Meghan Markle’s makeup artist has spoken to People magazine about the mood as they prepped for the Royal Wedding. We previously heard from her hairdresser, Serge Normant, that she was “easy” to work with and relaxed while they were getting Meghan to get married in front of the world. Her makeup artist, Daniel Martin, said almost the same thing, that the mood was subdued and that no one really seemed nervous. He also added some cool details that I’m interested in, like the number of people who were around when she got ready and the music they listened to – 50s music on Spotify!
Martin says there were just five people around while prepping Meghan for her walk down the aisle: the bride, himself, hair stylist Serge Normant, dress designer Clare Waight Keller and Meghan’s mom Doria Ragland, who Martin said was “in good spirits.” The atmosphere was very relaxed, partly thanks to Meghan playing “1950s, chilled music” via Spotify.
“She didn’t seem nervous. She was very cool, she was regular Meghan,” the makeup artist shares. “I think we were nervous, but we didn’t want to make her nervous so it was very chilled. Of course, brides have nerves, but if we didn’t put so much expectation on it, it wouldn’t have made her nervous. It was very even, very easy.”
Martin added that the bride stayed off her phone as they caught up by talking about mutual friends.
Despite all their beauty work, putting on the wedding dress really made the moment feel real.
“It was all so easy. It didn’t hit us that she was getting married until she got the dress on,” Martin said.
He added, “It was so beautiful and so architectural, and when she put it on it was like a glove. It was so easy. The spectacle of the veil and the crown and it was, ‘Oh my goodness, this is really happening.’”
Martin also said that he started crying when he did touch ups on Meghan after the wedding and that the day “was so moving and so perfect and couldn’t have been better.” That kind of gets to me!
I found an article at Elle that supposedly lists the “exact” products that Martin used on Meghan. However that’s a misinterpretation of this article on Harper’s Bazaar (which Elle links as their source) which clearly says they’re just guessing at products he might have used from Honor Beauty and Dior because Martin works with those two companies. People says that he’s “the creative consultant for Honest Beauty” and a “Dior Beauty brand ambassador,” so this makes sense. It’s not like Martin is out there shilling for his sponsorships by listing Meghan’s products and I appreciate that.
Also Meghan’s wedding hairdresser previously worked with Amal Clooney and in this interview he says he met Meghan “through friends.” The interesting thing is that Meghan has used two different hairdressers who have worked with Amal. We’re still wondering how Amal and George met Meghan and Harry and scored an invite. Kaiser floated a very plausible theory that it could be connected to George’s tequila brand, Casamigos, which was served at the reception. Was Amal Meghan’s go-to person for hair recommendations on her big day? Amal does have great hair.
Some of you thought Meghan’s hair was “messy” but it’s aspirational to a lot of women who want that soft, slightly undone look. Here are some quotes from Normant on Meghan’s look and ABC has a tutorial on how to achieve it. He said “It just has to be messy in a controlled way. You just have to be making sure that it doesn’t become a whole mess after a few hours.” You could see that’s what they were going for and I thought they accomplished that.
Here are some Instagram posts from Meghan’s hairdresser and makeup artist. They’re so classy and grateful and haven’t promoted anything on IG or in interviews.
photos credit: Avalon.red, PacificCoastNews and also via Twitter/Royal Family and Instagram
She did look very pretty and fresh!
Though I’m still not a fan of the dress, I thought she looked beautiful regardless. The hair, the makeup, even the fact that you could see her freckles too (as a slightly freckly woman myself, I loved that)…really lovely.
Oh, Daniel Martin! He’s seems so lovely. I remember him going on a you tuber’s channel (the darkest shade, I think), and he was so chilled and not disapparaging about the YT beauty guru’s lane at all.
She looked beautiful.
Well, he did a great job!! Both him and the hairstylist seem like lovely people. And I’m not surprised at all that Meg was her usual cool self during prep. I imagine the same cannot be said for Harry haha 🙂
My mom and I were giggling at how nervous the usually confident and carefree Harry looked. Gah, he loves her!
