Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge leave Westminster Abbey following their marriage ceremony in 2011

Royal family

Kate Middleton Lipstick: The Royals’ Lip Color Preferences and Exact Lipstick Shades

Bright lipstick is received poorly in the Royal family, which is why so many, especially Kate Middleton, choose nudes or barely-there pinks

by Suse Forrest

Published on September 21, 2023

3 min read

The Royals have rules about everything, including their appearance. From their hairstyles to nails, it’s governed. For makeup, bright lip colors are received poorly in the Royal family, which is why so many choose nudes or barely-there pinks. Some, however, skirt a daring red lipstick from time to time — definitely the exception and not the rule.

While the Royal family has not outright banned the color, they strongly suggested using more decorum. Mary Greenwell, makeup artist for the Royals, told Vogue that the color choice “isn’t about trends but about timeless, classic beauty.”

Here are Kate Middleton and other members of the Royal family’s favorite lip brands and colors.

Kate Middleton lipstick

The Royals have always been fashion-forward, and Kate Middleton is no exception. From her regal looks to her signature lipstick shades, she is always ready for a close-up. Kate Middleton‘s favorite lipstick brand is Bobbi Brown, and her go-to shade is Sandwash Pink.

Bobbi Brown discontinued that signature color, but we found a near duplicate in Bobbi Brown’s Pink Cloud Luxe Lipstick hue. On Middleton’s wedding day, she wore the same brand’s Sandwash Pink color.

Meghan Markle

Even though this beauty isn’t living in the U.K., she’s still on watch for her style and charm. As Prince Harry’s wife, she is always in front of the camera. We’ve seen that just like Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle‘s go-to is a nude color.

In the past, beauty insiders have acknowledged her favorites: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Very Victoria, Honest Beauty’s Truly Kissable Lip Crayons (in a variety of colors), and a Dior Lip Glow in Coral Glow. The Dior product was on display at Markle’s 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.

Queen Elizabeth

Before her death, Queen Elizabeth was hardly ever seen without her signature red lipstick. While the Queen had Clarins create a bespoke red color fit for a monarch, she also loved colors by Elizabeth Arden. Queen Elizabeth was also seen applying the lipstick in photos on several occasions. Royals… They’re just like us.

Princess Anne

Also bucking the nude and pale pink colors, Prince Charles’ sister Princess Anne boldly wears a chic red color portraying Hollywood glam and style. She is hardly ever seen without the bold look of MAC’s Ruby Woo shade, and we are here for it.

Lady Kitty Spencer

While everyone seems to find their perfect nude or signature style color, Lady Kitty Spencer has changed the rules of the game by creating her own bespoke color. The British model and aristocrat combines Charlotte Tilbury’s Super Cindy and Pillow Talk colors. While not quite front and center in the Royal family, Lady Kitty is still a regal one to watch on lip color.

Princess Diana

Diana changed it up depending on the event and her style for the day. She wore everything from browns to nudes to reddish-orange tints. When it was time to do her engagement photo shoot in 1981, she opted for Max Factor’s Tint of Pink (an ’80s favorite). Sadly, this has been discontinued. A good dupe: Max Factor Color Elixir Lipstick in Pink Brandy.

Now that we’ve covered some of the go-to lipstick colors of the Royal family, we can’t finish without giving you one more makeup tidbit. Another makeup rule the women adhere to is no touch-ups in view. You will rarely, if ever, see one of the Royals touching up their lip color in front of a camera. Queen Elizabeth seems to be the only one who got away with public touch-ups.