The secrets behind Duchess Meghan and Duchess Catherine's royal wedding looks

Copy their looks with the exact products they used on their big days...

(Image credit: Getty Images)

When it comes to a wedding day, it's vital that the bride looks and feels her very best - after all, the wedding snaps are normally destined to adorn hallways and living rooms forever.

And two famous brides who looked undoubtedly elegant on their wedding days were the two royal Duchess's - the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duchess of Sussex.

Catherine married Prince William in a central London ceremony in April 2011, while Meghan and Prince Harry tied the knot seven years later, at Windsor Castle in May 2018.

MORE:The best spa deals now that health spas have reopened in the UK

While both royal women opted for different bridal looks - Catherine, a traditional lace dress with a half-up, half-down hairstyle, and Meghan, a modern, simple gown with an elegant bun hairdo - both women nailed the polished, stylish, yet timeless vibe almost all brides aim for.

So just how did they do it? We uncover the secrets behind the Duchess's two wedding looks - and how you can emulate it yourself with a few products Meghan and Catherine actually used themselves...

Duchess of Cambridge's wedding look: what products did she use?

Her hair

The future Queen is well known for her bouncy, glossy locks, so how did she get them looking their best on her big day?

It's reported that Catherine is a big fan of Kerastase products for maintaining her hair, so there's every chance she used their products in the lead-up to her wedding. In fact, rumours have flown for years that the Duchess uses the Kérastase Bain Oleo-Relax shampoo (on sale for £17.15), which aims to cleanse your hair of build-up and rids you of frizz, leaving your hair looking sleek and taken care of.

Her makeup

Reportedly, Catherine (impressively) did her own makeup for her wedding day, and used products from her go-to brand, Bobbi Brown. These are the secrets behind the Kate Middleton wedding makeup look...

MORE:This Duchess Meghan Markle gorgeous affordable jumpsuit favourite is back in stock

It's said that the royal adores the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation. The product isn't widely available anymore, but the updated version - their Long-Wear Weightless Foundation - is, for £32.

kate middleton wedding makeup

For her lips, it has been widely reported that her favourite lipstick is the Bobbi Brown sandwash pink, a light pink/nude colour that compliments her fairer complexion. So there's every chance she wore it on her wedding, where she sported a pink lip. You can buy it here for just £24.50.

Her nails

We didn't get to see too much of Catherine's nails on her big day, but from the glimpses that were available, the Duchess of Cambridge was wearing a chic nude colour.

It's rumoured that she was given a custom shade for her wedding day from manicurist Marina Sandoval, who has said that she mixed a pink Bourjois colour, So Laque Ultra Shine in Rose Lounge, with the nude shade Allure, by Essie to create her perfect nail colour.

Both are very affordable, with the Essie nail polish priced at just £7.99. In fact, it's reported that the Queen wears a very similar shade, and may have even recommended it to Prince William's wife for her wedding.

Her perfume

While plenty of the royal's wedding products are affordable, one that is a little more pricey is the perfume she reportedly wore.

It's thought that Catherine opted for Illuminum’s White Gardenia Petals, which will set you back £125. Sadly though, at the moment, the product is out of stock.

MORE: Best wedding gifts - unique ideas for every type of couple that will be appreciated more than cash

With top notes of bergamot, cassis and lily, it's reported to be a floral but delicate scent, with amber wood underscoring the 'bouquet'. Sounds lovely!

Reports at the time also stated that the Duke and Duchess decided to use a wedding scent too, dotting Jo Malone candles around their wedding venues. It's said that Catherine's favourite is the Orange Blossom, which retails for £48 at John Lewis & Partners.

Her tan

While Catherine may well have been enjoying a natural glow on her wedding day, it's thought that she's a big fan of the XEN-TAN Instant Bronzing Mist, which is available for £27.98, here.

Duchess of Sussex's wedding look: what products did she use?

Her hair

Meghan Markle's hair has become iconic around the world - with almost all of us envious over her thick and bouncy long locks.

Prior to her time as a royal, the Duchess of Sussex revealed her go-to hair products to keep it healthy. She explained, "There are two lines I use religiously: Kerastase (Masquintense & the Oleo Relax line) and Wella, which has a hair oil that I am obsessed with. It smells like vacation and makes your hair slippery and touchable. I love this stuff!"

You can buy theMasquintense, a nourishing masque for dry hair, here, for £29. It's not clear exactly which Wella hair oil Meghan uses, but this Luminous Smoothing Oil appears to be their most popular one - it's available for £17.80.

Her makeup

Meghan has undeniably incredible skin, and there's no doubt that a good base to work with helps to create a polished and flawless look.

But according to Vogue, Meghan's makeup artist - close friend and Dior brand ambassador - Daniel Martin, used an array of products to nail her wedding makeup look. Read on to discover the Meghan Markle wedding makeup...

meghan markle wedding makeup

She reportedly wore the Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation on her big day, which is on sale for just £30 and comes in 40 different shades. It's said that Daniel also used the Dior Backstage Contour Palette and Highlight on Meghan, which you get yourself from Boots for £34.

The Duchess of Sussex has often spoken of her love for the Nars Orgasm Blush, which she says has "a perfect rosy flush tone that brightens the face", so there's every chance she used that on her wedding day too. It's on sale for £25 here.

And, to make sure Meghan's look lasted all day, Daniel explained to Glamour that he used a very simple trick - blotting papers.

A photo posted by on

He said, "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!"

While we don't know exactly which blotting papers the Duchess used, these £26 Chanel ones certainly look fit for a royal.

Her nails

It had been reported that the Duchess chose an affordable Essie colour for her wedding nails, just like her sister-in-law. According to reports at the time, she was wearing the nude-pink Essie shade Ballet Slippers, which is on sale for £7.99.

However, a new report from Vogue claims that Meghan actually chose a CND Shellac manicure for her big day, from London hotspot Dryby.

meghan markle wedding makeup

Apparently she decided on a custom nude/pink mani, with a layer ofCND Shellac Unmasked, topped with two layers of CND Shellac Negligee. While you can likely find the colours available at a local salon, you can also purchase the colours on Amazon too - find Unmasked for £14.89 here, and Negligee for £15.95 here.

Her perfume

It's not known which scent the Duchess of Sussex decided on for her wedding to Prince Harry, but she has shared her favourite perfumes before, prior to meeting her royal husband.

She has revealed that she loves theOribe Côte d’Azur Eau de Parfum (£65), as well as Jo Malone's Wild Bluebell Cologne (£48), and their Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne (also £48)- a royal favourite brand it seems! So could she have been wearing either on her wedding day?

In fact, it's also been reported that Harry and Meghan used this scent on their wedding day, to fragrance their venue

So will you be snapping up any of the Duchess's favourite products for your wedding day, or for everyday use?

Amy Hunt

Amy Hunt is an experienced digital journalist specialising in homes, interiors and hobbies. She began her career working as the features assistant at woman&home magazine, before moving over to the digital side of the brand where she eventually became the Lifestyle Editor up until January 2022. Amy won the Digital Journalist of the Year award at the AOP Awards in 2019 for her work on womanandhome.com.