And, while Meghan Markle does sometimes rock a dark-hued nail, she mainly sticks to a classic mani as well. Turns out there is one shade all three women prefer: Essie's “Ballet Slippers,” a subtle pale pink polish the Queen has worn since 1989, when her hairstylist wrote to the company asking for a bottle.
Essie 'Ballet Slippers'
Meghan chose CND Shellac in Unmasked and Negligee for her bridal manicure. When Meghan Markle tied the knot with Prince Harry in 2018, she too mixed a number of nail polish shades. The bride wore one layer of Unmasked CND Shellac, with two coats of CND Shellac Negligee on top.
Essie Nail Lacquer in Limo-Scene
Meghan is much more prone to experiment with nail polish colors in everyday life; she has even taken husband Prince Harry along for her pedicures.
While Middleton has donned red toe polish on several occasions, she's never worn dark colors on her hands, choosing to go with a clear or nude manicure, or in many cases, no polish at all. Most fans seemed to love the change. “My good sis Kate said: ISSA RED NAIL POLISH KINDA DAY and away she went!
Essie is obviously a royal family favourite, as reported on the nail polish brand's website, it was the brand "chosen by Princess Catherine Middleton on the day of her marriage." Prince Harry's wife, Duchess Meghan, caused a stir in 2018 when she attended the British Fashion Awards with darkly-coloured nails.
The most intriguing element of her look, however, was her contrasting vibrant manicure. We're accustomed to seeing royal women sporting a more natural, nude polish, but Kate subverted tradition (and perhaps even protocol) by opting for a bold, red nail colour for the occasion.
Meghan wore CND Shellac nail polish on her wedding day
On her fingernails one layer of Unmasked – a pretty nude shade - was painted, with two coats of Negligee – a pale sheer polish - on top.
“She was clearly angry […] She wore bright red nail enamel, which we had never seen her do before. She was saying: 'Let's be wicked tonight. '” The red manicure is an enduring classic, a bold symbol of elegance and power.
The nail polish sported by Queen Elizabeth on many grand occasions throughout three decades was Ballet Slippers, a pale pink nail polish that you can get from Essie for only $10.
In fact, our monarch is so associated with the seashell pink, Essie Ballet Slippers, that royal folklore once suggested it was protocol to wear nothing stronger than a nude hue.
Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan told Allure magazine, “I use RevitaLash on my eyelashes, and I swear they are as long as they could ever be.” Beauty experts agree that it is a star product, and thankfully it's readily available to shop online.
While Markle tends to opt for neutral colours – such as black, grey, white, cream and navy – she has made a point of adding pops of deep emerald green to her wardrobe, too.
What lipstick does Meghan Markle wear? Duchess Meghan's favorite lipstick is none other than Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipstick in shade Very Victoria. The pinky-brown shade is flattering, chic, and understated enough that it's appropriate for just about any occasion, fancy or otherwise.
Kate Middleton's Most Notable Nail Moments - Grazia 2023
Many reported that she wore a mix of Essie's Nail polish in Allure and Bourjois' So Laque Nail Enamel in Rose Lounge, a product that has since been discontinued.
"And of course, the Duchess of Sussex is not the first royal to wear dark nail polish. Diana wore it, Catherine's worn it. Royals around the world have worn it. I think the tabloids are just so fixated on picking something out because they know it'll be clicked, and they don't take the time to research."
Camel, beige, white. So I wore a lot of muted tones, but it was also so I could just blend in. "I'm not trying to stand out here. There was no version of me joining this family and me not doing everything I could to fit in," the duchess said.
Aptly named 'Ballet Slippers', this hue was the Queen's go-to colour from 1989 - when Her Majesty's hairdresser penned a letter to brand founder Essie Weingarten to request a bottle of the elegant, best-selling polish. The pretty pink shade is still available to buy on Amazon, currently retailing for just £6.40.
It was revealed that Margaret's manicure of choice came courtesy of classic nail polish brand Peggy Sage – which still sells its popular colours today.
Creamy Pink
This scene comes from the inaugural episode of The Crown when Queen Elizabeth marries Prince Phillip at Buckingham Palace in 1947. Her lipstick is a creamy pale pink with soft blue undertones and a buttery finish.
Princess Kate reportedly loves Essie's Allure Nail Polish, and even wore the shade on her wedding day, according to Town & Country. The neutral hue is perfect for every day wear — and when you're a royal, you need a color that is as elegant as it is understated.
Perhaps the royal's red nail choice was a subtle nod to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, another royal who had a penchant for playful nails. Most notably, the People's Princess debuted a fiery red manicure as she stepped put in her iconic 'revenge dress' back in June 1994.
Kate, who also became the Duchess of Cornwall following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, opted for Diana's breathtaking pearl and diamond earrings.
"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge will be wearing a primrose yellow wool silk tailored coat by Alexander McQueen.
“The Queen was surprised that Meghan wore pure white on her wedding day,” the source said. “Perhaps, it's a generational thing, but she believes if you've been married before, you wear off-white on your wedding day, which is what the Duchess of Cornwall did.”
It was the biggest day of her life and Meghan Markle didn't disappoint in the beauty stakes at the royal wedding. The bride looked absolutely incredible with a surprisingly pared-back beauty look. Her makeup, which was apparently applied by Dior's Daniel Martin, was natural, fresh and, naturally, glowing.