Duchess Meghan has learned how to do her own makeup for royal events

100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force

If you had a generous budget for clothing, makeup, hair and various stylists, where would you really spend the money? I think I would probably want an on-call hair stylist AND an on-call makeup artist. I would employ some kind of fashion stylist part-time, but I would enjoy shopping for myself and working with designers one-on-one for special occasions, but I would mostly wear off-the-rack, I think, and I would find ways to stick to a more limited budget on clothing. For every royal woman, it’s different though. Meghan’s stylists and clothing are now being paid for by the Prince of Wales, which is the same arrangement he has with the Duchess of Cambridge. And she’s making some choices about where she’s spending Charles’ money. She’s dropping a lot on couture, but it seems that she’s learned how to do her own makeup for events:

She may have a new personal hairdresser in her glam squad, but when it comes to makeup, Meghan Markle is keeping things simple – she’s doing it herself. Joining the royal family on Tuesday on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to mark the 100th birthday celebrations of the Royal Air Force, Meghan’s pal and wedding makeup artist Daniel Martin took to social media to praise her chic look.

“Can we say my love #Meghanmarkle looking #chic AF in @dior today! #slay” he posted on his Instagram account. Asked by fans whether he had created her look for the event, he responded: “I didn’t but she’s so good doing it herself, right?” Calling himself a “proud homie,” he then reiterated the fact saying to another fan, “She did her make-up herself for this.”

Rather than adding to her entourage further, it’s actually a perk that the new royal has given up. Having used hair and makeup artist Lydia Sellers from 2015 until she prepared to move to London, Meghan also had her makeup done professionally on the set of Suits.

[From People]

Some actresses are dumb about makeup, and some can do makeup better than professional makeup artists. I would imagine that Meghan, as a woman of color, was probably used to paying attention to makeup and how makeup artists worked with her skin color, and she probably picked up a lot about makeup application over the years. That being said, Meghan doing her own makeup would actually explain why her makeup hasn’t looked that great at some events. She’s over-rouging, I think. And maybe her foundation is just a touch too dark? But her makeup did look good at the RAF event, which is what this makeup artist was referring to. Also: Kate Who Will Be Queen One Day took makeup-application lessons when she was engaged to William, and she does her own makeup for many of her events. Thus, we spent years fussing about her too-thick eyeliner, etc.

Meanwhile, it does seem like Meghan has hired a full-time hair stylist, or at least a “go-to hairstylist.” People Magazine reports that hair stylist George Northwood traveled with Team Sussex for the Ireland trip, and he was the same guy who did her hair on her wedding day. He’s a “hair stylist to the stars” and his signature look is a little bit “messy and undone.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex visit to Dublin, Ireland - 11 Jul 2018

Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex visit to Dublin, Ireland - 11 Jul 2018

Photos courtesy of WENN, Pacific Coast News.

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97 Responses to “Duchess Meghan has learned how to do her own makeup for royal events”

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  1. Crowhood says:

    I love Her style and she is beautiful. But I am Going to have to call out the ever visible strapless bras. There has to be a better way!!

    • lisa says:

      ^^^ this

    • Rhys says:

      She has nice style but I wonder if the fact that they mentioned her “saving up” by doing her own makeup is basically her trying to explain her expensive choices? So far she’s been primarily wearing pieces worth thousands.

    • jan90067 says:

      That taupe dress, hands down, was the worst outfit of the weekend. That top was too tight for that bra. Ideally, the dress should’ve had more than just that “turned” facing at the top. The top should’ve been fully lined (to prevent the bra showing through the fabric), or alternately, a built-in bra. My grandfather was a tailor (who made most of my clothes for me growing up). He taught me that something like this is basic tailoring 101. I would think that Mouret, knowing his clothing was on the international stage, would’ve fitted it better.

    • Mrs.K says:

      I think showing your bra strap or top of your underwear is an american thing. They think its sexy to be classless.

      • Ms. Turtle says:

        It’s not an American thing. Nice try to lump all of us together.

      • Eileen says:

        Funny because I worked with a few British girls a few years ago and they all wore dark bras with straps out of tank tops so I always fconsidered a British thing! You would get publicly called out by most people in US if do that 🙂

  2. Barrett says:

    I love that this is news! She’s smart I have no doubt she would do some of this herself.

    • jan90067 says:

      Considering her mother was a make-up artist, and Meg herself has been in a m-u artist’s chair for many years, she’s sure to have picked up on many tips on how to apply her makeup for herself. Except for a few instances of heavily applied contour/bronzer, I think she’s done very well. Her makeup usually looks lovely.

