Happy Birthday to Queen Amidala herself, Natalie Portman!
It is often hard to put into words what our Star Wars heroes mean to us, but I want to celebrate Natalie Portman on her birthday, and her important role in the Star Wars saga.
For me, the inspiration of Queen Amidala goes well beyond just wanting t-shirts with her pictured on it. While of course I want my wardrobe to look like that of the Naboo queen (talk about *goals*), Queen Amidala inspires me to strive to achieve goals in life with courage, confidence, and kindness.
Natalie Portman herself is so connected to the world of fashion and beauty. From being featured as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars ‘One Love’ cosmetic campaign for Yves Saint Laurent, to her role as ‘Miss Dior’ for Christian Dior – she is stylish on and off screen, beautiful with or without makeup.
I enjoy makeup, but my budget usually goes towards Star Wars fashion and accessories. Knowing how much Natalie Portman means to me, for my birthday this year I was gifted a special item from my wish list – the Dior Ultra Rouge lipstick in the iconic Dior 999 red colour.
This is the same lipstick Natalie wears in the Dior advertising, and wearing it gives me a sense of connection to her, and gives me the confidence of a Naboo queen. Sometimes I even add the little cheek dots for a bold Star Wars inspired look!
I know that it is not the brand or hue worn by Natalie as Queen Amidala, but it still feels like it has a strong Star Wars connection through Natalie – for me, she will be forever be connected to red lipstick – both personally as Miss Dior and on screen as Queen Amidala. I wear red lipstick whenever I need a boost of confidence, especially combined with one of my favourite Queen Amidala-themed outfits.
As well as being featured in beauty and fashion advertising, Natalie has of course been featured in many cover articles, including the recent April 2019 issue of Vogue Australia. While I am excited to see all of the Star Wars actresses featured on the cover of magazines, Natalie Portman in Vogue is particularly special.
It is not just her looks that make Natalie an inspiration – she is just a little older than me, but has accomplished so much in life. As I wrote in my ‘Queen Amidala-Inspired Fashion’ article –
Natalie has a Harvard degree, has written two research papers published in scientific journals, and at the age of 30 she won the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Actress – just like her Star Wars character, she is smart, strong, and beautiful. All of her accomplishments add to the appeal of her character in Star Wars – both are women I look up to and admire.
My celebration of Episode 1 fashion for the anniversary of The Phantom Menace featured many of my personal favourite Queen Amidala-themed fashion – I love it all so much, and I’m always on the hunt for more to add to my wardrobe. Like I often say, I hope to see more available in the future!
Happy Birthday Natalie Portman! Wishing you all the best – and thank you for being such a wonderful role model and inspiration.
