Cosmetics Contemplations: From one royal wedding to another

As I mentioned at the beginning of May in my original royal wedding makeup post, eyes can be just as much on a celebrity bride's face as on their dress. With Kate Middleton, Lily Allen and Kate Moss having all gone for natural looks, it appears too that the new Princess Charlene of Monaco went for an equally classic look on Saturday:

Waterproof mascara was clearly a choice element for this teary bride. Her tan (natural, I'm guessing; if it's fake then whoever did it did an excellent job) is complemented by a highlighter (perhaps something akin to Benefit's High Beam) and a natural lip colour, such as those provided by Clinique's new Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm (Graped Up is a most agreeable shade). Some extra hold may have been needed for the lips, though, so perhaps the blushing bride's lips also had a base made from concealer or foundation, or from a specialist product intended for the purpose, such as products by Astor or Benefit. Max Factor also do a great double-ended product, the classic Lipfinity, that does both in one stick. I've heard, though, that Charlene's lip colour was actually applied by makeup artist Pablo Ardizzone, and created by him too - the shade 'Charlene' was mixed specially, in honour of the day.


The bride's eyeshadow, in timeless golden brown colours, is also given the thumbs up from over here - and, as some criticised Kate Middleton for, none of it is too heavy even from close up. The eyebrows are well-shaped too - although I don't imagine for a moment that the ex-Olympic swimmer did them herself.

The crowning glory, though, is definitely the new princess' hair: her highlights add natural extra dimensions without looking in the least bit tacky (although you'd expect that from someone with hundreds to spend on a hairdresser, wouldn't you?), and the hairpiece is elegant and a little bit glitzy without losing any of its classiness.

Funnily enough, the lack of jewellery, while it initially bothered me, does not in fact detract from the overall effect: the hairpiece, glittering details on the dress itself, and the other main features of the veil and train more than compensate. On seeing pictures, the wow-factor is there while still keeping Charlene looking chic and understated. We don't know what perfume Charlene wore, but the aptly-named Marry Me! by Lanvin would fit the bill for any bride; alternatively, she could have followed in Kate Middleton's footsteps and plumped for the Duchess of Cambridge's choice - White Gardenia Petals, by the House of Illuminium.

Another brand that may have been a port of call for the new princess may have been Giorgio Armani: after all, he did design the dress, and the makeup brand that bears his name also gets the thumbs up from several beauty industry pros. Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel designer, was also present among the guests; could Charlene have taken some beauty guidance from him?

Overall, a successful and very lovely wedding look; let's just hope the marriage of the newest entrant to the House of Grimaldi is just as successful.

DIY!

Bronzer: Agnès B b. Sunny! Poudre de Soleil

Mascara: Rimmel 100% Waterproof Mascara

Highlighter:  ELF Shimmering Facial Whip

Lips: Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm; Benefit Lip Plump

Eyeshadow: MAC Pigments in Chocolate Brown, Tan and Copper Sparkle

Perfume: Marry Me! by Lanvin