We Finally Know Kate Middleton's Beauty Routine

It takes a village to help Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, look posh on the daily. It also takes a solid beauty routine. Always a magnet for tabloid paparazzi, Kate is used to being photographed at all hours of the day from royal galas to school drop-offs. As a result, Kate has to always be the picture of perfection as you can't afford to have a bad hair day when you're a future queen. That's a lot of pressure. 

But Kate doesn't do it alone. She has help from her glam squad, although sometimes she likes to do it herself. From her signature blowout to her flawless skin, this mother of three proves that a regular beauty routine is attainable, no matter how busy your schedule is. And it doesn't always have to break the bank. Though Kate isn't always an open book when it comes to many personal topics, including her beauty routine, we've scoured the Internet to piece together Kate Middleton's guide to all things beauty, from what facial she loves to how she gets that new mom glow every time. 

Simplicity is key for Kate Middleton. As she's evolved from a tomboy into a high-profile fashionista and embraced the role of Duchess, she's passed on bold lip colors and cakey foundations for a more natural look — a neutral lip, long-lasting foundation, and a gentle smoky eye — that always photographs well. 

The Daily Mail compared Kate's past and current looks and found that Kate has eased off the heavy eyeliner in favor of clean lines and dewy makeup. Makeup artist Samantha Mercer at  makeup and hair company The Dollz told the Daily Mail that Kate's look is polished and simple. "When she's not being pampered by a make-up artist she needs something quick and easy to do herself and with her perfect skin she really doesn't need to be adding much coverage, just highlighting in the right places and a touch of pink blush," Mercer said. 

As far as her glossy tresses go, they're typically blown out into her iconic look that is as natural as it is elegant, as noted by People. Kate's definitely proof that a little goes a long way.

Kate Middleton's a busy lady, and, as such, her makeup needs endurance. That is why she carries with her certain essential beauty products, according to Marcia Moody, author of Kate: A Biography. Moody told Glamour that the duchess always has a compact mirror, which she probably uses to make sure there's no spinach stuck in her teeth and that every strand of hair is in place. She reportedly also carries a handkerchief, lip balm, and blotting paper, which is essential for a shine-free forehead and is probably why Kate never looks sweaty in photos. 

In another interview, this time with Parade, Moody said Kate hasn't always been so polished. She was a tomboy growing up and more inclined towards sports than makeup. "The real Kate is very much a lady, and this comes across when she's in public, but underneath is still the girl who likes a bit of rough and tumble. She certainly doesn't mind getting her hands dirty," she added. On an official royal trip to Ireland in March 2020, fans saw Kate kicking around a ball like the tomboy she is — while somehow managing to have a shine-free complexion – Hello! reported. Impressive!

Kate Middleton prefers a dewy foundation, which is probably one of the reasons why her skin always looks so radiant, Good Housekeeping reported. In the past, Kate's been a fan of Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation, according to Her, and she even wore the product on her royal wedding day in 2011. TV presenter Niki McEwan told the Daily Mail that Kate's choice of a dewier foundation, as opposed to a matte one, gives her a "more youthful, fresh look to the skin," noting, "Any foundation with light reflecting particles can bring the illusion of luminosity to skin, whether it's there on your skin or not." 

Good Housekeeping praised Kate's look, writing that her foundation is a perfect match for her skin color. So how can us commoners achieve Kate's complexion? According to Good Housekeeping, one of the best ways is to "test the foundation on your jawline in daylight, making sure it blends well with both your face and neck."

So how exactly does Kate Middleton always look so rosy? Well, it's worth noting that she has naturally killer cheekbones, so that would probably make any blush look good on her. But, according to the Daily Mail, she opts for cream over powder blush. In the article, beauty company The Dollz founder Samantha Mercer said Kate's make-up has never looked better and one of the reasons is her use of cream blush, which "leaves a gorgeous dewy sheen on the skin to finish off the look." 

According to Good Housekeeping, the Duchess prefers a peach or soft pink shade, and the publication suggested NARS Blush in Orgasm or MAC Powder Blush in Dame to achieve Kate's look. Though Kate loves soft blush shades, she isn't afraid of trying a bold color now and then. She was spotted at Princess Eugenie of York's wedding in 2018 wearing a bright fuchsia dress and a bright pink blush to match, as reported by Harper's Bazaar.  

