“Bridgerton” fans know that star Nicola Coughlan herself is a stunner. Of course, the cast of the hit Netflix series sports plenty of makeup, and consequently, many “Bridgerton” stars look totally different in real life. Coughlan is one of them: while her character Penelope Featherington has famous red locks, she has a light shade of blond offscreen, and she’s way more likely to be fresh-faced than Penelope is. Back in 2020, Coughlan even posted a video to Instagram showing her getting into her “Bridgerton” hair and makeup, writing, “Becoming Penelope.” She added, “For anyone asking the whole process from very scruffy Nicola to Ball-Ready Penelope took about 2 hours.”
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Evidently, Coughlan doesn’t apply “Bridgerton” level makeup for everyday wear, but you may be surprised to see that while her makeup levels may vary, her beauty never seems to. Coughlan has lovely natural features and seemingly perfect skin, which makes her look just as flawless sans makeup as she does in full Penelope Featherington garb. This star isn’t afraid to show us what she looks like underneath her foundation and false lashes (which make her eyes look larger), and we’ve got our favorite times the star has proven she’s a natural beauty, with or without products.
Fresh-faced for Vogue
In May 2024, Nicola Coughlan did what many people would never be brave enough to do: she shared her beauty secrets in a video with Vogue sans makeup — pimple patch and all. Without makeup, the actor’s icy blue eyes were the stars of the show, popping against her light locks. It’s clear that Coughlan is genetically blessed, but she has more to thank for her stunning makeup-less look than just good genes. In the video, she showed off her extensive skincare regimen: SPF, eye creams, ice rollers, and of course, staying out of the sun to avoid sun-damaged skin.
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When she showed off her favorite beauty products
In August 2024, Nicola Coughlan took a quick break from her busy filming schedule to share an ad for the beauty brand, Tatcha, with her Instagram followers. The star revealed that she had a few go-to Tatcha products in her Vogue beauty secrets video, and she added a few more to her list of faves in her Instagram post. She highlighted Tatcha Silk Sunscreen, Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask, and Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist. And, this was one great ad; this makeup-free beauty proved that she is the ultimate skincare goals.
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While still sporting her Bridgerton wig
Nicola Coughlan may pull off the natural redhead look on “Bridgerton” flawlessly, but going from straight blonde hair to ginger curls is magic that only a wig can achieve. Consequently, Coughlan is usually either in her full Penelope Featherington look or her full Nicola look. Yet Coughlan gave fans one opportunity to see how Penelope would look without makeup, and it’s just as adorable as you might imagine. In 2020, the star posted a selfie of her sans makeup with her red wig showing, and we think Penelope should go makeup-free more often.
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In her show Big Mood
Nicola Coughlan is surely used to saving her makeup-free moments for when she isn’t on camera. Yet, that changed in her newest series, “Big Mood.” Coughlan is longtime friends with the series’ creator, Camilla Whitehill, who reportedly wrote in the script notes, “No false eyelashes. And no make-up – don’t even think about it,” per BBC. Yet, despite looking stunning on the show, Coughlan isn’t exempt from feeling insecure. When making “Big Mood,” she shared, “There were moments I looked at myself and thought, ‘God, I look really bad’. But I was very comfy.”
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Behind-the-scenes with Luke Newton
“Bridgerton”‘s dedicated fanbase can’t get enough of Penelope Featherington’s sizzling onscreen romance with Colin Bridgerton. And, while Nicola Coughlan and costar Luke Newton look different IRL than they do when dressed as their characters, it’s clear that they’re just as comfortable with each other offscreen as they are when cameras are rolling. In 2019, Coughlan posted a cozy photo of her and Newton where she appeared to be totally makeup-free. And, this duo is just as adorable in modern times as they are when they’re all made up in the fantasy regency era of “Bridgerton.”
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