  3. Noodles says:

    Meghan and I have about the same skin colour and tone I think and I wonder whether she finds it hard to find foundation which matches. It looks perfect here.

    • OriginalLala says:

      I basically stopped wearing foundation because I couldnt find a shade that worked well. Im olive skinned and all the foundations I tried were too orange or too pink… I havent checked out Fenty yet because I actually like my foundation free face, and bonus: because I don’t cover up my skin anymore, i take much better care of it so my skin looks awesome!

      • Maya says:

        Try Hourglass – they are amazing, have lots of shades and vegan as well.

        Their stick foundation is to die for…

      • Liz says:

        Same. Olive toned skin and I stopped wearing foundation years and years ago. And yes, my skin looks better for it.

        My teenaged daughter is starting to experiment with makeup and I have no idea how to help her – she’s as porcelain fair as her father.

      • Alissa says:

        I have the same problem! Olive toned and always too yellow or orange. Fenty Beauty worked amazing for me.

      • Rhys says:

        @OriginalLala – I’ve replaced foundation with a nice tinted moisturizer (I like Origins the best) long time ago.

      • Knitter says:

        Also try Paula’s Choice.

    • JaneDoesWork says:

      Meghan uses Armani’s Luminous Silk foundation. I also don’t like my makeup to look caked on and I use Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer for a similar effect. Dying to try Armani’s though!

      • Lyla says:

        I’m using Armani right now. It’s not bad, but I like Hourglass and Tom Ford better.

      • Jan90067 says:

        I found Armani way too thin. I like using literally a drop of Chanel primer (with a rose tint), and a small squeeze of Chanel CC cream (20 Beige w/ sunscreen) mixed together. It give me light coverage, yet smooths out uneven tone and covers the few sunspots I accumulated from years of baking in the sun (when I was a kids we didn’t know from sunscreen; baby oil all the way! Lol)

    • LadyMTL says:

      I’m Middle Eastern but quite pale, so my skin can often look sallow. Even though I’m in my early 40’s I also have mild adult acne so I generally use foundation whenever I leave the house.

      I’ve tried so many that I can’t even count – including Fenty, which I wasn’t crazy crazy about – but I’ve found two that I really like: Lancôme’s “Teint Idôle” and (believe it or not) Maybelline’s “Fit Me Matte and Poreless. ” I generally use the Lancôme because it’s more dewy / luminous, but if I want a longer-lasting, more matte look the Maybelline really does the trick. Plus it’s a lot cheaper too, hahaha.

      Whatever Meghan is using, it looks great on her.

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        @LadyMTL,

        I have to sing the praises of simple Saw Palmetto for (female) adult acne. I am 52 have been using it for 10-15 years and it is a godsend. I take 480 mg twice daily, others may be able to get along with less. It inhibits testosterone at the skin level fo women, nothing more to my knowledge, is inexpensive and easy to come by.

        There was another poster some years ago, Maria, who I had this conversation with and it was heaven sent for her, as well.

        You can visit acne dot org and look at the boards regarding saw palmetto. There is a ton of anecdotal evidence, none scientific, of course… but I must add that spironolactone ( which I was prescribed at one point) has the SAME effect ( as does low dose doxycycline) but without the potential for increased serum potassium levels that spironolactone has.

    • magnoliarose says:

      Lucky you. Her skin tone is beautiful. 🙂

    • TheHufflepuffLizLemon says:

      Hey Liz-
      Porcelain queen over here-most brands don’t make foundation pale enough. I live and die by self-tanner year round these days for personal preference, but when I was younger, I went completely pale in the winter. I would check out Merle Norman, of all places. I know it’s like your grandmother’s makeup, but they had an amazing range of pale shades with different undertones instead of just “paper.” I worked at one of their counters during college (along with a few other brands) and it was the place where I found the best super pale match. Good luck to her!

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        Oh! Good news! My daughter is Snow White, complexion-wise. She is using a Lancome shade, but I will tell her about this. My only hesitation is that she has very hormonal skin, and as a stubborn 20 year old, had not heeded her mother’s sage advice!! hoping Merle Norman ( there is literally a shop five minutes from my home) has a non-comedogenic formula.

      • Jbunny3030 says:

        Redheaded and quite fair here. The quest for matching foundation is never ending! Last year I tried huda beauty’s faux filter foundation and had to change colors twice because it was too white for me — which has never happened ever before. The problem I have is a pink undertone and pale foundations with yellows in them end up looking too mask like.

