How to Recreate Meghan Markle's Elegant Wedding Makeup

While no-makeup makeup wedding beauty looks have become more popular in recent years, one celebrity was ahead of the trend. Many A-listers go all out for their day-of glam, but Meghan Markle's wedding makeup was extremely natural—you could even see her freckles through the foundation. Although the fresh-faced look isn't exactly common among royal brides, it was a reflection of the Duchess of Sussex's signature glam, which is why we still love it to this day.

Here, we break down all the details about Meghan Markle's wedding makeup, including the artist behind the look and the products they *actually* used to achieve that unforgettable glow. Plus, if you're feeling inspired to replicate this royal beauty style, we break down a step-by-step guide to nailing Meghan Markle's wedding day makeup.

In this article:

• Who Did Meghan Markle's Wedding Makeup?
• How to Recreate Meghan Markle's Wedding Makeup
• Products to Recreate Meghan Markle's Wedding Makeup

Who Did Meghan Markle's Wedding Makeup?

Photo: JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP | Getty Images

Celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin created Meghan Markle's wedding day makeup look. The two met while Markle was working on Suits, and they've been close collaborators ever since. With a portfolio of beauty looks on stars like Chrissy Teigen, Jessica Alba and Michelle Yeoh, Martin got his start under the Pat McGrath brand. He went on to become a Dior ambassador and Honest Beauty's creative color consultant. Currently, he's the Global Director of Artistry & Education at TATCHA.

FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT

In a 2018 interview with Glamour days after the wedding, Martin opened up about the royal bride's vision for her nuptials. "She's very much about keeping her skin as real and natural as possible," he explained. "I focused on bringing out her best self and elevating it to a level, that you're not necessarily able to achieve yourself."

If you're in the midst of planning your own wedding glam look, it's essential to hire a pro who shares Martin's philosophy—and you can begin your search right here on The Knot.

How to Recreate Meghan Markle's Wedding Makeup

Photo: JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP | Getty Images

According to Martin, there was no question that Meghan Markle's wedding makeup would highlight her natural, dewy skin. Although they weren't able to do it in person, the pair ensured they had a prewedding makeup trial to align on the look they'd create. "We text a lot because I'm always traveling and the time difference between our two countries is challenging to just hop on a call," he told Glamour. "So we basically did our trial over the phone! Because we know each other so well, it was actually easy."

While we do recommend hiring a pro to help complete your day-of makeup, you can easily recreate Meghan Markle's wedding glam for a prewedding event, like your shower or rehearsal dinner. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieving the Duchess' effortless and chic look.

Start With Intentional Skin Prep

Since Meghan Markle's wedding makeup was intended to enhance her natural skin, Martin told Glamour that the entire look began with intentional preparation. "Meghan has incredible skin," he explained. "I started by prepping her skin with a clarifying toner, water-based moisturizer, and a Korean sunscreen that also acts as a foundation gripper to lock down foundation."

Following the "proper" skincare routine depends on your unique complexion and needs, so we recommend following the usual steps you take to get ready, with an emphasis on products that will promote a soft, dewy glow. From there, use your favorite makeup base to even your tone. "Then I just balanced and neutralized any discolorations where needed with concealer and foundation," Martin continued. "I like to use water-based foundations because it absorbs well into your skin without becoming oily over time."

Accentuate Your Eyes

Using a cream base and smudges of warm chestnut, cocoa, and rust in the lash line, Martin gave the bride's eyes a subtle smoky effect. "There's something magical that happens to the irises of her eyes when you add warm tones of rusts or copper close to them (in the tight line or waterline)," he explained. "With this in mind, I wanted her eyes to almost 'flutter' as she looked up at Harry (he's 6'1"). I customized and shaped out some corner lashes to give her that doe-eye look, pulling them out on the outer corners. This added weight to her natural lashes without looking heavy."

Give Your Cheeks a Luminous Glow

Perhaps the most important step of recreating Meghan Markle's wedding makeup is to lean into dewy highlighter and blush. For her signature glowy effect, Martin stippled a luminizer on top of Markle's foundation before tapping a few dots of coral blush on the apples of her cheeks to give off "a slight flush."

Finish With a Tinted Lip Balm

Rather than complete the look with a bold lipstick color, Martin opted for an unexpected finishing touch. "I made sure her lips were well hydrated, but I opted for a tinted lip balm that gave color without looking like heavy lipstick," he said. "We wanted a natural flush."

Products to Recreate Meghan Markle's Wedding Makeup

Thanks to various interviews Martin has done over the years, we can piece together the most essential products used to create Meghan Markle's wedding makeup. We've rounded up his top picks below, which you can buy to recreate the look for your own special events.

Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation

Photo: Sephora

In an interview with Allure, Martin confirmed that Meghan Markle's wedding foundation was the Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation. Rather than apply the product all over with a sponge or a brush, he told the outlet that they typically used this water-based formula to spot conceal and even out the skin tone.

Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette

Photo: Sephora

To enhance the high points of her face, Martin also revealed the exact palette he used to give her skin that extra glow. "Meghan likes a shimmery look," he explained to Harper's Bazaar, "so when I did her makeup for the royal wedding, I used the Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette, a powder blush and highlighter."

Honest Beauty Magic Balm

Photo: Amazon

For an extra pop of subtle shine, Martin continued, he "tapped Honest Beauty Magic Balm onto her cheeks to give them a little bounce; since it's glossy it really pumps up the highlight in photos."

Maybelline Lash Sensational Washable Mascara

Photo: Amazon

Would you believe that one of Meghan Markle's favorite mascaras is at available at the drugstore? In 2020, her former makeup artist Lydia Sellers revealed to Hello! that her go-to formula is the Maybelline Lash Sensational. "I keep it stocked in my kit now at all times thanks to her," she said. "This mascara really helps to amplify your lashes and polish off the entire look." While it's unclear if this is what Martin used on her wedding day, for $8, you simply can't beat the price.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner Pencil

Photo: Ulta

Although we don't know the exact product used for her subtle smokey eye look, Martin did tell Harper's Bazaar that he saves this step until the end of the eye look. "I wait until after applying mascara to put on any liner," he explained. "Then I can see the gaps along the waterline that need to be filled in. I'll use a pencil—Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On liners last forever."