Last week, when Meghan Markle announced her baby royal's new name (Archie Harrison), accompanied by a photo shoot at Windsor Castle's St. George's Hall, all I could see was her makeup.
Sure, the precious just-born infant was cute and all (really!), but the Duchess of Sussex's subtly smoky brown eye and dewy skin was all this 27-year-old unmarried woman could see. One can always trust Markle to deliver on natural, glowy makeup looks that define her features without looking too, well, makeup-y—and as someone whose instinct is to wear bright products like taxi cab–yellow eye shadow and orange lipstick on an average weekday, I envy her restraint.
So when a recent opportunity to receive a makeup touch-up by celebrity makeup artist and Dior brand ambassador Daniel Martin crossed my desk, I thought, Oh, goodie: I’ll get this makeup master to show me how to put my playful face colors aside in favor of Markle’s more refined aesthetic. Keep scrolling to see how Martin used just six products to re-create this chic Meghan Markle makeup look in less than 10 minutes.
The Occasion
Access to Daniel Martin came courtesy of a fun Dior makeup pop-up happening on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The pop-up is in honor of the brand's makeup artist–inspired Backstage collection (featuring truly essential products experts always want in their kits backstage, like customizable palettes and a huge range of foundations).
The line is launching three new products: their Amber Neutrals Eye Palette, Glow Glitz highlighter Palette, and Face and Body Primer. The latter two products won't hit shelves until June, but they're available for preview at the pop-up, which is open to the public and happening until May 19, so if you live in L.A., you should totally go. (Buy a $45 ticket, and you'll get tips and touch-ups from the makeup artists there, as well as an exclusive product from the collection.)
Martin paid a visit to the pop-up last Friday, and I swung in to ask him for my Meghan Markle look. Here's how he re-created it…
The Inspiration
Defined eyes, dewy skin, and a plump "your-lips-but-better" pout were the features I was aiming for in this Meghan Markle makeup look.
The Before
I was instructed to come into my appointment with most of my base makeup already on, so beforehand, I applied my go-to foundation, concealer, powder, blush, and brow product: Koh Gen Do's holy-grail Aqua Foundation ($70), Kat Von D's Lock-It Concealer Crème ($27), Sisley's new Blur Expert Matte Finishing Powder Veil ($95), Make's Matte Finish Powder Blush in Bisque ($25), and Dior's Diorshow Pump 'n' Brow Squeezable Brow Mascara ($27), which I am newly obsessed with for big, fluffy, natural-looking brows.
The Products
Meghan Markle's eye look used more coffee-colored browns and blacks, but Martin thought the deep purples and plummy brown in this palette of blendable powders would better suit my green eye color. Instead of pencil eyeliner, he used a fine, flat-tipped brush to stamp the dark brown shade against my upper lash line. (I have lash extensions, so there was no need for mascara.)
Martin's favorite product in the entire Backstage collection is the soon-to-be-launched "glitz" version of the brand's existing glow palette. He applied the champagne shade in the top right corner to the high points of my face (cheekbones, nose, cupid's bow, brow bone) as well as to the center of my eyelids to make them shimmer ever so slightly.
As someone whose go-to lip product is matte and coral, if you had told me I was going to actively enjoy how a shimmery purple gloss looked against my warm skin tone, I would have called you batty. I was perplexed and delighted to discover how futuristic, fun, and flattering I found the finish of this minty-tasting, non-sticky gloss. Perhaps it was because the super-hydrating formula really did have serious plumping action.
Where my face makeup needed a little touching up (like under my eyes and on a few blemishes), Martin applied some of the brand's new primer with his fingers. I'm not one for slippery mattifying primers (I honestly just don't understand them), but this hydrating glycerin-and–shea butter formula was super lightweight and had a palpable blurring, glow-inducing effect.
On top of the primer, Martin added just a light layer of this buildable liquid foundation, which I was impressed to find felt like nothing on the skin. He used shade 2Warm on me (there are 40 options in all).
A dusting of powder contour in this palette's darkest shade under my cheekbones and in the sockets of my eyes added just enough definition to make my cheekbones look higher and my eyes bigger. (Martin didn't apply more blush since I was already wearing plenty.)
The Result
Typically when I get my makeup done (even by an industry all-star), I always have a tweak or two—things I would do differently just because I know my face so well. But I was bamboozled to find how quickly Martin understood my face, and with just a few products and 10 minutes was able to adapt Meghan Markle's look to suit it. The part I was most obsessed with was how defined my eyes looked. I'll be snagging this purple-brown palette for myself (and definitely be applying Martin's eye-contour trick… Look how huge they are!). Might have to pick up a tube of that plumping gloss, too.
What do you think? As chic as a newly postpartum princess?
P.S. Shop similar styles to my hair clip and trench coat below...
What’s another celebrity look you’d like a top makeup artist to re-create on our editors? DM us your suggestions on IG at @whowhatwear!
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