Sometimes makeup alone isn't enough. Every beauty routine needs a solid skincare plan, and Kate Middleton has that down. The mother of three is always glowing in photographs, even in ones where she just recently gave birth, emerging from London's St. Mary's hospital to debut her newborn.  

So how does she achieve that new mom glow every time? Well, with the help of skincare products like Trilogy's organic rosehip oil, which reportedly has been Kate's go-to during her pregnancies, according to InStyle. The royalty-approved oil is also a favorite among celebrities like Cara Delevingne and Victoria Beckham (via Who What Wear). The face and body product contains vitamin C and fatty acids and helps reduce wrinkles and even stretch marks, as noted by Trilogy. It's also rich in antioxidants. "Antioxidants help fend of free radical damage, so it's great to layer with your regular sunscreen to protect against the collagen-damaging effect of UVA rays," dermatologist Joshua Zeichner told InStyle. 

There's a lot of unique beauty products out there, and Kate Middleton's known to use one made out of anti-aging bee venom, Vanity Fair reported. Yes, you read that right. Bee venom. 

The product is called Heaven's bee venom mask from Deborah Mitchell. Vanity Fair described the mask as a "natural alternative to Botox." And the venom comes from worker bees. The product, which contains venom from worker bees, prompts the "tightening, firming and lifting" of skin while also containing healing properties for people "with blemished skin, rosacea, eczema, [and] dry and mature skin," according to Heaven Skincare.

Heaven has a line of bee-venom products, including several masks that range between $98 to over $500. It's no surprise that Kate uses these products, as Deborah Mitchell has worked with the royals for years, according to Hello! magazine. Kate even used the product prior to her wedding day at the suggestion of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. "Kate is absolutely gorgeous and remarkably on the quiet side," Mitchell told the publication. "She's so sweet though and she hasn't got many spots."

In 2019, British plastic surgeon Dr. Munir Somji of London's Dr. MediSpa clinic claimed Kate Middleton uses Botox, even hinting she was a client of his, as Page Six reported. An Instagram post from Somji, which was taken down, showed alleged before-and-after photos of the Duchess of Cambridge to promote the plastic surgery procedure. In the caption, he reportedly wrote, "Our Kate loves a bit of baby Botox." 

A Palace spokesperson denied Kate's use of Botox in a statement to Page Six that discredited the doctor's post as "categorically not true" and "in addition, The Royal Family never endorse commercial activity." The spa clinic's marketing manager, Sammy Curry, told the publication that baby Botox is injected differently than regular Boto and is "deposited in smaller amounts." She also said "[Dr. Somji] just wanted to show the transformation that it can create and obviously how it can be used for subtle results and how it's really good for anti-aging." 

While there's nothing wrong with getting Botox if you want to, it doesn't seem that Kate has ever had the procedure done and that works well for her!

It's no secret that Kate Middleton loves a good eyeliner. In the past, she's opted for a heavy black ring around her eyes, such as at her wedding where she reportedly wore Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner. Nowadays, she prefers a more subtle eyeliner look, as Good Housekeeping reported. She often pairs a soft smoky eye with black eyeliner across the upper lashes and out to the sides, creating a flick effect. Occasionally she'll line her lower lashes, but smudges the bottom line for a softer look. 

TV presenter Niki McEwan told the Daily Mail, "As your skin matures you want your under eye area to look as clean, bright and fresh as possible," noting, "The more light you can allow under your eye the more refreshed, refined and youthful your under-eye area will look." Kate Middleton has certainly never looked more youthful.

If you follow Kate Middleton's look, you know she never rocks a bold red lip. It might be strategic given the embarrassment it would cause if she were ever to be photographed with bright lipstick on her teeth. However, that's not an issue with soft pink and creamy nude colors, which Kate is often seen wearing. According to PopSugar, the duchess likes wearing Bobbi Brown's lipstick shade "sandwash pink," though she's been spotted with a subtle mauve color for more formal events. 

To get Kate's look, Good Housekeeping recommends choosing a lipstick color similar to your lips' natural shade. You can even try a lipstick inspired by Kate called The Duchess, a tea-rose pink shade from Charlotte Tilbury, which is totally a color she would rock, as Elle reported. 

