I, MY FRIENDS, HAVE BEEN INSPECTING THE DUCHESS.

But like aren’t we all?

I mean, I’ll admit it- 10:14 PM, Southern Charm is in the background ( I’m new to the show AND I CANNOT ), IN BED, on my phone, screen-shotting my life away.

Screen-shotting what you ask?

MEGHAN MARKLE’S BEAUTY SECRETS- duh! First of all, if it’s good enough for a Duchess, it must be great. And I feel like she’s on the pulse you know?

ANYWAY- she just sparkles. She glowssssss. I noticed it from a mile away- she’s all dewy & well, sparkly.

( BEFORE WE GET INTO IT, LIKE REALLY GET INTO IT- I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING FUN. After extensive research I found out that she LOVES lymphatic drainage facial massage. This had me VERY ( VERY ) excited because this is something I have RAVED about for years. You know, jaw surgery where you’re swollen for 2340293840328 years will do that to you- you’re get real fucking creative, you know? And facial massage has helped me lose so much bloat in my face. I walk into my facial guru & walk out lighter and contoured!! I mean it, my whole face is tighter. I kid you not- Meghan straight up agrees- she says: “I do facial exercises from one of my favorite aestheticians who basically has you sculpt your face from the inside out. I swear it works, as silly as you may feel. On the days I do it, my cheekbones and jaw line are waaaay more sculpted. There’s a reason this kind of massage is in high demand around awards season when every actress wants to look A-plus.”

But she loves buccal massage, specifically.

Ok, so what is buccal massage?:

It’s a facial that includes a rub down inside your mouth. The jaw-dropping part of the pampering involves a massage therapist or aesthetician kneading your inner cheek & jaw muscles. { via }

AKA your new best friend if you get puffy easily.

It also happens to be Meghan Markle’s best kept beauty secret. That’s right. The Duchess of Sussex does this & it’s sooooo easy. It’s even something you can do for free. It totally contours your mouth, jaw & cheekbones & really increases the production of collagen. How do I know this? Because I’ve done it 100 times with my favorite facialist in San Diego, Mo.

Typically, Mo will do a 30 minute facials massage, then 15 minutes massaging the mouth, & then ends with applying product. She gets super deep into the cheekbone area & drains the lymphatic system in the best way possible.

Meghan likes to have her treatment done by London-based facialist, Nichola Joss. Meghan says:

“I do facial exercises from one of my favorite aestheticians, Nichola Joss, who basically has you sculpt your face from the inside out. I swear it works, as silly as you may feel. On the days I do it, my cheekbones & jawline are waaaay more sculpted.” { via }

People credit Yakov Gershkovich as a leader in the buccal massage & facial massage movement.  Yakov has even worked on me before. He’s so amazing & trained Mo too. You can watch my whole video with Yakov here.

You guys know that facial massage is a huge part of my routine & if you really want to target certain areas, like the buccal area, you’ll see even more results. It’s going to give you that model look that pulls the face in. It’s incredibly preventative, not just corrective, which I’m all about. It’s really the best natural treatment to tighten the face.

YAS MEGHAN.

Ok, let’s get to Meghan’s specific beauty tips:

 MEGHAN MARKLE SPARKLE: HONEYMOON GLOW

5 STEPS FOR GLOWING SKIN

STEP 1: REMOVE YOUR MAKEUP

BIORÉ CLEANSING CLOTHS

“They’re great to keep in the car and on your nightstand when you have those horribly lazy nights that the thought of getting up to actually wash your face seems unbearable” { via }

The Skinny Confidential TAKE: Beautiful skin starts with a clean canvas is JAZZ HANDS. It’s SO SO SO important to remove your makeup before bed. PLEASE. If you do one thing, remove your makeup. I LOVE A GOOD ROSEHIP SEED OIL to get the dirt & crap off my face. It’s sort of like a DIY oil cleanse- my skin eats it up. HEAD OVER TO The Skinny Confidential AMAZON STORE TO STALK MY FAVORITES.

STEP 2: GENTLY CLEANSE & EXFOLIATE

TATCHA RICE ENZYME POWDER

“It just sort of foams on your face and gives you a really subtle exfoliation.” she told Allure.

