Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan may be best known for portraying a well-to-do member of society in the hit Netflix series, but her latest turn in front of the camera sees her taking on the role of saucy makeup maven.
The 35-year-old actress, who is from Galway, Ireland, has quickly become a household name in the 15 months since Bridgerton rocketed to the top of Netflix’s most-watched list, while captivating viewers with its scandalous storylines and raunchy sex scenes.
Indeed, the series has proven so popular that it has even inspired its own collection of makeup, courtesy of beauty brand Pat McGrath Labs, which enlisted Nicola to serve as a spokesmodel for the regency-themed products.
But while the collection and its accompanying photo and video campaign may well pay tribute to the hit series, Nicola could not look further away from her rather frumpy character, Penelope Featherington.
Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan took a break from corsets and frumpy gowns in order to star in a stunning new beauty campaign for Pat McGrath Labs
The 35-year-old has been named as the beauty brand’s latest celebrity ‘muse’ – and her first role sees her promoting a line of makeup inspired by the second season of Bridgerton
Nicola shot to global fame in December 2020 when she appeared as Penelope Featherington in the Shonda Rhimes-led show, which will premiere a second season on March 25
Instead of the over-the-top colorful gowns and wacky accessories that the actress is seen sporting on the show, Nicola donned a chic black dress to pose for the campaign image, which also sees her sporting a bold glittery eyeshadow from the Pat McGrath Labs x Bridgerton Mthrship: Belle of the Ball palette.
The palette is one of the standout stars of the collection, which also features a blush palette, Blushing Delights, lipstick, a body shimmer, and a kohl eyeliner.
Pat McGrath Labs’ Bridgerton II collection features a range of regency-style products
As well as posing for the campaign imagery, Nicola is also seen putting the products to the test in a video clip that she uploaded to her Instagram account, where she voiced her excitement at being chosen as one of Pat McGrath’s muses – an honor only given to a handful of women in the past, including Naomi Campbell.
‘Cannot believe this is actually real but I’m so excited to announce that I’m the new @patmcgrathreal muse,’ the actress wrote in her caption.
‘What an absolute dream come true thank you Pat I’m truly on cloud nine.’
In the video, which was shot at The Plaza Hotel in New York City, Nicola is seen enjoying afternoon tea in her hotel room while reading through a Pat McGrath-themed newspaper that was no doubt inspired by the infamous Whistledown newsletter from the series.
The actress – who made her name while appearing in Derry Girls – appears in a photo and video campaign for the collection
She shot the video campaign at the Plaza Hotel in New York City
The collection includes an eyeshadow palette, a blush palette, and a body shimmer
After flicking through the newspaper, Nicola proceeds to put on a full face of glam, primping and pouting in front of the mirror, before flashing a cheeky wink at the camera.
Speaking about the upcoming launch of her second Bridgerton collection, makeup artist Pat said ‘can’t wait’ for beauty lovers to get the chance to ‘unleash their inner royal’ through the products.
The Bridgerton II collection is set to debut on March 24 – one day before the second season of the popular show premieres on Netflix.
However, critics have already warned viewers to expect far less racy romances in the sequel series than they saw in the first, with early reviews revealing that season two features far less nudity and sex.
The latest installment of Bridgerton, which is based on a book series by the same name, also sees last season’s leading couple – Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor, and the Duke of Hastings, played by Regé-Jean Page – taking a backseat.
Page left viewers devastated in April of last year when he announced that he would not be returning to the show for its second season, instead choosing to focus his attentions on other projects – adding much fuel to speculation that he may be in the running to serve as the next James Bond.
Nicola will return to screens in the second season of the show later this month, however critics have already warned viewers to expect much less sex than the first season
Off-screen, Nicola has become a regular at A-list events, where she is often lauded for her fashion-forward ensembles
While Dynevor will return to the role of Daphne, the focus of Bridgerton this season will be on her character’s brother Anthony, played by Jonathan Bailey, and his romance with Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley.
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