@milgen yes oh yes lol. I watched it with my mom also and we were all giddy like ” ohhh my god are they gonna cry ohh my god” because both Wills and Harry were visibly emotional. It was all so cute.
I was so happy watching the brothers first appear together walking through the crowds. What an amazing day.
He was right, even the weather seemed beautiful. She looked so so beautiful and confident. Almost everyone looked great actually!
I wonder if she took a xanax? I would need a giant xanax. Or champagne or something. It’s fortunate that I’m not royalty. She looked classic and amazing.
I tend to think she’s poised anyway, her acting background probably helps. She sailed down that aisle looking happy and confident.
So would I. I mean, I was already stressed just watching the wedding on my tv!
Haha I feel you. I doubt that she did though. having to be on camera every day on set will prepare you for those kinds of situations.
I prefer slightly undone look hair wise to stiff helmet look. They sound lovely
I liked the hair after it was not behind her ear anymore. The couple wispy bits annoyed me at the start. The make-up was flawless though. I also loved the dresses and jewellery. And of course, her poise was exemplary.
I think when people talk about why she didn’t cry, and why she didn’t seem nervous (and say it in a critical way, kind of calling her cold and distant) forget that this is her second wedding, and also that she’s a grown woman, and comfortable with attention.
The dress was still boring for my taste (the second one was better) but it fit the aesthetic of the wedding and her personal style. To me she looked happy and at easy, and playful with Harry. I think most of us would wish to feel like that on a wedding day.
I think its great that she knows who she is, what she wants and feels comfortable. That are definitley qualties she needs for this job. But I thought it was a bit “scary” (sorry I cant think of a better word) how unimpressed she was. She was marrying into the royal family, in front of the world, with one week of intense family drama in the press. And she was a total pro about it all. At the one hand I am impressed with her professionalism but at the other hand I think its weird the she didnt show any nerves.
But Harrys and Meghans dynamic always strikes me were she is the strong / adult one, and he always needs reassuring/ mothering
I think she was concentrating really hard to be poised. I also noticed the little moments with Harry when she was totally tuned in with what was going on between them.
It is easy to see someone as “fake” when they always seem poised, or always happy, always polite (too polite?) etc.
Some people just have the talent to keep themselves together. I think she has it.
I have been blamed for being “too happy” to meet new people myself, when I just am genuinely interested in everyone and smiley and cheerful when I meet a new person. I never thought it would be a bad thing until someone called me a “try-hard” for that quality. Guess you can´t win sometimes no matter what.
@MINT
I mean, dealing with her crazy family seems like nothing new to her. There’s a reason why they have been estranged on some level for years before she and Harry began dating.
Also maybe i’m wrong and she was a bit nervous. People show nerves differently. I have tended to stiffen up and tried to focus outside my present experience to calm my nerves sometimes. Who really knows.
I don’t think it was weird at all. She smiled and laughed throughout it, maybe the meditation she practices really helps. maybe she was just content and doesn’t get nervous easily.
No reason to villanize her for it— not saying you are, but some people have.
My take is as a WOC, she always has to try harder. Going into the wedding, her family made a PR MESS and it would be so easy for critics to expect her to feel vulnerable and be the lady who has to be saved by a Prince. I feel that throughout her life she always has to be the one getting it together, and pulling herself through challenges. Appear strong and reliable. Look out for herself. Not seem weak. So that’s what we saw on the wedding day.
@Alexandria – this is exactly the way I viewed it.
@Alexandria yes, I agree.
Same here.
Also, performative weakness is something that white women get more space to engage in than WOC. (That “I’m a delicate flower” and crying thing) is very much a cultural differentiator that, frankly, a lot of white women are blind to and a lot of WOC have to navigate every day.
I was supremely serene at my wedding- for the entirety of the day- even when my groom was clearly stressing about various details. I meditate and have performed onstage for years and I do public rituals and speaking. I was doing what I wanted to do and I was a grown ass woman marrying the man I love in front of loved ones. Granted, I didn’t have millions watching me, but if you are used to be in the spotlight and remaining calm, a brighter light doesn’t necessarily rock you off your center.
