I tried the Duchess of Sussex’s beauty routine for two weeks, and this is what I found
Known for her flawless skin and glossy locks, fashion and beauty journalists (myself included) are always willing to learn of more of the staples in the Duchess of Sussex's regime. She's been most helpful with this, though, and her 'glam squad' have provided insider info on her favourite products and treatments that give Markle her sparkle.
Her favourites range from the luxurious (￡78 exfoliator, anyone?) to the truly cheap and cheerful, and her precise edit of high and low brands, the niche through to the famously popular, had me intrigued.
The new Duchess, with her naturally glamorous and groomed look, strikes me as someone who knows her beauty stuff, and my intrigue led me to try the staples in her beauty regime to see if they could make the cut into my own.
meghan skincare
Krissy roadtests Meghan's favourite beauty products
After all, how could I pass up the opportunity to be more Duchess? Here's what I thought of Meghan's favourites...
The cleanser: Biore
Bioré Charcoal Anti-Blemish Cleanser, ￡5.99, Superdrug
Meghan is a big fan of Biore’s daily deep pore cleansing cloths which remove makeup in one swift move; she’s previously admitted that “they’re great to keep on your nightstand for when you have those horrible lazy nights that the thought of getting up to actually wash your face seems unbearable.” A girl after my own heart, I was looking forward to testing these but currently they’re not available in the UK, so I’m hoping Meghan has stocked up.
I did however test Biore’s next best thing: the charcoal anti-blemish cleanser. With a gooey texture and dark grey colour - thanks to the natural charcoal content - I was sceptical, but I can’t even express how squeaky clean my face felt after using it.
It tingled, in a mint shower gel kind of way, and left my face feeling cleaner than an exfoliating wash normally does, without leaving it tight or dry. I love it, thank you, Meghan.
The body cream: Nivea
Nivea firming body lotion with Q10, ￡?4.24, Boots
At just ￡4, the Duchess’s body cream of choice is cheaper than my own by Aveeno which intrigued me. It’s a no-frills lotion that feels light on the skin, nourishes well and has a lovely scent similar to suncream. I’ll be honest: I have atopic eczema so didn’t go wild applying this head-to-toe, but should you be inclined to, it’s a firming lotion and you can expect to see firmer skin in just two weeks.
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The hair mask: Kèrastase
Masquintense, ￡31.70, Kèrastase
When my hair needs a nourishing treat, normally in the winter months, I use Kèrastase’s resistance range which targets thick, brittle hair. The Duchess is also a fan of the brand, but her mask of choice is the Masquintense from its Nutritive range for dry, sensitised hair.
The mask I prefer is quite heavy, in a good way, so perfectly nourishes my thick Afro hair, while the Masquintense is very light and doesn’t weigh hair down in the slightest.
This is ideal for Meghan who would then go on to blow-dry her locks and style them in a straight or wavy ‘do, but my own hair is normally up and in its natural state so I need it to be weighed down a little for styling ease.
While Meghan’s hair mask is good and I’d definitely use it again, I do prefer the effects from my own go-to mask as it works better for my lifestyle.
The lipstick: Charlotte Tilbury
Matte revolution lipstick in Very Victoria, ￡24, Charlotte Tilbury
Like many women, I find a great day-to-day nude lipstick the hardest shade to come by. I typically wear MAC’s Honeylove which is a golden beige, but always knew I could find a better match if I committed to testing.
Meghan’s go-to nude is Charlotte Tilbury’s Very Victoria, a taupe matte shade with a creamy formula that on opening it I instantly knew I’d love, and haven’t stopped wearing it since. As I applied it on the tube yesterday (my Duchess trials sadly don’t include a horse and carriage) a woman opposite complemented the colour on me and asked what shade it was. For medium-deep skin tones, it’s the perfect your-lips-but-better shade that works day and night. I don’t know if I can wear anything else now.
The exfoliant: Tatcha
Classic rice enzyme powder, ￡78, London Loves Beauty
I’ve never come across a product like this, so actually had to read the instructions to be sure I was using it correctly. It’s a very fine powder that is activated by water and turns into a cloud-like plume once so much as a drop touches it. Once this has happened, the polish is ready to use. It washes off easily and is a great gentle exfoliant if you have sensitive skin as it doesn’t irritate it.
It’s quite a faff as it’s very ease to spill and lose lots of the powder to the sink, and as I’m typically rushed for time in the morning, this would have to be a part of my evening routine or I’d likely skip it altogether.
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The blusher: Nars
Blush in Orgasm, ￡23, Nars
While I’m not sure the Queen would approve of the provocative name, I think she’d appreciate the healthy glow this blush gives off. There’s a gold sparkle to it, which naturally I’d steer clear of, but it’s quite pretty on a summery day, particularly if you’re going out in the evening.
This blush is arguably Nars’ most famous and popular product and I can see why. If I do use anything on my cheeks day-to-day it would be a bronzer, but this could be the start of something new.
So what has made the cut?
My MAC lipstick has been resigned to my makeup bag at home and instead, my new Charlotte Tilbury lippie is a permanent fixture in my handbag.
While it's unlikely I'll have time for the Tatcha exfoliant, I've recognised that I do need one in my routine so I may try and find an easier alternative.
The Biore cleanser is heaven-sent and I plan to stock up on Meghan's cleansing cloths when I'm on holiday in the US next as I fully trust her opinion on cleansers now.
I'm happy with my own Aveeno body cream but should I need a cheaper alternative, Meghan's Nivea one should do nicely.
While this particular Nars shade might not be the one for me, I'm going to try more matte shades instead as the formula was brilliant.
I still love Kèrastase, though I'll likely stick to my own favourite hair mask by the brand, but I'm open to more recommendations from the duchess should she be willing to share.