Photography: Gareth Fuller – WPA/Getty ImagesBy this point, it’s difficult to imagine there’s something we don’t already know about the royal wedding. Everything from Meghan Markle’s dress to her bouquet to her tiara to her hair to her wedding cake to the blisters she got from her Aquazurra heels has been dissected ad nauseam. (Kidding about that last one— Meghan and Harry handed out slippers to guests so their feet wouldn’t hurt—but with the level of obsession we’re now at, it could be a tabloid headline any minute.) The one detail that’s largely remained a mystery, however, is Markle’s makeup.
We know it was soft, radiant, and—important—not used to cover her freckles. The Internet’s been so enamoured by them, in fact, searches for freckle-friendly makeup spiked on Pinterest immediately after the wedding. Her eyes were neutral with just a sweep of brown shadow, and her lashes somehow didn’t drip black at that lip bite. You know the one.
As Kensington Palace announced on Saturday, the look was created by renowned makeup artist Daniel Martin, a surprise to those who believed the rumours Meghan would be doing her own bridal makeup, like Kate Middleton, but not to those familiar with Martin’s work. Repped by The Wall Group, he got his start with the legendary Pat McGrath and went on to land contracts as a Dior brand ambassador and Honest Beauty’s creative colour consultant. He’s worked with celebrities including Chrissy Teigen, Jessica Alba, Elisabeth Moss—and, of course, Meghan, whom he met during her Suits days.
A post shared by Daniel Martin(@danielmartin) on May 22, 2018 at 3:47pm PDT
Among the beauty community, everyone was in agreement: No one deserved the role more. (Truly, he’s an absolute delight to be around. You should watch some videos we’ve done together!) And it’s in that spirit he’s sharing all of his details from the big day. Read on to get that Markle Sparkle.
A post shared by Kensington Palace(@kensingtonroyal) on May 19, 2018 at 6:16am PDT
Glamour: Everyone was obsessing over Meghan’s freckles. Why was it important to her that they show through?
Daniel Martin: She’s very much about keeping her skin as real and natural as possible. Right now in makeup, so much is covered up and masked by contouring, strobing, and creating this false dimension to what you naturally have. On your wedding day, you want to look back at your photos and think about how great you felt in your dress and not be distracted by how trendy your makeup was in 2018. I focused on bringing out her best self and elevating it to a level, that you’re not necessarily able to achieve yourself.
Glamour: What was your secret to sheering out her foundation so that her natural beauty shined through?
DM: Meghan has incredible skin. 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 the foundation. Then I just balanced and neutralized any discolourations where needed with concealer and foundation. I like to use water-based foundations because it absorbs well into your skin without becoming oily over time.
Glamour: What did you and Meghan discuss for the look? Can you tell us more about that process?
DM: We text a lot because I’m always travelling and the time difference between our two countries is challenging to just hop on a call. So we basically did our trial over the phone! Because we know each other so well, it was actually easy.
Glamour: What was your inspiration for the look?
DM: We didn’t have a specific person as our inspiration, but our anchor descriptions were timeless, effortless, and chic. She wanted to look like her best self.
Glamour: What inspired you and Meghan to do a focus-on-the-eyes look?
DM: 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). 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-eyed look, pulling them out on the outer corners. This added weight to her natural lashes without looking heavy.
Glamour: What’s your secret for such a natural-looking smoky eye?
DM: The trick to this technique is to lay down a base of cream colour all over your lid and layer it with an accompanied eyeshadow. I used shades of warm chestnut, cocoa, and a smudge of rust into her lash line. This melds and breaks down naturally over time, creating a depth that appears smudgy and smoky in pictures.
Glamour: What did you do to make her cheeks look so radiant and glowy?
DM: I used a luminizer with a dual fibre brush to stipple on top of her foundation. I then used my finger to lightly tap a cream coral colour on the apples of her cheeks to add a slight flush as well.
Glamour: What did you use on her lips?
DM: I made sure her lips were well hydrated, but I opted for a tinted lip balm that gave colour without looking like heavy lipstick. We wanted a natural flush.
Glamour: What tricks did you use to make sure Meghan’s makeup stayed in place all day?
DM: We used blotting papers for her forehead, around her nose, and chin. And makeup-wise, I only used powder on her forehead, that’s it!
A post shared by Daniel Martin (@danielmartin) on May 21, 2018 at 4:53am PDT
Glamour: Did you give her any products or touch-up advice for the reception?
DM: After we got her ready for the reception, she was on her own. I gave her her favorite blot papers and lipstick and she was off!
Glamour: Did you do anything to accentuate her shoulders or collarbone in that gorgeous Givenchy gown? What about her Stella McCartney evening dress?
DM: The same luminizer that I used on her face was also on her body. You have to keep the continuity for it to appear harmonious from head to toe.
Glamour: How did you make sure her makeup looked good both in person and in photos?
DM: Because I had to think about live TV, in the church and high noon light, I needed to understand what I could and couldn’t do on her face. With that being said, it’s important where you create the depth and add light. Too much of both can look overdone in both situations and not flattering on a big screen. My advice is to choose your best asset and accentuate it. That helps keeps the balance on camera as well.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Taken from GLAMOUR US. Read the original here.
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