Meghan Markle has long been a vocal beauty enthusiast, with a documented love for Shu Uemura lash curlers, YSL concealers, Nars blush, and countless other products. And while a lot has happened since the actor married into the royal family back in 2018, the fact is she was a public figure before she ever met Prince Harry (her most prominent role being on the TV show "Suits"). That means there's a vault of photos out there documenting her entire beauty evolution.
Markle has always embraced her natural beauty and seems to go by the "enhance, don't cover up" philosophy of makeup. She likes to show off the freckles she was born with and rarely wears more than a neutral lip color and some mascara, especially for public appearances. That being said, there have been moments she's ventured into colorful territory — even mirroring the bold eye makeup of Princess Diana on occasion.
Ahead, check out Markle's best hair and makeup moments throughout the years, from 2000s-era pastel eyeshadow to bushy brows and red lips.
In November 2006, Markle was just entering the entertainment business and kept her makeup and hair minimal (save for a punchy smoky eye here and there).
Back in September 2009, Markle stepped out with a look that's still trending to this day: auburn hair.
By 2010, Markle's color had faded into a lighter brown hue, and she kept her makeup simple, from her pink lip gloss to her flushed cheeks.
In late 2011, Markle was starring as the paralegal Rachel Zane on the TV show "Suits," and her makeup game was taken up a notch.
Markle has always had a penchant for a subtle pop of color with her makeup, like this purple eyeshadow look from June 2012.
Before she adopted her go-to messy bun, Markle often wore her hair down and in soft waves, like she did here in 2012.
Still, the actor knew how to bring the drama, as evidenced by this bold smoky eye and formal updo she wore to an event in 2013.
For an Esquire event in 2014, Markle wore what would soon become a signature look for the star: sleek straight hair with a center part, no-makeup makeup, and perfectly groomed brows.
One of Markle's go-to hairstyles is the messy low bun, which you can see she's been wearing to public appearances since at least 2015.
Markle typically wears her hair in a middle part (or slicked back entirely), but in 2015, she stepped out with a deep side part and bold eye makeup.
Markle typically sticks to a neutral-toned lip gloss, but she decided to match her bright red lipstick to her high-neck dress at an Olay event in early 2016.
Effortless glam was the name of Markle's beauty game in most of 2016, as evidenced by her soft updo hairstyle and smudged-out eye makeup here.
That same year, Markle stepped out with another red lipstick, only this time it had a matte finish that she contrasted against her glossy waves.
When she first entered the royal family's circle, Markle seemed to adhere to more conservative beauty looks à la Kate Middleton. Clearly, as you can see in this photo from 2017, that's not an issue — she looks gorgeous no matter what makeup (or how little) she has on.
During a visit to New Zealand in 2018, Markle was spotted wearing a loose chignon with two hair pieces framing her face.
Markle's 2018 wedding makeup was picture perfect and meant to look like she had a "lit from within" glow, thanks to the handiwork of her longtime friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin.
For much of 2018, Markle began experimenting with hair accessories — from wide-brimmed hats to bejeweled berets — all of which perfectly accented her curly and pulled-back hairstyles.
Despite wearing more hair accessories, Markle tended to keep her makeup minimal for public appearances.
Markle often kept with the longstanding royal family rule of wearing light-toned nail polish, which she accented with soft updos and minimal makeup like shown here in 2019.
Slicked-back hairstyles are also one of Markle's trademarks and were especially a look she wore throughout 2019. From this photo, it's easy to see why.
Markle stuck to a sleek bun for the 2019 movie premiere of "The Lion King," only this time, she ditched the middle part in favor of a fully pulled-back look.
For the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in 2019, Markle stepped out with voluminous waves and subtle overlined lips in a shade slightly darker than her natural lip color.
Wearing a glossy burgundy lip and slicked-back ponytail, Markle attended the Endeavour Fund Awards in 2020.
Also in 2020, Markle stepped out with a subtle coral lip color, smudged-out eyeliner, and sleek straight hair for the Mountbatten Festival of Music event.
Markle attended the 2021 Salute to Freedom Gala with a slicked-back ballerina bun and exaggerated cat-eye makeup.
During a sitdown interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Markle appeared to replicate her late mother-in-law Diana's strong eye makeup that the princess wore for her 1995 BBC Panorama interview. Both looks included black kohl eyeliner along the waterline, with the same shade taken along the upper and lower lash line, topped off with a neutral pink lip to keep the spotlight on the bold eye makeup.
At an event in April 2022, Markle stepped out with windswept hair styled in soft waves, subtle glam eye makeup, and a neutral lip.
Markle attended the September 2022 Invictus Games wearing her go-to beauty look: fresh, natural-looking makeup and a messy low bun hairstyle.
In September 2022, Markle and Prince Harry flew back to London to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, during which she wore an all-black ensemble, hat, and matching eye makeup.