Discover the Queen's favourite beauty products
The Queen is an instantly-recognisable figure all over the world, noted for her enduring style and her elegantly understated approach to beauty. Whatever the engagement, her Majesty always arrives with perfectly coiffed hair and flawless make-up, generally applied by none other than herself. But just how does she do it? Ahead of her Platinum Jubilee in June, we take a closer look at her favourite beauty products, from her favourite lipstick shade and essential hand cream to her failsafe neutral nail-polish.
The go-to lipstick
Elizabeth Arden
Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipstick Matte Finish Extension in Bold Red
£22
When it comes to make-up, the Queen is best known for wearing a bright shade of lipstick, whether a vibrant fuchsia or a fiery red. Her brand of choice for creating a bold lip is Elizabeth Arden, with her Majesty being spotted topping up with their fade-free and feather-free Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipstick in a matte finish at functions and events. The brand has held a Royal Warrant for almost 60 years and says they work closely with the Queen’s senior dresser Angela Kelly to provide any products she needs. She’s also said to be a fan of the brand’s cult favourite multi-purpose beauty balm Eight Hour Cream, which works wonders on dehydrated or chapped skin. Created in 1930 it remains the brand’s bestseller, with a tube selling somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.
The essential hand cream
Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, £24.50
The Queen has long been a fan of French beauty house Clarins, whom she commissioned to create a bespoke lip colour to match her ceremonial robes for her Coronation in 1953. Today she still uses the brand’s products regularly – Clarins was granted a Royal Warrant for ‘skincare and cosmetics’ in 2007 – and is said to be a fan of their Ever Matte Mineral Powder Compact in Transparent Fair. But the one product that is said to never run out in the palace is their emollient-rich Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, which keeps her hands soft and supple. As well as moisturising dry skin, it also prevents brittle nails and helps to fade dark spots thanks to the star ingredient of Japanese Mulberry extract, which is known to minimise the signs of ageing.
The neutral nail shade
Essie Ballet Slippers, £7.99
This classic pale pink polish is a staple favourite among manicurists and fashion stylists, as well as being one of the Queen’s must-have beauty products. It is said that the palace wrote to Essie’s founder, Essie Weingarten, in 1989 to request a bottle, and it remains the only nail shade the Queen will wear to this day. Although rarely seen without gloves, underneath them the monarch always sports freshly manicured nails in this barely-there shade, which features just enough coverage for a healthy camouflage without, crucially, detracting from or clashing with her bright, block colour outfit for the day.
The signature scent
Floris White Rose Eau De Toilette, £80
Having first received its Royal Warrant in 1820, Floris is the longest-reigning British beauty company in royal favour and is known to be the Queen’s only perfumer. While they have discretely never revealed which exact scent her Majesty favours, they have revealed that she orders from across the core range and remains a very devoted customer. With the Queen’s favourite flower known to be the carnation, experts have suggested it’s most likely she opts for the floral fragrance of White Rose, which features spicy notes of carnation.
The fragrant hand soap
Yardley English Lavender Soap Trio, £7.99
This British brand has history when it comes to working with royals – back in the mid-17th century, Yardley secured a royal warrant from King Charles I to supply all of London’s soap. Today it is said that the royal residences keep bars of their lavender soap on hand, due to the Queen’s love of the fresh smelling product, and there have been reports that private guests to Windsor Castle are given Yardley products, too.
The tried-and-tested hairbrush
Kent Handmade Satinwood Oval Hairbrush, £190
Kent is the world’s oldest brush manufacturer and has been used at the palace since 1770, when George III honoured the brand with a Royal Warrant. Known for being particularly strong and sturdy, many of the brushes still maintain their classic original wooden style. It’s been reported that these brushes can still be found on the dressing table of the royal household today, and that they’re the hair product of choice for maintaining the Queen’s elegant signature coiffure.
