Beauty Rules The Royals Are Forced To Follow

The world of the royals seems equal parts alluring and fabulous for many people. Obviously, with all the gorgeous jewels, outfits, palaces, events, and titles, it certainly seems as though the royal family has it all. However, the lives of the royal family aren't all glitz and glam. In fact, they have to adhere to quite a few rules and regulations in order to be a part of such a prestigious line. From dress codes to etiquette rules and so much more, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and everyone else in the royal family has to be mindful of a lot of the high standards that have been set before them.

Obviously, the royals have to dress appropriately and behave with manners and grace at all times, and, in fact, there are a great many rules that they all have to follow. Specifically, there are quite a few beauty rules they have to follow that are seriously specific and are likely pretty hard to adhere to. Regarding makeup, hair, and nails, the beauty rules the royals have to follow are super strict. As nice as it might be to be married to a prince, these rules are still intense.

When most people think about beauty, they think about makeup, hair, and skin. And while those are certainly all important aspects of beauty, focusing only on those three areas leaves a lot out. For instance, fingernails and toenails are a big part of beauty routines these days. From manicures and pedicures to fake nails and nail polish, the way a person's nails look can say a lot about them. In fact, many people use nail polish as a way to express themselves and their personalities. But not royals Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle. 

The royal family has some pretty strict rules when it comes to nails. There's a reason you won't ever see Kate or Meghan out there rocking inch-long acrylic nails, and it's not because they don't want to. Sources told OK! magazine that "fake nails or coloured nail polish is deemed vulgar by the royal family." Though vibrant shade aren't exactly banned, according to People, the queen apparently doesn't approve of bright colors on fingernails, so no one in the royal family would dare to sport something like a neon yellow manicure. It's as simple as that.

For women and men across the world, nail polish is a fun and exciting way to express themselves and to feel pretty. And with so many amazing colors, it's easy to constantly switch up your look. But for royals, most nail polish colors are kind of frowned upon. However, while it's a rule to have nails looking trimmed and proper, one kind of nail polish is permitted and even admired by the queen herself.

According to People, Queen Elizabeth II has only been seen wearing one nail polish shade her entire life: Essie's "Ballet Slippers." The polish is a light pink color that's almost sheer, and it is a favorite of the queen. In fact, the queen's hairdresser once said that it was "the only color Her Majesty would wear," per People. Both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have followed the rule of no bright nail polish since entering the royal family, and their fingernails always look perfectly ladylike. 

It is understood that members of the royal family shouldn't go too crazy with their hair. You'll just never see Meghan Markle or Queen Elizabeth II rocking bright blue locks, though that'd be a sight to see! After all, can you even imagine the field day the press would have if Prince William stepped out with pink hair? Understandably, natural and tame hair is a lot more professional and serious, which is definitely the tone the royals seem to want to set with their looks. 

According to Vogue, royal members' hair "should look effortlessly and naturally beautiful, silky smooth, and neat, even when pulled into a ponytail." Hopefully, no one in the royal family has any desire to go out and get feathers put in their hair or purple highlights, as it's definitely not allowed. Just another rule the royals must adhere to!

Unlike celebrities, royals are never spotted out and about looking anything less than perfect. Think about it. Since Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle joined the royal family, have they ever been seen wearing sweatpants with no makeup and their hair in a greasy, messy bun? Never. The royal family must always look put together, and, as such, it appears as though it's required for them to always have perfect hair.

In fact, according to Vogue, while Markle might be known for her low bun with a few strands framing her face, it's still clean, simple, and put together, so she isn't breaking the rules. "Meghan Markle's signature messy bun might have a few fly-aways, but it certainly abides along these lines," Vogue noted. Additionally, according to Us Weekly, Middleton has been known to get her hair blown out three times a week to keep it always looking perfect. Clearly, the royal family knows a thing or two about looking flawless while still following the rules.

While Meghan Markle's signature low bun might not technically break the rules (via Vogue), if her style were less put together, featured unwashed hair, or were any messier, it would break the royals' rules. Of course, since becoming a member of the royal family, Markle has definitely elevated her messy buns, and has worn a lot more of the chic, blown-out styles her sister-in-law Kate Middleton is known for. Still, it's important to note that messy buns in general are sort of frowned upon.

Harper's Bazaar Arabia explained, "It would be an understatement to say that the 'messy ballerina bun' is virtually non-existent in the royal world. Between the Queen's carefully coifed hair, Kate Middleton's signature everyday blow-out and Duchess Camilla's poised flicks, royal hair is generally very put together." Markle may or may not be breaking the "neat hair" rule with her bun, but that much is up to the queen to decide. Even if she is, though, she still looks totally chic.

The royals have a few rules when it comes to makeup. Obviously, women in the royal family wear makeup and are not often seen without it, in fact. However, that doesn't mean the queen is okay with them running around with dramatic smoky eyes or bright pink eyeshadow. On the contrary! Another royal family beauty rule is that eye makeup must be kept simple.

For example, even on her wedding day, Kate Middleton, who famously did her own makeup on her big day, didn't go overboard with the eyeshadow or eyeliner. According to People, Middleton stuck with neutral eye makeup on her big day. Additionally, Middleton keeps it simple on a daily basis. "Even though you might see her add a smoky eye or an extra lick of mascara for a night-time event, Catherine rarely does 'heavy' makeup," noted Marie Claire Australia. "Between her medium-coverage foundation and light eye makeup, the Duchess usually keeps things simple..." Elegant and understated seems to be the royal family's motto when it comes to beauty.

