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meghan markle red lipstick© Getty Images

Meghan Markle pays lip service to her Hollywood past


UPDATED JANUARY 17, 2019 10:16 AM EST

Since Meghan Markle emerged on our royal radar, appearing with Prince Harry for the first time at the Invictus Games in 2017, the former actress has shown off her love of classic, neutral style, including with her make-up. Nude shades of lipstick have been her go-to look – Meghan's favorite lipstick is Very Victoria, named after friend Victoria Beckham, by British luxury brand Charlotte Tilbury – but at Wednesday night's Cirque du Soleil performance of Totem in London, the Duchess of Sussex showed she hasn't entirely left her glam Hollywood roots behind, making a rare appearance sporting a bold red lip.

Meghan Markle Cirque du Soleil lipstick© Getty Images
The Duchess of Sussex gave her look a rare twist – chic red lipstick – for an outing to Circue du Soleil in London on Wednesday night. It's a shade we haven't seen much since the new royal's Hollywood days

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Meghan's wedding day make-up artist and good friend Daniel Martin previously told People that the newly-minted American royal doesn't like wearing bright crimson lip colors. "The one time she did a red lip, she just didn't feel comfortable in it," the celebrity MUA explained. "She likes to talk and she's not a fussy person, so she doesn't want to have to worry about anything."

Meghan Markle red lipstick© Getty Images
The bold and the beautiful: Meghan's red lip was more common back in 2016, above, when she was an actress on Suits 

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If you want to see Meghan Markle wearing red lipstick regularly, you have to go back to 2016, when she was starring on the TV legal drama Suits. In January 2016 she picked a bright and bold lip for ELLE's 6th Annual Women in Television Dinner Presented by Hearts on Fire Diamonds and Olay at Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, and in March she hit the AOL Build Presents Suits chat at AOL Studios in New York City. On that occasion she channeled Old Hollywood with a silver screen star hairstyle and a slick of red on her lips.

Meghan Markle Pink Lipstick
The pregnant Duchess made headlines with her dark nails at a recent appearance, but stayed true to her favorite nude lip color

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According to MEMImakeup.com, in 2017 sales of nude colors went up 65% after Harry and Meghan's engagement announcement thanks to the royal bride's love of those go-to neutral shades. Only time (and trends!) will tell if the Duchess of Sussex's royal seal of approval of the just as classic red will have the same effect.