  4. TripleOGpearl says:

    I don’t like her middle part. For some reason it drives me nuts. #Petty

    • minx says:

      I much prefer a side part on her, looks elegant.

    • Nickname says:

      I don’t like them either, unfortunately for me my hair naturally parts that way and even when I try for a side part, that middle part will sneak in there.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      I am anti- center part on everyone, myself included.

      • minx says:

        Same, I just don’t care for it unless it’s on a really young girl. My 19 year old daughter won’t even wear a center part.

    • Masamf says:

      Oh dear, let’s body shame Meghan some more. 🙄🙄🙄 Oh well good thing is she is married to Harry so you don’t have to go crazy. And Harry loves everything about her body, warts and all.

  5. harla says:

    I would hire someone just to wash my hair, god that’s my favorite part of any hair appointment it’s just so relaxing.

    • monette says:

      Yes to This!!

    • magnoliarose says:

      I fall asleep. My son begs for hair washes because he finds them relaxing. He is so little but he knows he likes when I do it. They all like it but for him, it is next level.

  6. HK9 says:

    I think her makeup is lovey, but I think both Megan & Kate need to make an appointment with Pat McGrath and call it a day.

    • Snazzy says:

      And the little head massage 💆🏽
      Heaven!!!

    • magnoliarose says:

      Pat M is everything. She can sort anyone out and they should both spend a weekend though Meghan seems to have corrected herself. Her makeup looked flawless in Ireland.

  7. bonobochick says:

    As a fellow woman with African roots, I understand and support having a hair stylist on call and who will travel. Black hair needs more TLC to stay healthy.

    I don’t think the issue is too much blush as photos at events where it looked too much would differ… sometimes it looked too loud but in other angles it was fine. The problem is likely color choice and blending.

    • VirgiliaCoriolanus says:

      LOL she needs some Fenty!

      • Valiantly Varnished says:

        Fenty isnt a magical cure for foundation matching. I am a light skinned black woman like Meghan (I’m a bit deeper than her) and I’ve tried about 3 different shades in Fenty. None of them were a match.

      • magnoliarose says:

        I wanted to say that Fenty is cruelty-free and some of their items are vegan. I haven’t loved what I have sampled so far but overall the quality control has been top notch.

      • Aurelia says:

        Fenty colour wise is a no go for me either. They don’t have a pink based shade 1. They only have one pink shade and it is a mid toned shade. Poo. I’m type 1 celtic. So much for inclusive. God bless Prescriptives Fresh Camellia for shade 1 pink tone though. I nearly died when Prescriptives was removed from the market. It’s back online.

      • Evie says:

        @Aurelia: Co-signing — I’m another Prescriptives Level 1, Camellia Blue/Red #22 shade — I loved the Anywear stick foundation. It was my perfect match. Unfortunately they don’t make the stick anymore. I do still buy their custom blend online but they’ve been out of it for awhile. Since Prescriptives left the stores, I’ve struggled to find a match for my pale skin — that doesn’t have a chalk white or yellow undertone. Believe it or not, CoverGirl’s stick makeup in Porcelain is pretty good.

  8. TheOriginalMia says:

    She’s been doing a pretty good job with her makeup. A little too much rouge for Trooping, but otherwise she’s used a light foundation, light eyeliner and blush lip. She should try Fenty.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      Fenty isn’t for everyone. Especially if you have dry skin. Which I believe Meghan said she does. Fenty is formulated for oily skin.

    • minx says:

      Agree. I think her makeup, aside from one or two times where her blush was off, has been wonderful. It doesn’t hurt that she has beautiful coloring and a beautiful face.

  9. Dazeem, Adele says:

    Interesting thoughts to ponder. I’m with you Kaiser I think I’d spend my money on a hairstylist and makeup artist to travel everywhere with me…hair and makeup is the one thing that can change on a dime and your look can be so affected by it. I think I would do some nicer High Street off the rack stuff (theory, Reiss, goat, j crew etc) and get Victoria Beckham for a few outfits but yeah, I wouldn’t spend my budget on custom made clothing. A good tailor can make high Street look bespoke!

    • Enn says:

      I love theory! I get really excited when I score a piece secondhand. Same goes for LK Bennett.

      • Aurelia says:

        Has she heard of Joesph- the english king of the tailored pant ! Fabulous mid range fashion brand.

  10. Jessica says:

    Her mother worked as a makeup artist and she’s taught her well.

