We are obsessed with Meghan Markle and her gorgeous skin and makeup! Spencer Barnes is a renowned makeup artist who has worked with Meghan, as well as stars like Julianne Hough and Nina Dobrev, among others. He told HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY the key to Meghan’s look is “Great skin care. You know, hydrating and polishing off the dead layers so that you get smooth, baby-fresh skin. And then, whenever I’ve worked with her, we use minimal makeup. We start with concealer instead of painting the face with foundation. And then just using a little bit — I’ll mix a little product, like a serum or a moisturizer, with her foundation, and then we just put on enough so that we can still have a few freckles showing through.”
“That way the skin looks like skin instead of a totally painted on face,” he said. “You see the person instead of the product, which is important for things like skin, brows, or lashes. It just feels more like, ‘Wow, you’re beautiful,’ instead of ‘Oops, makeup.’ For her wedding day, I feel like it was a smart choice to stay more fresh and natural because it allowed her perfectly beautiful, natural qualities to shine through. And considering her role, it was less about a Hollywood red carpet moment, and just, a very important moment in time. I think we’re seeing a return [of natural beauty]. I’ve noticed Kim Kardashian, J-Lo, a lot of these gorgeous women that started these contouring trends, they’re now pulling back to clean, fresh, radiant, natural. So there’s a more organic, individual quality, rather than a stamped-on everyone’s-Kim-Kardashian kind of look.”
Spencer just let me test his new Neck, Chin & Jawline Instant Sculpting Wand. “I really wanted to do something that was going to address something that’s never been addressed adequately. We’re like, ‘Let’s start with the neck.’ If there’s a way we can firm, lift, hydrate, and tighten that area effectively, and also treat it so that over time it actually begins to regenerate collagen and take away the signs of aging, then that’s something special. It’s a blend of proprietary ingredients, but some of the powerful ingredients are hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and a peptide formula. We have a patent-pending macro-sphere technology that basically encapsulates all these good-for-your-skin ingredients. Plus, it’s fragrance free, cruelty free, it’s vegan.”
“It goes on opaque — it’s not like some of those products you’ve seen that gives you that instant tightening effect that dries and then has that white, salty-looking residue. It literally looks and feels like skin when you’re finished with it. And you’ll notice there’s a stainless silver anti-microbial rollerball, and that allows you to massage in the product. You can go back and forth, you can go up or down. [With this tool,] I wanted to address the architecture of the face. One of the things I’m known for is my incredible, flawless skin that looks like radiant, healthy skin. And I can paint, but I prefer arming women with, first, an awareness of their face, their geometry. And then, enhancing the skin that their gonna have their whole life. Makeup only lasts for a day!”