Kate's also a fan of using Clarins lip products. While Kate's not usually seen with beauty products, she was spotted at a Wimbledon tennis match in 2019 using Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector Gloss, according to Today. 

Kate Middleton has a team of hairstylists, makeup artists, and fashion advisers behind most every one of her looks. Thanks to hairstylists, such as Amanda Cook Tucker, she always has amazing hair. According to Vanity Fair, Cook Tucker does Kate's hair in the royal's Kensington Palace home. The hairstylist often travels with the royal family and is with them during major milestones, including Prince George's birth in 2013. Cook Tucker was reportedly the second person to meet the newborn, as reported by Harper's Bazaar.

Cook Tucker was likely there when Kate gave birth to her third child, Prince Louis. Rather than appearing tired and frazzled like most moms would, Kate, who lives an insanely lavish life with Prince William, was a vision in red following her third child's birth, with beautiful, flowing waves and delicate makeup, as Harper's Bazaar reported. Though we bet Kate was pretty tired, we couldn't tell thanks to her glam squad's work. 

While Kate Middleton does have a glam squad, she actually did her own makeup for her 2011 nuptials to Prince William, one of the most expensive royal weddings ever. That's gutsy. Of course, she did have private lessons with makeup artist Arabella Preston prior to tying the knot, as the Daily Mail reported. So there's that, but, on the day, that was all Kate. While now she typically shies away from using eyeliner on her bottom waterline, that wasn't the case during her wedding. She wore a ring of black eyeliner and gray eyeshadow, but paired it nicely with soft, pink lips and rosy cheeks.

Kate reportedly used a bunch of Bobbi Brown products for her wedding day look. Even Brown praised her work, telling People, "I wouldn't have changed a thing about her makeup. She looked beautiful, fresh and most importantly, happy." So don't feel too bad if you have to do your own wedding day makeup. The Duchess did. 

Kate Middleton's skin works overtime, especially when she's catching up on sleep. Since 2016, the Duchess of Cambridge has reportedly used the Beauty Sleep Elixir from Beuti Skincare, which is probably one of the reasons why her skin is always glowing during the day. Beuti founder Leila Aalam told Bustle that an insider informed her that Kate likes to keep "a stash of Beuti on her nightstand." She was also told that Kate introduced Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, to the product. 

The $54 elixir contains "14 plant-based oils, including a Caribbean coral extract that is a powerful anti-inflammatory," Bustle reported. It can be applied under makeup for a bright complexion and at night when "its super boost of vitamins and minerals activate a glowing complexion while your skin is renewing itself during your beauty sleep." With its affordable sticker price, this product is attainable for us regular gals.

Ever wonder how Kate Middleton gets her signature blowout? Well, one of her hairdressers, Richard Ward, revealed how to People. Dubbed the "Chelsea Blow Dry" by the English press, according to People, the famous hairstyle wasn't inspired by Kate but rather Ward had reportedly used the style long before Kate was a regular at his salon during her college days.

"It's not just about Kate's hair — it is beautifully finished, frizz-free, shiny hair," Ward told People. "It's a hairstyle that is well finished." In a how-to video (via People), Ward recreated the perfect blowout on a Kate Middleton lookalike. First, you must lay the foundation, he said, by making sure it's between 75 to 80 percent wet. Then you eventually get to styling the blowout. 

Ward and another stylist also had a hand in another famous hair moment for Kate — her bridal demi-chignon, according to People. When can we book our appointment? 

Kate Middleton loves to wear her glossy locks loose, but, when the situation calls for a more formal look, she answers with a regal updo. How does she manage to not ever have a single strand out of place? One word: hairnet. Her cover was blown with a close-up shot of her updo during the 100th birthday celebration of the Royal Air Force in 2018, as Harper's Bazaar reported. And it sent the world into a frenzy. British retailer Superdrug shared that sales of the product had increased by 40 percent since Kate's hairnet made news, as reported by StyleCaster.

It was far from the first time Kate's worn a hairnet to keep her updo in tip-top shape. According to Harper's Bazaar, she was spotted wearing one over a chignon back in 2016. Her hairnet piece matches her hair color so perfectly it's nearly invisible. It's pretty cheap too. It's estimated that Kate's hairnet costs around $1, according to Hello! magazine. That's a hack we can get behind.