She does regularly yoga and meditates, that helps a lot to stay calm. Even autogenic training alone does a lot in that respect.
Right? Also, not everyone is a happy crier! I don’t usually cry out of joy. I may get a tiny bit misty, but I only actually cry when sad or angry.
I don’t cry out of happiness either. It’s a mystery to me how other people manage to do it.
We don`t know about her crying. She might have get her crying out of the way beforehand. i sometimes do. And afterwards I am calm and happy as a clam.
XD
It is her second wedding but I don’t think you can compare this one to her first! From what I understand her first wedding was a very intimate affair in Jamaica and from the few pictures I’ve seen she wore a simple, casual dress. And she wasn’t a household name back then, nobody knew who she was. Marrying into the BRF, the most famous royal family in the world, and doing a televised wedding where millions of people are watching you now that everyone knows your name (not to mention the drama with her family in the days leading up to the wedding) can’t compare.
I think it’s fine she didn’t cry, she showed she truly has nerves of steel.
yep, Amelie. Also – noone accused Kate of not crying during her own wedding and she also looked very calm and happy.
@AMELIE
Oh i agree, i wasn’t comparing the weddings. They are obviously very different for many reasons. I was just saying it would be normal for a bride who’s gone through it all before, to be less nervous the second time.
She already knows what sort of things to expect out of married life. There’s none of the same doubts a younger, first married person would have about it, she’d be worried less about a wedding going perfect i imagine, and she’s more mature, etc etc.. that’s what i meant.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a royal bride cry (going by old footage, I mean). I don’t know if it’s a requirement to be stoic, but generally that’s how they all seem to look.
I loved the makeup but the hair was too undone for me. I get it, that Harry is only 6th in line to the throne and therefor they are allowed to be a bit more casual but I think her hair at Charles garden party looked so much better and put together.
My sister’s longtime friends with Danny. If she hadn’t gotten married during Paris Fashion week, he would have done her makeup for her wedding, too. From what I hear, he’s always been a very nice guy. That’s my connection to the British Royal Family! 😊
haha kudos. Your claim to fame has been noted XD
I actually think her makeup artists is not listing products because many were NOT Dior / Honest Beauty. As a professional makeup artists, he would have multiple items in his kit from various brands, regardless of his sponsorships, and would use things that his clients like and that are appropriate for different occasions. (It would seriously limit his client base if he was to only use one/two brands.) Every makeup artist does. However, I could see his contracts with Dior/Honest precluding him from publicly mentioning or promoting other brands. Can’t think of a bigger promotion than a royal wedding.
Or maybe he is just a classy man who understands and respects his clients’ privacy.
In any case, her makeup was stunning.
Seems likely – an artist does not limit their palette usually, even if they are sponsored by a specific brand. I also read that the precise items are unreleased and are launching mid-June/July (both brands, I think) so there could also be a contractual or disclosure issue there as well.
That wedding hit me RIGHT IN THE GUT regarding emotions! I’m STILL surprised at how moving it was…and how intimate and lovely…and I think that’s due to the people who were getting married…they set the tone and carried it through….
Lala me too, I’m surprised I was moved. You kind of forgot it’s a royal wedding. It was all about love (mother and daughter, son and late mother, son and father, brother and brother, daughter and father in law). Maaaannnnn, don’t waste this goodwill H and M.
Not trolling but a question my husband asked and I don’t know the answer to and instead of googling, I’m being lazy. What happens if something happened to Prince William? The succession falls to his children since they’re his heirs but if something happened to him does that still happen? Especially if they’re children? Do they get a placeholder until Prince George is old enough? Or do they follow a new succession, like Prince Harry?
(Please note: I’m not wishing death on Prince William, I’m just asking a question my husband asked me while we were watching the wedding and he was wondering why there we no heads of state and I went off on the travesty that President Obama wasn’t invited, etc.)
If something happened to William and George was underage, he would get a Regent until he reached majority of age. I’m sure there are stipulations in place and not everyone can be Regent – my guess is that Harry would be the natural choice as he is Royal and George’s uncle.
