Penelope Featherington From Bridgerton Is So Stunning In Real Life

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Fans of the hit Netflix series "Bridgerton" know that the period drama has stylized costuming, infusing Regency-inspired clothing with glitzy colors, unabashed sexiness, and lots of drama. Irish actor Nicola Coughlan undergoes a notable transformation to become Penelope Featherington, with the blonde bombshell's real-life beauty and modern style taking a backseat to her redheaded character's frumpy-to-vibrant glow-up storyline. "The glam process for Pen in 'Bridgerton' has changed so much over the years," the Hollywood figure told Vogue in 2024. "In the first season, it was really, you know, a lot about the hair. And the late, great Marc Pilcher designed that season and he said to me, 'You know, the notes we have for Pen is dowdy.'"

Fans have recreated Coughlan's stunning loose curls that debuted in the third season, but the Galway native has delivered plenty of beauty inspiration through her real-life looks. While she brings glamour and elegance to her red-carpet ensembles, landing on our list of the 20 best premiere looks on 2024 red carpets, the "Derry Girls" actor prefers a simplified approach to beauty in her personal life. "I really love when make-up makes people look like themselves," she told Harper's Bazaar, naming Taylor Russell as a beauty inspiration. "I know that sounds like a very kind of obvious statement, but it's not. I think there's space there for all different types of make-up — don't get me wrong — but I love when it enhances what is naturally there."

While fans might be used to seeing Nicola Coughlan sporting red curls and yellow hues as Penelope Featherington, the actor shared a much more subdued approach to beauty when breaking down her routine for Vogue. After doing her multi-step skincare routine, which saw the star massaging her face with a microcurrent tool and moisturizing with The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Multi-Depth Hydration Serum, she did her makeup for a casual dinner with friends.

"I'm gonna do really lazy girl eyeshadow," Coughlan said. "It's gonna be just like one shade over the lid." The "Bridgerton" star used a natural-finish foundation before applying a sparkly eyeshadow and shimmery highlighter. She similarly opted for a minimalist eyebrow look, using a brown pencil and tinted gel, before applying Lancôme's Lash Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara. "I'm very obsessed with mascara," the actor said. "I put on too much."

Coughlan finished out her makeup look with a striking red lipstick and glossy top coat, with the final look giving effortlessly chic French girl makeup and contrasting the Regency-ball-ready glam of her on-screen counterpart. "I feel most beautiful, I think, when doing my own makeup, like, to go out for dinner with friends," she told Harper's Bazaar. "There's something about sitting there with your own face ... and then, you know, presenting that version of yourself in the world which feels very authentically me and slightly maybe different from, like, a red carpet [look] or at work."