All eyes were on the new Mrs. Phillips on Saturday – as they should be on her wedding day - but after my excitement died down over Harriet Sperling's look (the subtle smoky eye! The timeless chignon! The on-trend slick back!), I took some time to peruse the makeup of the other royal ladies and noticed a trend emerging.
© Getty ImagesAs well as many of the royal attendees wearing yellow – I'm looking at you, Princess Anne, Queen Camilla and Princess Kate – I noticed that Duchess Sophie, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne all opted to wear a lipstick that HELLO!'s Head of Beauty, Cassie Steer, referred to as "boundary pushing."
Royal wedding makeup
While Princess Kate wore her usual nude meets rose pink lipstick (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) and sister of the groom, Zara Tindall, opted for a sheer gloss, the older ladies of the family slicked on metallic lipstick – quite the statement for wedding makeup, which is normally fairly low-key and subtle.
© Getty ImagesSpeaking on the royals' makeup choices – and why metallic isn't a no-no for weddings, Cassie noted: "Reimagining classic lipstick colours such as red or pink as sparkling focal points is great for special occasions, and a metallic mouth (not to be confused with more sedate shimmer) adds a modern lustre."
© Getty ImagesThe mother of the groom's look was the most glimmering of all, with Queen Camilla and Duchess Sophie opting for more subtle metallic hues, with Cassie quipping: "Leave it to Anne to push beauty boundaries in the chicest of ways."
© Getty ImagesMature metallics
What I love most about the royal ladies' decision to go with metallics is the fact that they're throwing out the outdated rulebook that says mature makeup lovers can't wear glitter, a point also made by Euphoria makeup artist Donny Davy, who told us that she feels the belief that older women can't wear metallic stems from old-fashioned beliefs about beauty.
"I think it comes from years of reading magazines and having certain ideas about makeup and what's age-appropriate. They'll tell you what's appropriate for your undertone or your profession. 'This is okay for a dinner party. This is okay for a holiday party. This is okay for your birthday.' It's all such trash."
She continues: "It's depressing to me when people experience such limitations with makeup, because makeup is such a joy-inducing, cool, positive thing in our lives. But it's actually kind of a stressful thing for a lot of people, too. There's a lot of, 'I can't, I shouldn't, I want to, but I have more mature skin. I've been told to just stick to mattes.' And I disagree with that so much."
Try it for yourself
To channel their royal highnesses, – wedding guest or not – I'd like to point you in the direction of Rimmel's Lasting Finish Lipstick in Amethyst Shimmer, £4.65. While we'll never know the shade of lipstick Princess Anne wears, this is a pretty identical match.
For a low-commitment take on metallic lips, makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes suggests dusting your lips with a metallic eyeshadow, using a fluffy brush to buff it in. This ensures no metallic marks on your teeth, but you can still dabble in the disco-inspired metallic vibe.
