32 hacks the Royal Family use to always look flawless
The beauty and fashion tips from the Royal Family are among the best
The members of the Royal Family are among some of the most photographed people in the world, between them making up to several public appearances a week as they take part in royal engagements, meet with politicians and world leaders and of course maintain busy social calendars.
And with all those cameras poised on them, the family have to look the part - but that's not always easy. With long, taxing days, often contentious weather and sometimes impractical dress codes, it can be tricky to keep up that appearance of perfection.
So, of course, they have a myriad of the very best tips, tricks and hacks in the fashion and beauty biz to keep themselves looking immaculate all the time.
32 hacks the Royal Family use to always look flawless
1. Using a clutch to cover up
We've all had to go through the not-so-elegant process of getting in or out of a car while wearing a not-so-practical outfit - be it a structured dress, tight skirt or low-rise top. But unlike all of us, the Royal Family have to do this while having a bunch of cameras on them. Princess Diana was known to remedy this issue by carrying a clutch bag on evenings out to hold in front of her dress in an effort to protect her modesty in front of the cameras. Genius move if you ask us!
2. Wearing bright colours
Following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Camilla and the other women of the Royal Family love to wear a bright colour when they're out on a royal engagement. Queen Elizabeth II is said to have done it so that she could always be easily seen by onlookers, but we think the bright colours can be super flattering too.
3. Keep hair off the face with a hat
With so much time and effort put into a glowy face of face makeup, it can be a shame when it's disguised by stray tendrils of hair. So for formal events, the Princess of Wales tends to add a hate to her outfit in order to keep her hair out of face.
4. Low updo to prevent kinks
We all love an updo, but when it comes time to take them down you can be left with a bad case of helmet hair or that dreaded telltale kink. The Duchess of Sussex is known to avoid this by opting for low updos that don't pull the hair as much. This way you can let your locks loose without too much hassle.
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5. Neutral makeup looks
While the members of the Royal Family are always very stylish and fashion-forward, they also have to present a certain appearance and always present an elegant and composed impression. So rather than wearing heavy makeup or playing around with different trends, the royals always tend to opt for natural looking makeup looks to enhance their features with simple tweaks.
6. Tights with silicone pads on the heels
While we all like to glam up an outfit with a pair of heels, when it comes to walking around all day we can be left a little worse for wear. Kate Middleton likes to ease this with the help of some handy silicone pads. As well as providing some support in the shoe, they also help to stop slips and slides when you walk.
7. Monochrome staples for off-duty
It can often be tempting to not think too much about how we put our outfits together on off-duty days, so if you're with us in the lazy camp, keeping some monochrome staples on hand like Meghan Markle could be the key to keeping that luxe look on your off days.
8. Eye-catching lip colours
A red lipstick has always been a classic for good reason - it suits pretty much everyone, there are endless shades to suit different undertones and it makes an elegant impact. Of course, the royals know this, so this is one of their go-to looks for glitzy events.
9. Keeping up with current hair trends
Simple beauty looks doesn't mean that the royals don't keep up with the trends. While the Duchess of Cambridge tends to keep her haircuts quite classic, she has been known to try out a trend or two - and we have to say, we think her side fringe is a keeper.
10. Wearing heavy materials and fitted silhouettes
To maintain their classic elegance, the Royal Family tend to opt for fitted silhouettes in their clothing choices and heavy materials that are made from good quality - especially for those days when the wind might not be on their side!
11. Facial toning exercises
We don't all have the time or budget for regular facials, but the Duchess of Sussex swears by at-home exercises for keeping her face toned and sculpted. In a past interview with beauty subscription service Birchbox, she said: “I do facial exercises from one of my favorite aestheticians, Nicola Joss, who basically has you sculpt your face from the inside out. I swear it works, as silly as you may feel. On the days I do it, my cheekbones and jawline are way more sculpted."
12. Delicate makeup looks
Not wanting to make too much of an impact aesthetically, the royals often opt for subtle and delicate makeup colours. Think hues of light pinks, taupes and browns - Meghan, Duchess of Sussex even wore Charlotte Tilbury's famous nude lipstick shade 'Very Victoria' on her wedding day to Prince Harry.
13. Muted hair colours
A family who likes to keep it classic and simple when trying to look their best, the royals tend to opt for quite muted but elegant hair colours. We love Catherine's light chestnut shade that really suits her fair skin tone/green eye colour combination.
14. Leather insoles to avoid sore feet
Walking around in high heels all day definitely isn't the easiest of feats, so the Princess of Wales often opts for leather insoles to make her footwear slightly more fitted and avoid sore feet at the end of the day.
15. Bodysuits to keep outfit in place
The Duchess of Sussex loves a tucked in top with trousers or skirt combo - but more than just being for style reasons, this kind of fit actually helps to keep your outfit in place and avoid any unwanted midriff slips or even worse, your top flying around in the wind!
16. Neutral, earthy or monochrome tones for engagements
For business days, the Royal Family always knock it out of the park in the style stakes. The stylish group tend to stick to chic neutrals, monochromes or earthy tones to really make an elegant impression when they're out and about.
17. Dainty jewellery
As well as our bodies, we all love to dress up out hands, wrists and necks when we're putting an outfit together. But for working days, the royals tend to keep things simple with dainty but stylish jewellery for an elegant finish.
