by, brought to you by the British brands you love.
The Ballsy Flick
Riffing on a ’60s Twiggy – arguably the queen of the cat-eye – the new guard rock an equally ballsy winged line with both gusto and glamour. Alexa Chung doesn’t go anywhere without hers.
Dreamgirls: Suki Waterhouse, Alexa Chung, Lila Grace Moss
Use: Burberry Cat Eyeliner in Jet black, $66. shop now
Lived-In Hair
The go-to hairstyle for the British rat pack, it’s all about irreverent, easy, textured hair, that is spritzed with a sea salt spray, ruffed up with fingers, or hardly touched at all. The lesson? Put down the hairbrush.
Dreamgirls: Sienna Miller, Alexa Chung, Suki Waterhouse, Cara Delevingne
Use: Sam McKnight Hair Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist, $79. shop now
the clear complexion
Notorious for thy fair-skinned complexions, these girls breath new meaning into the English rose with their delicate, soft-to-the-touch skin, but keep it modern with a hint of highlighter.
Dreamgirls: Iris Law, Alexa Chung, Lila Grace Moss
Use: Burberry Beauty Fresh Glow Gel Stick in Rosy Nude, $79. shop now
The bulky Brow
Blame the rock scene, but British girls always roll with big brows. But remember, these are the fluffy kind, the Cara-kind; slightly stray, dark and thickset, they’re often contrasted with a little peroxide on top for extra bang.
Dreamgirls: Cara Delevingne, Suki Waterhouse, emma watson
Use: Burberry Beauty Effortless Brow Definer in Ebony, $48. shop now
The textured Bang
Another take on the swinging ’60s, the lofty fringe of the decade has been reinvented with a little more chop and a little more spunk, but remains as sexy as ever.
Dreamgirls: Suki Waterhouse, Emma Watson, Sienna Miller
Use: 3more inches thicken and shine finishing feed wax, $48. shop now
The face art
The Brits basically invented festival makeup; diamanté stars, architectural eyeliner, coloured strobes, twinkling gemstones, sparkly stickers, glitter, glitter and more glitter – it’s a face worthy of any festival (but mainly Glastonbury).
Dreamgirls: Dua Lipa, Cara Delevingne
Use: Lovisa Diamante Bead Face Jewels, $16. shop now