    • Masamf says:

      This right here. Meghan learned from the pro that her mother is. Doria used to be MUA to soap stars.

      • magnoliarose says:

        I didn’t know that. Doria looked so gorgeous at the wedding. It makes sense.

      • liriel says:

        Oh lucky Meghan! Your mum a pro at make up, she knows how to apply her make up better than the majority of random MUA. Now I know why Gloria’s makeup looked so great at the wedding!

  11. BendyWindy says:

    I think the blush thing is something she’ll figure out. Americans in general seem to wear more makeup than Europeans. She’ll get there. When most people are bitching about her blush, I’m usually loving her barefaced look. Ha.

  12. Enn says:

    As someone with no talent for hair and makeup, I’d love having someone on call for events!

    • homeslice says:

      Agree. I’m 47 and still haven’t learned how to do make-up! If I had money, my make-up and hair people would be my BFF’s!!!

      • Enn says:

        At this point I stick to blush, mascara and eyebrows and call it a day! I wear concealer but have never been able to cover my genetic dark circles well enough. It would be worth it to have a MUA for that alone.

    • Killjoy says:

      Yeah, I’m hopeless at even basic hair styles. I’d need both on call for events, and would likely have to rock near bareface for grocery store runs.

      I’d also spend on the couture, but re-wear the pieces that hit. I’m not sure she’s allowed to do that though?

  13. Flying fish says:

    She needs a tailor or seamstress on call. I don’t understand if she is wearing bespoke clothing why the poor fit? If she spending all that money, then the clothing should fit perfectly…if not, her spending is a waste of money. Clothing that is too tight and/or too big is a waste of money.

    • minx says:

      This. Before she was married I figured she didn’t necessarily have the time or resources to have everything fitted to her figure. Now she does.

  14. cee says:

    I would invest in skin care, tbh.

    • Enn says:

      Since I don’t really know how to do a full face, I definitely spend more time on my skin. Moisturizer and sunscreen every day, along with various oils and serums. Kate would definitely benefit from skincare.

      • cee says:

        Kate would benefit from sunscreen and facials. Her skin is really damaged, although some of it can be genetic too (see: Carole Middleton)

    • magnoliarose says:

      Asian skincare is a fraction of the cost and more effective. I use Japanese and Korean skincare mostly and my skin has never looked better. Asian skincare on reddit is a good place to learn. You can even buy samples to try.
      My skin actually glows and it helped fade my nose freckles and even it all out. I have seen real results. My friends who do it rave similarly and they are very dark skinned to snow white and all ages.
      Koreans call it Chok Chok for dewy glowing looking skin and I can say I achieved it at home without running to the spa every week.

      • cee says:

        I love korean brands so much I am now hoping to some day visit South Korea one day and have, like, a Beauty tour (does this even exist yet?!) around the city. I wish Soko Glam delivered to Argentina 🙁

        My acne has come back with a vengeance and I’ve know learned about acids and in less than a month my skin has improved so much. I’m looking forward to reaching the 3 month milestone. I have comibation skin so I’m trying to balance it out.

        I’m loving Drunk Elephant at the moment, though. I mix it up with Cosrx (super affordable) and I am trying to decide whether to purchase the MISSHA essence (sold at an impressive price mark up in Argentina)

      • liriel says:

        Can you recommend some products? (It’s no product placement after all). I’m pale, my skin is dry, sensitive, dull and still has spots from ages ago when I was dealing with acne.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Magnoliarose

        At some point, you’re going to have to do a book or beauty/fashion compilation of some sort…..you seem to have all the secrets. Some sort of Celebitchy collaboration would be perfect.

        Just tell me when and where to pay😘😘😘

      • magnoliarose says:

        @cee
        You must try some of the Taiwanese face masks! Naruko has sleep masks for all different skin types and they are sublime.

        @liriel
        Try Fifty Shades of Snail Asian beauty blog. She has some really great recommendations and she has dry, fair skin. She talks a lot about fading spots and she is nearing 40 I think so some anti aging topics are included. There are also links to other blogs. For sensitive skin I have liked Japanese brands a little better. Look for things that target rebuilding your skin barrier like ceramides and nourishing like rice bran oil. I like a brand called Matsuyama. Amazon Japan is a good place to snag stuff at good prices. iHerb has some Benton products and they are gentle. If you live in an area with good Asian markets they carry items too. The subreddit/ Asianskincare is amazing with the information and reviews.
        What is nice about Asian skincare routines is that it forces women to take a little time to pamper ourselves without guilt.