18. Hairnets
An updo is rarely perfect without even one stray hair ruining the sleek look we've spent hours creating - even if we use a can full of hairspray. Kate Middleton overcomes the well-known struggle by finishing her look with a very light hairnet to keep everything in place. Genius!
19. Classic designers
The Royal Family of course get to wear some of the best fashion brands in the world. From Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen wedding dress and Meghan Markle's much-talked-about Givenchy number to more modern looks like Meghan's iconic red Safiyaa dress and Catherine's multiple outings in The Vampire's Wife.
And while of course every outfit in between that the royals wear is made up of pieces that come from iconic fashion houses the world over, they do often stick to classic brands for their staples, with the Princess of Wales, among other Royal Family members, known for an affinity for Aspinal of London handbags.
20. Undereye concealer
We all need a bit of highlighter to brighten up our eyes in the morning. And in a past interview with beauty subscription brand Birchbox, Meghan advised to use just that, saying: "To open up your eyes, apply a highlighter like Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat in the inner corner—this trick is especially good when we're filming at 3 a.m. and I need to look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."
21. Match jewellery to formal clothing
Gold or silver jewellery? It's the conundrum that many of us face when we're planning an outfit, so why not do like the royals do and match your jewellery to your outfit? We think it works particularly well for a formal look like this one of Duchess Catherine.
22. Neutral nail shades
It's been said that the royals tend to neutral nail colours and don't go too bright or glamourous with their manicures. While some might not be on the nude nail hype, we think a light colour on the nails looks super elegant.
23. Go up a shoe size
According to fashion expert Harriet Davey, who spoke out in a past interview with The Sun, royals often wear shoes that are one size too big. Explaining the reasoning behind this, she said: "Celebs often go a size up, or even two, in the shoe department when they're at an event or on the red carpet, and it's for one reason we can all relate to—to avoid blisters."
24. Wear combs in your hat
If there's a group of people who loves a hat to finish off their outfit, it's the British Royal Family. But with all the moving around one might do in a day out at an engagement, the pesky headwear might not always stay in place. So Princess Diana apparently remedied this by wearing hats with hidden combs inside - to keep both her hat and her hair in place.
25. Use a toothbrush on flyaways
Flyaways really are the worst when you want to create a sleek hairdo. According to a past interview with beauty brand Birchbox, Duchess Meghan fixes this pesky annoyance with a toothbrush, saying: "I spray hairspray on a small boar bristle toothbrush (a regular toothbrush also works great!) to lightly brush them down or smooth the hairline—this is especially good for a sleek bun when I'm off-camera."
26. Add weights to skirts and dresses
No-one wants to mistakenly flash someone when the wind decides to pick up, but it would be especially bad if you had numerous cameras pointed at you - oh and you were a member of the Royal Family. So apparently, the royals sometimes weigh down their more floaty outfits with interior weights to stop this from happening. So clever!
27. Lash serum
Long, full and fluttery lashes are a goal for many of us, but sometimes we can use the best mascaras, primers and eyelash curlers we can find and it still doesn't do the trick. But the Duchess of Sussex is known for using lash serum in her beauty routine to keep her lashes in good health and encourage growth. While some might be dubious about the efficacy of such products, our in-house beauty editor swears by it too!
28. Middle parting in the hair
Most of us will have experimented with numerous different hair partings over the years, but at the end of the day, it's the middle parting most of us will come back to at some point or the other, for one simple - it's said to be universally flattering. And while it could take some getting used to for some, it's a really reliable way to open up your facial features and elongate the appearance of your face shape.
29. Smart practical footwear
High heels might be great for some, but at the end of the day, all of our feet need their rest days. The royals keep up appearances on their down days by opting for chic footwear the still looks smart - even without the heel.
30. Regular facials
While it's not an option for everyone, members of the Royal Family are known for getting regular facials to keep their skin in healthy condition. The Duchess of Sussex in particular is known to be a fan of skincare expert and facialist Sarah Chapman, visiting her London clinic whenever she's across this side of the pond. We're definitely advocates for regular facials wherever possible, or for replicating the treatments yourself at home!
31. Always wear a coat
While the royals are out and about in all types of weather, you won't tend to see them without some sort of outerwear over their clothes. An easy way to pull an outfit together and make a smart impression, it's an indispensable tip.
32. Accessories to suit skin undertone
While most of us choose our accessories based on the colour of our outfit, an easy tweak to make to ensure you're looking really good is to match instead to your skin undertone.
While those with a blue skin undertone (this tends to be people with fairer skin) suit silver accessories better, those with a greener undertone (olive and darker skin tones) tend to suit gold better. Take a leaf out of Meghan's book and try the flattering trick.
Aleesha is Digital Beauty Editor at woman&home, where she gets to share her expertise into all the best techniques, sharpest tools and newest products—with a particular savvy in skincare and fragrance.
Previously, she was Deputy Editor and Beauty & Fashion Editor for My Imperfect Life, where she headed up the beauty, fashion and eCommerce pages. In the past, she has worked as Shopping Writer at woman&home, gained an AOP awards nomination after working on their news team, contributed to Women's Health, Stylist and Goodto and earned an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London.
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