When it comes to the royal women, their beauty routines are often high on luxury, with an abundance of quality ingredients and products at their disposal. And throughout Queen Elizabeth II’s life, she certainly made her makeup and skincare preferences high priority, following the same, strict beauty rules for over 50 years.
As the longest-reigning monarch in the British royal family and the mother-of-four, Her Majesty was an incredibly busy woman. But despite this, the Queen was rumoured to have done her own makeup for events. According to her former dressmaker, Angela Kelly, she claimed that aside from the Queen’s annual Christmas address, Her Majesty would frequently doll herself up when she wasn’t in the hands of makeup artist, Marilyn Widdess.
“You might be surprised to know that this is the only occasion when Her Majesty does not do her own makeup,” she revealed to People at the time.
And while that may come as a surprise to some, it’s rather common for royals to be rather strict with their beauty rules throughout their time in the spotlight. For Kate Middleton, her day-to-day beauty products have been known for years, with her must-haves selling out frequently. And when it comes to Queen Elizabeth, she was known for her lifelong devotion to certain products and brands, proving that quality not quantity was all she needed.
Below, the tried-and-true beauty rules that the late Queen Elizabeth II followed for over 50 years.
The beauty of a luxurious bath
While we didn’t know much about Queen Elizabeth’s bathing schedule, we do know that she always made time in her busy schedule for a luxurious bath to unwind. During her reign, British beauty brand Molton Brown became the official supplier to Buckingham Palace, and were even awarded the official Royal Warrant by Her Majesty.
Specialising in decadent bubble bath products and perfumes, as well as hair products and candles, Queen Elizabeth was loyal to the brand throughout her life, preferring to opt for their offerings over others. According to Hello magazine, her Balmoral Castle was fully stocked with the brand’s orange and bergamot shower gels and moisturisers.
Orange & Bergamot Body Wash by Molton Brown, $42 at Adore Beauty.
Having soft, manicured hands was of the utmost importance
During her reign as Queen, Her Majesty shook a lot of hands. And given that she spent day-to-day cordially greeting people with a delicate handshake, she had to ensure her hands felt hydrated and soft. While Molton Brown was her go-to brand for the evenings, she was also loyal to French skincare brand Clarins and its Creme Jeunesse Des Mains Hand and Nail Treatment Balm. According to The Telegraph, her beloved hand cream was rumoured to have “never run out at the Palace.”
Hand and Nail Treatment Balm by Clarins, $49 at Adore Beauty.
A neutral manicure is a must
Aside from having incredibly soft hands, it is also rumoured that Her Majesty enjoyed a minimal manicure. In 1989, the Queen’s personal hairdresser wrote a letter to Essie’s brand founder Essie Weingarten to request a bottle of their cult-favourite nail polish in the shade ‘Ballet Slippers’, explaining that it was “the only colour Her Majesty would wear”, as per the Essie website.
Nail polish in ‘Ballet Slippers’ by Essie, $16 at Adore Beauty.
A subtle red lip for a pop of colour
There was no doubt that Queen Elizabeth enjoyed wearing a pop of colour. In fact, her daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex, even revealed that she often wore her bright and bold ensembles “to stand out for people to be able to say ‘I saw the queen'”, in the 2017 documentary The Queen at 90. However, her love for hues went beyond her wardrobe, with Her Majesty often opting for a subtle, red lip for public events. After catching glimpses of the Queen reapplying lipstick to her pout, it was known that she preferred to use Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Colour Lipstick in the shade ‘Fig’.
Beautiful Colour Lipstick in ‘Fig’ by Elizabeth Arden, $29.40 at David Jones.
Stick to minimal makeup and trusted products
When it comes to the royal family, minimal makeup and subtle hair and manicures has always been encouraged. And it’s for this reason that Her Majesty’s choice of makeup typically remained rather low-key. According to The Telegraph, it is rumoured that Queen Elizabeth preferred to wear only a touch of lipstick and a hint of blush when stepping out of the Palace, and she remained faithful to Clarins’ power foundation for her skin.
Everlasting Compact Foundation SPF9 by Clarins, $55 at Adore Beauty.
Moisturising twice a day, every day
For many skincare savants, a specific beauty routine is a must. And for the Queen of England, she also had certain skincare steps that couldn’t be missed—one being, applying moisturiser religiously. The key to her vibrant complexion, Hello magazine claims that the secret to her skin was Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream Balm, used every morning and night.
Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant by Elizabeth Arden, $30 at Adore Beauty.
A spritz of rose-scented perfume never dates
Royal women are known for their dedication to fragrances, whether that’s Princess Diana’s love for jasmine and lily of the valley or Princess Kate’s preference for notes of vanilla and gardenia. For Queen Elizabeth, it’s rumoured that her go-to scent was rose, opting for Floris London’s White Rose perfume which has notes of carnation, violet and musk. The brand itself has a long history with the royal family, reportedly being used by King George IV himself. When she wasn’t feeling a rose scent, Her Majesty apparently enjoyed alternating fragrances with Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue.
White Rose by Floris London, $190 at Libertine.
