Charlotte Tilbury told us the one beauty product she can’t live without
It's not what you'd expect
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We spoke with the one and only Charlotte Tilbury about the biggest trends in beauty, creating undupeable products, and the power of Pillow Talk.
When it comes to beauty, there’s no shortage of content online.
Get-ready-with-me videos, makeup tutorials and skincare tips are a dime a dozen, and these days, everyone's an expert.
But while we’re all for the democratisation of beauty, there’s something to be said for a true expert of their craft; someone who’s trained in the biz, and for whom blush, brows and balms really are their bread and butter.
So imagine you had the chance to speak with one of these experts about what beauty products really make them tick. Someone like…Charlotte Tilbury, for instance.
A professional makeup artist cum powerhouse entrepreneur, Charlotte Tilbury, MBE, president, chairman, chief creative officer and founder of Charlotte Tilbury, is one of the most defining names in beauty.
Beloved for her high-glam, women-first approach to makeup, and innovative lens on skincare, it’s a brand with a loyal, verging on fanatic following. And for anyone who’s tried one of the Beauty Light highlighter wands or a pot of the Magic Cream, you’ll know it’s for good reason.
As she launches her brand new Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick around the world, we got the chance to chat to Tilbury herself about all things beauty.
From what gives a product the ‘magic’ touch, to the power of the Pillowtalk pigment, and creating undupable products, we covered it all – and yes, we’re fangirling too.
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty often goes hand-in-hand with glamour, but the Unreal skin tint is more about a second-skin complexion. What inspired that direction?
Unreal has been years in the making, because darling, I am both an innovator and a perfectionist!
It was born by my wanting to meet the needs of all my customers, my friends, my family. It’s for the mature woman, the working mum, the Parisian no-foundation foundation girl, anyone who wants to look like they’ve just come back from a holiday, or they’ve just had a facial, or been to a spa!
But that said... my gorgeous niece Bella is definitely a fan of the clean girl beauty look, and her needs were on my hit list too! So, in that sense, it coincides with this year’s trend for gorgeous clean girl looks, from hair to styling and of course – with makeup.
We saw it at the Oscars and the Met with my beautiful muses Emma Stone and Phoebe Dynevor, who both showcased the most gorgeous glowing no-makeup looks thanks to my products, and darlings as you know, you don’t get much more glamour than the red carpet!
Unreal is perfect for this trend, because it makes your skin look naturally revived, snatched, glowing, while also having amazing skincare benefits with hydration, plumping, smoothing. As you know I’ve always championed and created skincare-makeup hybrids, I live to innovate!
Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick, $63 from charlottetilbury.com
Do you generally lean into trends when formulating products, or do you buck them?
Neither! I create them! I was brought up by artistic people, and I then worked with incredibly talented photographers, editors, and when you have that artistry around you, you can’t help but be a trailblazer!
I innovate constantly, I have a sixth sense about the gaps in the market. It’s hard to believe now, but when I first talked about “glow”, the word wasn’t even in the beauty vernacular. I understood how to bottle Jennifer Aniston’s gorgeous golden glow, how to bottle that celebrity DNA, and share all my tips, tricks and secrets so that everyone could get the gloss of the Hollywood stars, the airbrushed finish of the supermodels.
I’ve always wanted to democratise and demystify beauty so that everyone, everywhere could feel like a star, because I believe that having the right makeup instils confidence in everyone. That’s the trend I keep creating!
Pillow Talk is one of your most iconic products. What was the secret to creating a pigment and a line that so many people love?
Pillow Talk came from my mission to democratise beauty – I wanted to make colours that flatter all skin tones, all ages. My secret? My beautifying pink filter is more than a colour – it's a world!
It started out by my being on set all the time and understanding the power of pink lighting tricks to immediately beautify everyone – they're soft, natural, pretty. Everyone looks pretty in pink! I saw a gap in the market for universally flattering pink shades, and I bottled those dreamy, beautiful pink hues after studying the undertones of all skin types.
