From her eye-brightening trick to her glowing complexion, it’s safe to say Queen Camilla has more than a few beauty tricks in her royal repertoire. Now, it’s her flattering lip finish that’s caught our attention, proving that one subtle tweak can instantly make mature lips look fuller and more youthful.
Yesterday, the Queen enjoyed a day out at the RHS Sandringham Flower Show. She looked as chic as ever in a green paisley dress paired with, of course, her signature blow-dry. Naturally, here on the GH beauty desk, we couldn’t resist taking a closer look at her makeup.
Camilla is rarely seen without her signature pink lip – after all, why stray from perfection? The soft pink hue is a clever choice, instantly brightening the complexion, but look a little closer and you’ll notice a subtle sheen.
Her lipstick of choice has a satin finish, which makes it especially flattering. We all know that a luminous base is key to younger-looking skin, so it only makes sense that the same principle applies to younger-looking lips, too.
According to top makeup artist and brand founder Ruby Hammer, it’s all down to the light-reflecting qualities. ‘As we age, our lips naturally lose moisture, volume and definition. Ultra-matte lipsticks tend to settle into fine lines and accentuate any dryness, which can immediately age the face,’ she explains.
‘A satin finish, on the other hand, offers pigmentation with a subtle, healthy luminosity that reflects, rather than absorbs, light. This gives a far softer and more flattering look on mature skin.’
Ruby explains that, because of their gentle sheen, satin formulas tend to be more hydrating, which is another bonus. ‘The secret to keeping lips looking their best as we age is to keep them hydrated,’ she says.
This sheen will also make thin lips look fuller, she says. ‘The subtle shine will bounce light off the curves of the lips, creating an optical illusion of fullness without needing heavy lip liners or glosses.’
While we unfortunately don’t have Buckingham Palace on speed dial, Camilla’s exact lipstick choice remains a mystery. That said, Ruby says her own Lip Serum Balms are a brilliant choice for achieving a similar effect. ‘They’re the ultimate hybrid hero,’ she says. ‘They deliver a soft sheen with the comfort and nourishment of a deep treatment serum for the lips.’
She also namechecks Lisa Eldridge’s Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour and Bobbi Brown’s Luxe Lip Colour as fantastic choices for mature lips. Our beauty wish list is building up...