As much as Queen Elizabeth II prefers to keep things muted in the world of makeup and beauty, there's no denying the fact that she loves lipstick. In fact, according to Marie Claire Australia, the queen insists on lipstick, but only in muted shades. "There's a reason why you'll never see the Duchess rocking a bold red lip, or a bright berry colour — it isn't really in protocol to go above nude or pink," noted Marie Claire. "Although Queen Elizabeth has a signature pink lip, the rest of the royal court steers clear of bright colours."

Clearly, the queen means business when it comes to makeup, especially lipstick. According to Marie Claire, she "even commissioned her own lipstick shade to match her coronation robes at the 1952 ceremony" — "The Balmoral Lipstick" — and she continues to wear the same shade to this day. So, while royals Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton may stick to muted shades of lipstick, the queen can do whatever she wants. After all, she makes the rules.

Queen Elizabeth II simply doesn't approve of all makeup. In fact, it appears to be a rule of the royal family that face makeup should never be overdone. According to Harper's Bazaar Arabia, royals typically avoid contouring. The magazine explained, "For the purpose of not looking 'overdone,' royals don't usually wear contour — or, if they do, it's very light." 

Meghan Markle almost broke this rule when she contoured her face at the 2017 royal Christmas celebration, according to Harper's Bazaar. However, as it wasn't too overdone, it was apparently acceptable. However, Markle is also known to use a highlighter to give her face that sun-kissed glow, according to Hello!, and she still does so in a natural, muted manner. Kate Middleton, on the other hand, has never been seen with her face contoured, even in a minor way, and neither has the queen. Basically, their face makeup routines are the exact opposite of the Kardashians.

As royals aren't keen on looking messy or unkempt, it would make sense that there'd be a rule about the public application of makeup. According to Marie Claire Australia, members of the royal family aren't allowed to fix their makeup while in public. To be fair, it wouldn't be very royal-like to see Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle out and about, applying blush in the backseat of a car like most women. The fact is, they aren't most women, so they have different rules to live by.

Plus, this rule actually makes sense, as the royals are often at events for hours on end, and it wouldn't be very polite to pull out a mirror and touch up their concealer. "This means that, throughout the day, her makeup and hair must stay flawless," Marie Claire reported, regarding Kate Middleton's beauty looks, noting that setting powder is key.

The royal family always looks perfect, but since they aren't allowed to reapply their makeup in public, constantly looking flawless must be pretty hard. But, of course, the women of the royal family make it look easy.

Considering how the royals feel about things that aren't always picture-perfect, it's understandable that hair spray would be an important product in their arsenals. In fact, according to Marie Claire Australia, hair spray is a must-have. Regarding Kate Middleton's hair, the magazine shared, "This one is a relative no-brainer. When she is out on an engagement, Catherine is representing the Queen, so she always has to look put-together. This means no un-styled hair, no makeup-less face and no messy ballet-buns."

In fact, Marie Claire reported that the Duchess herself used a budget-friendly hair spray to achieve her perfect, glossy waves. Additionally, London jewelry expert Geoffrey Munn told Town & Country that hair spray helps tiaras and other jeweled hairpieces stay put in the hair of the royal family. Royals attend so many events, outings, galas, and parades that using hair spray would truly be an important beauty rule for them to follow. After all, it wouldn't look all that great if Middleton's perfect waves started to fall an hour into an appearance, now would it?

Perhaps the royals' biggest beauty rule regards the use of hair nets. While hair nets might seem outdated, Kate Middleton is a big fan of them and for good reason. According to Marie Claire Australia, one of the royal family's biggest beauty rules is that their hair must always look flawless, even when sporting a complicated updo. "Achieving this requires a few tricks," Marie Claire reported. This apparently includes "a sneaky hairnet to keep her up-dos from unravelling."

Hairnets might seem outdated and useless to non-royals, but using them makes so much sense. Think of all the loose strands that are at risk when Middleton wears a tiara with her hair up?  The hairnets prevent stray hairs from poking out and keeps her looking fabulous at all times, as well as keeps her sticking to the royal family beauty rules. Middleton honestly might just be following the rules when she uses hairnets, but she's also managing to look incredible polished and put together. All in all, hairnets are a win-win.

Just because the royal family has to follow a lot of beauty rules doesn't mean that they can't have some fun when it comes to expressing themselves with their hairstyles. Sure, their hair should always look tame, but that doesn't mean they have to wear the exact same style every day. You might never see Meghan Markle with platinum hair, but she can still experiment with hairstyles now and again. In fact, according to Marie Claire Australia, it's kind of a rule that royals shouldn't wear the same exact hairstyle all the time. "When it comes to her hair, Catherine never keeps it the same way for long," Marie Claire noted, regarding Kate Middleton. "Over the past several years in the spotlight, Duchess Catherine has gone from long waves, to shoulder-grazing curls, to a fringe, and a deep side part. The constant switching-up means she always has a fresh look."

Obviously, members of the royal family must always look flawless when out and about, but they must also always look fresh and stylish. Hence, they can't just keep wearing the same hairstyle every single day.

Members of the royal family must take great care of their skin. No matter what royals' skincare routines are specifically, it is of the utmost importance that they keep their faces looking healthy, clear, and glowing. According to Byrdie, facials can also be a part of royals' routines, as the publication noted, "Days before the royal wedding, Kate Middleton got a bee venom facial from popular English beautician Deborah Mitchell."

Additionally, Meghan Markle told Allure in 2014 that she places a lot of value on skincare — and that was before she was a royal! "The one thing that I cannot live without when I'm traveling is a small container of tea tree oil," she said. "It's not the most glamorous thing, but if you get a cut, a mosquito bite, a small breakout, no matter what it is, it's my little cure-all. It's inexpensive, it's small enough to carry on, and I bring it with me all the time."