        @Bella D
        Lol. I have slapped so many products on my skin and had so many “fashion don’t” moments I would be glad to share my mistakes and spare others. If we could post pics I would have you all on the ground laughing for days at my No M’ams.
        A Celebitchy glamor forum would be too much fun I think I would explode.

  15. Georgia says:

    Having my own full time personal hair stylist hands down is my if I were rich fantasy.

    • homeslice says:

      Same. I love my stylist to bits. If I ever hit the lottery, I am taking care of her for life in exchange for her doing my hair every day!

  16. liriel says:

    I totally would have a hair stylist too. With make up artist it’s more tricky because ut’s useful to know what to do yourself and fix something on a spot. Not to mention it’s easier for hair dresser to get what hair style you want than for a make up artist to understand how subtle/heavy you want to go. Make up is more tricky in that aspect and preferences are different. At least that’s my experience.

  17. Lilix40 says:

    Honestly, if I were rich I’d rather have a personal chef. A personal stylist and shopper would be nice too. I detest shopping for clothes, ugh.

    • homeslice says:

      Oh yea, I’d have the chef too 🙂 It’s fun to dream!

    • NYC_girl says:

      Definitely – personal chef. Plus someone to shampoo me every day. Love that 🙂

    • Guest says:

      Lilix40…me too! 100% would prefer a personal chef; I’m a lousy cook. My process for clothes shopping is to go to Winners, pull and purchase anything and everything I think I like, then go home, try stuff on, and return, return, return. All returns are applied to my savings account (I’m currently saving for a trip to England, in September). Decades ago, in Montreal (I was 19) there was a huge to-do when cameras were found in the Hudson’s Bay store. The police contacted me and told me I was one of the women filmed. Since then, I have a very difficult time getting undressed in change rooms to try things on. I go to a special lingerie boutique for undergarments and swimsuits because there are no returns on those items and they tend to be woman owned and operated, so I figure less chance of peeping toms.

    • minx says:

      Chef for me. I hate cooking with a passion.

      • liriel says:

        I hate cooking too! I don’t care about my hair that much but I do love yummy food so chef for me. 🙂

      • Lilix40 says:

        I do not hate cooking at all, but it would be a treat to have some hugely talented cook working their magic on food. I can only imagine all the fabulous vegetarian dishes I would enjoy… a woman can dream, I suppose!

  18. girl_ninja says:

    Prince Charles pays for the clothing of his daughters-in-law. He can afford it and I don’t see why it’s an issue now that Meghan has joined the family.

  19. Hannah Maguire says:

    Scroungers. I just can’t understand why so much time on this site is devoted to the Royals now. It’s never even news.

    • liriel says:

      Frankly the royals overtook celebitchy and it’s ott but some people love Meghan but yep, too much.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Yet you’re here complaining about how CB chooses to run their site. You’re free to click on other stories or pick another site, no?

    • magnoliarose says:

      Because it is lighthearted and harmless. It also seems to be a boring period for regular celebrities. No cool new couples to ogle or new stars or scandals so we yip about royals. *shrugs*

  20. Katebush says:

    Probably because they get more clicks than anybody else. Personally I love discussing royal fashion guess we all like different stuff.

  21. princessk says:

    She has probably decided to do her own make up after the event at Buckingham Palace for the young leaders with the Queen, where her make up was overdone.

    But I would advise Meghan to get a hairstylist who knows how to care for and restore hair that has been damaged by straightening and tracks for extensions, like hers has. Meghan’s hair looks thin, dry and over processed and she needs to take care of it. Her mother has the right idea…natural all the way.

  22. Sage says:

    A lighter application would look better than the heavy handed blush and eye shadow.

  23. Laura says:

    I can do my makeup fairly well but my hair is hopeless! Its usually in a ponytail or messy bun. I don’t know how to use rollers or a curling iron properly so my hair is always boring. If I were uber-wealthy I would splurge on frequent visits to a talented hair stylist.

    Meghan is gorgeous and doesn’t need help. I’m not a huge fan of her center-part styles but her face is so lovely she could shave her head and still look incredible!

  24. Miasys says:

    I find her oddly endearing for some reason. Her makeup looks pretty good to me. It’s so hard to find products I like that don’t make me feel like I’m wearing a mask. Recently tried a Dior foundation and loved the color & coverage but so glad I didn’t buy it because it broke me out. Like awfully.

  25. raincoaster says:

    I think the palace thinks that doing their makeup themselves humanizes the royals. No idea if they really do their own or not, but it’s good PR.