Meghan Markle Makeup Mistakes We Just Couldn't Ignore

Meghan Markle is a beauty icon, but, sometimes, even this expert makeup wearer has an off day — despite her application technique seeming foolproof. "My routine is very simple — I call it the five-minute face," Markle told Allure in 2014. "It's just Touche Éclat, curled lashes, mascara, Chap Stick, and a little bit of blush. That is my favorite kind of look." The Duchess of Sussex was also asked how her routine differed from her suave "Suits" character Rachel Zane, to which she responded, "I am so much more low-key in real life." Her makeup artist Daniel Martin even told People in 2018 multi-talented Markle doesn't always rely on a glam squad. "She's gotten more comfortable doing her own makeup. She loves makeup and she's good at it!" he said.

When Markle became a working member of the royal family she's amped up her glam, and she carried that mantra into her life after stepping away from the role. But she's made a few makeup mistakes before and after rubbing shoulders with royalty that we just couldn't ignore.

Meghan Markle appeared at Westminster Abbey in 2019 and left an unintentional lasting mark on a D-Day veteran named William Allen after her foundation transferred onto the shoulder of his jacket. That can be an unfortunate foundation side-effect, particularly of more dewy formulas (which Markle seems to prefer). It can usually be prevented by starting with a primer, opting for a long wear, matte foundation, then applying a setting powder and setting spray such as Urban Decay's All Nighter Waterproof Makeup Setting Spray or L'Oreal Paris' Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray Mist.

Thankfully, Allen didn't seem to mind the mishap. Daily Mail's royal editor Rebecca English claimed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he said of the stain, "I'm never washing that!"

Several years before Meghan Markle's transfer disaster, she had a concealer mishap. The star appeared at the George Lopez/Great Chefs of LA Event in 2006 wearing concealer that highlighted the (barely there) dark circles under her eyes instead of covering them and brightening the area. It was also set with too much light powder, making it look ashy and dry.

To avoid the same mistake, focus on your concealer's undertones and consider adopting the color correction technique. For Markle, an orange concealer may have better complimented her warm undertones and camouflaged any blue or purple tones. The star also needed to remember less is more with undereyes by not applying so much setting powder.

At the Anti-Defamation League Entertainment Industry Awards dinner in 2011, Meghan Markle experienced the dreaded powder flashback Brittany Mahomes also fell victim to. Fortunately, the accident could have been a lot worse, but the then future royal was forced to pose with an obviously chalky, white patch in the middle of her nose and above her nostrils.

This usually happens when powders contain silica, which don't always work with flash photography. The ingredient reflects light, meaning cosmetics that appear translucent to the naked eye look white in pictures. This was a rare time it happened to Markle though, which is an impressive feat for someone so heavily photographed.

We're used to seeing Meghan Markle wear neutral and natural makeup shades, so it was a surprise when she paired hot pink lipstick with light pink eyeshadow. She wore the look to a Tory Burch fashion show in 2013, but the bold, cool tone on her lips and light shade on her eyes didn't compliment her skin's undertones and washed her out. Markle has a warmer undertone, so a pink lipstick with underlying shades of red, peach, or orange would have worked better with warm brown shadow.

Don't expect to see Markle regularly adopt a striking lip, though. Daniel Martin told People of why she doesn't stray from nude shades often, "The one time she did a red lip, she just didn't feel comfortable in it."

Meghan Markle supported her husband Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in 2023, but, unfortunately, her bronzer was distracting. The deep, orange tone looked too heavy in photographs and the high placement wasn't blended with her hairline, which made her cheeks appear bruised rather than healthy and tan.

For a more natural glow, apply bronzer as the last step in your makeup routine with a light hand. That can prevent it from looking patchy and moving around as other products are placed on top. It can also stop it mixing with the likes of foundation, contour, or blush, which makes it appear muddy.