Meghan was a modern bride. So natural and fresh! A timeless look.
Yes. Meghan is gorgeous. With a perfect face like that, she doesn’t need makeup. They were smart to go natural.
I can’t get over the veil – it made the look come together in a very stunning and beautiful way.
It was so beautiful! 🙂
LOL at the dress fitting like a glove. (She looked fantastic but still LOL at that comment)
I think she got a look at herself at what I think was Easter — when she wore the brown poop hat— and said “I’m never going to show that kind of nervousness in public again. I’m better than that.”
The lipstick. Does anyone know what lipstick she was wearing?
I don’t understand the people criticizing Meghan for not looking nervous. It made me respect the h*ll out of her. To have all that family drama play out in front of the whole world and still have the ability to look calm and poised on her wedding day takes an enormous amount of strength and self confidence.
I think many people like the idea of a young, blushing bride. It seems more romantic and natural to them — young love with a young slightly unsteady woman steadied by her man. It’s part of the fairytale for the woman to be innocent and nervous.
@Elle your comment made me think.
I get what you are referring to.
I personally feel differently, because i think that if the man really is a true support system for the woman she would already feel confident enough to not appear nervous because she has no reason to.
@ ELLE
I think you’re spot on in that assessment, and I agree 100%. I think that’s a huge reason why people criticized her
What I love about the brief things that people involved in the wedding – her glam squad, her close friends, etc – is that they are all supportive, overwhelmingly happy for their friend/client, and fairly discreet in what they say.
It says a lot about the people Meghan chooses to spend time with / surround herself with. While you can’t choose family, you can choose your friends, the people you’re close with and the people you confide in. She’s made good choices in recent years in those regards…
Yep I had that thought too.
All of her friends etc. Some people blame her for burning bridges but I don`t.
When you get to a certain age you become strong enough to choose the people you mingle with, opposed to being a “victim” of circumstance and making the best of situations. That comes to boyfriends, family members, habits, everything. I respect Meghan for creating her own life and to be honest I feel validated and encouraged by her, to do the same.
As a middle aged woman I love what you say about choosing rather than being victimized by circumstances. In life sometimes you have to collect yourself and make hard choices.
Perfectly said – it’s a sort of ‘IDGAF but with class’ attitude.
Every time I see a photo of her I think to myself, she is so pretty! The more I see of the dress, the more things I find to like about it. I hope this sets a trend for less-embellished wedding dresses and gowns in general. Also, her loose-not-messy hairstyle is perfection. And that kind of look is technically challenging as it has to hold up. The hairdresser deserves all the kudos!
Just venting a bit, I suppose, since no one here can do anything about it, but why do illustrators so often color POC darker than they really are (see the otherwise lovely illustration by jamieleereardin in danielmartin’s Instagram feed)? It comes across to me as laziness and/or stereotyping and/or not really looking at and seeing the POC. It feels like shorthand for “a POC”–any shade will do.
Yeah I noticed that too. But on the other hand, if you maker Meghans skin in the picture her actual color, people are going to say that “they made her look white”.
I actually thought the illustrator did a good job of capturing the right skin color.
P.S. When I first saw Meghan in an interview with Craig Ferguson, I was not certain about her race and googled her to see what her heritage was, because she IS very very light-skinned.
What I can say is that I have never seen her acting but I remembered her from this one 7-minute interview 4 years later when the engagement was announced, because she was so beautiful and well-spoken.
So there.
P.S.S. I have a friend whose african-american mother is the exact same complexion as Doria and whose father is a pale Danish fella. And my friend has the exact same complexion as his mother. His children (with a super pale, blonde Norwegian gal) have about the same coloring (hair and skin) as Mariah Carey. So go figure.
All the fawning over an average looking couple getting married is nauseating. So they’re enormously weathly….big deal. It was a lovely wedding but so are many others. A lot of networking and PR happening there. It didn’t feel intimate to me. I just read her bff practiced her Pippa moment for months prior to the wedding. Puke!
Meghan’s face looked radiant. I was not a fan of the dress and I think the hair needed some bobby pins, but that makeup was on point.