The Skinny Confidential TAKE: Using a gentle cleanser with exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells to reveal glowing skin. Instead of harsh beads that can actually tear your skin, this cleanser uses a rice enzyme to gently exfoliate without creating harsh tears in the skin like some scrubs are known to do. I LIKE TO EXFOLIATE a few times a week, at night ( during the day is no bueno because I don’t want fresh skin to be over-exposed to the sun ).

STEP 3: USE A MOISTURIZER

KATE SOMERVILLE QUENCH 

“Whether she’s hanging out with Prince Harry or spending Christmas dinner with Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan Markle always has a glow about her. That might be thanks to this Kate Somerville Quench moisturizer that she’s a noted fan of.” { via }

The Skinny Confidential TAKE: YES! Hydrated skin is glowing skin and this moisturizer is incredible. After chatting with Kate Somerville on TSC HIM & HER podcast we learned about the science of these products and why they work so well. Kate is a BOSS- her skincare line is incredible- in fact, I give it an A-PLUS.

STEP 4: LEAD WITH YOUR SKIN

LAURA MERCIER PRIMER

“I don’t wear foundation unless I’m filming, so this primer is what I put on every day after moisturizer to give my skin a dewy glow. It’s not sparkly, it’s true to its name …’illuminating,’.” { via }

The Skinny Confidential TAKE: Meghan GETS it: SKIN IS IN. Instead of wearing a ton of makeup she believes in leading with your skin. I love this and couldn’t agree more. When you have healthy, glowing skin you can wear less. This is IDEAL for summer when it’s hot and you want to keep things quick and easy. Meghan obviously showcased her love of skin when she walked down the aisle- she kept it light. I liked it- fresh! Soft! Pretty! Glowy!

STEP 5: INCLUDE YOUR ENTIRE BODY

NIVEA SKIN FIRMING HYDRATION CREAM

“I use this religiously. It’s honestly my favorite lotion on the market, it’s so affordable, and makes my skin look and feel amazing. I would buy a case of this at a time if I could find it.” { via }

The Skinny Confidential TAKE: You take care of your face BUT it’s important to take care of the rest of your body too. You will always find me bringing my skin care to my neck, chest, shoulders, & even hands. Make sure the rest of your body doesn’t get left behind- keep the bod moisturized, you know?

Ready for more Meghan? Take a peek at this mini interview:

MEGHAN MARKLE BEAUTY PHILOSOPHIES:

“My favorite beauty look on a woman
fresh skin, strong cheek and brow, and lots of mascara – classic beauty. I use YSL Babydoll Mascara, Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance and the Laura Mercier contour kit.” ( fyi, contour kit is discontinued ).

“My favorite grooming look on a man
Oh I love a scruffy face. Gets me every time.”

“My favorite feature
I like my freckles – when I was younger someone told me, “A face without freckles is a night without stars” – it still makes me feel good.”

“My off-duty beauty look
Creme de la Mer moisturizer, Josie Maran gel blush, mascara and Laura Mercier’s concealer. For night, I will throw black eyeliner on the upper lid.”

“My top beauty trick
a little highlighter in the inner corner of my eyes and above the cheekbones brightens up the entire face.”

 { via }

With that, I’ll leave you to take notes. I know, I did. No really I legit have my Rite-Aid composition notebook out, with ACTUAL notes. I like to be on the pulse! Meghan is a trend-setter. She’s totally one to watch out for. What I love most about her is she seems like she does her own thing- she’s not worried about what other people think about her.

Speaking of: have you seen my latest Instagram post on this subject? If not, PLEASE READ! It’s an important one on not giving a fuck about everyone’s opinion.

Hope you all had the most productive Monday! I’m off to drink some mushroom hot chocolate ( soooo good- shoutout to Four Sigmatic ), snuggle up with the dogs, & finish the first ep of Southern Charm.

Also, Do you want to be part of The Skinny Confidential FB group? I promise, you’ll fit right in.

See ya tomorrow, lauryn X

+ more beauty/skin posts.

++ just FIVE affordable items I’m obsessed with.

GET THE MEGHAN MARKLE SPARKLE