That's why Pillow Talk (which started out as a lip liner and is now a franchise, with mascara, blush, lip plumper, eyeshadow, mascara) suits everyone, from Kate Moss to Salma Hayek to Jourdan Dunn. You can wear it if you are 18, you can wear it if you are 80!
Pillow Talk Matte Revolution lipstick, $54 from charlottetilbury.com
What do you think are the biggest upcoming trends in beauty?
For 2024 darling, on every red carpet we’ll see more gorgeous clean girl looks, from hair to styling and of course – with makeup. We saw it at the Oscars and the Met Gala, with my gorgeous muses Emma Stone and Phoebe Dynevor, who both showcased the most gorgeous glowing no-makeup looks thanks to my products.
This summer is going to be all about blush! and darlings I have a whole blush wardrobe for you, with my New! Beautiful Skin Island Glow Lip and Cheek, inspired by all my favourite island sunsets and the way the light plays on your skin while watching the sunset – the pink glow of Ibiza, the orange glow of Zanzibar, the golden sunset in a forest..
They have dreamy textures so you can apply over any other makeup without pilling, but they also have skincare actives for your lips and cheeks too, with skin-conditioning Vitamin E that makes your skin look instantly dewy, sexy and glowing!
We all want that pretty, fresh, post-holiday glow, and that perfect girl-next-door vibe. From Emma Stone to Sabrina Carpenter, we’re seeing that less is more and it’s all about skin, skin, skin! I've always championed and created skincare-makeup hybrids and it’s amazing to see next-generation skincare having such a moment.
You’re known for creating ‘magic’ products – what makes a product magic to you?
What makes a product magic? So many things! I always want to combine the best in tech, artistry, and science to everything I make, and I think that’s what sets the Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick apart – and that goes for every product I create at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty. I truly believe in innovation.
For Unreal, it’s so quick and easy – it’s makeup in seconds, it gives you that incredible snatched glow up. But if I had to single out just one thing? It would have to be my magical light-mapping mesh tech which delivers that beautiful ring light effect! It’s unique to my brand, and it’s so so so special!
It’s a magic ratio of soft-focus, blurring and smoothing emollients formed from multi-molecular weight hyaluronic acid and light mapping diffusing pigments.
Beautiful Skin Island Glow Lip & Cheek, $60 from charlottetilbury.com
Speaking of that covetable ring-light effect, how exactly does it work?
Hyaluronic acid is a really big molecule, as you know, so with Unreal, I’ve used three different weights of it, in order to give both instant and long-term results.
The larger molecules form a hydrating layer on the skin’s surface to help prevent trans-epidermal water loss, while also protecting the skin from pollution. They keep water in, and the bad stuff out! The medium molecules can penetrate the skin… and once they’re in, they bind to water, nourishing and keeping the skin plump and hydrated, giving the skin a smooth appearance.
The smaller molecules are able to penetrate deeper into the skin, at a dermal level. This is amazing because this is where the wrinkle starts, it’s the source of the wrinkle. The small molecules of hyaluronic can get to work right at the source of the wrinkle, so that they have a much more impressive effect, they bind with water, and plump up fine lines and wrinkles, leaving your skin looking smooth.
These three different molecular weights are then combined with light-mapping, micro-fine smoothing diffusers which cut the shadows underneath the eyes, cut greyness, lift the sallowness, the exhaustion, they smooth and evenly scatter the light.
They’re genius, because they absorb more long wavelength light, which is more flattering on the skin, evening out the tone, but they also scatter it back, so you get a unique, natural-looking healthy skin glow.
So you have a supernatural, healthy-looking skin glow! It gives everyone a more even toned, luminous, lifted cheekbone effect, but there are also incredible skincare benefits that give you great skin both now, and over time.
What is one product can you not live without?
If I had to pick just one of course it has to be my award-winning, best-selling Magic Cream! I never do makeup without it because it’s a miracle moisturiser and primer in one! My once-secret magic cream was born backstage to immediately revive and transform the skin of celebrities and supermodels.
I worked with the best labs in the world to create a next-generation formula that’s infused with plump-effect peptides, brightening vitamins C and E, hydrating hyaluronic acid and my signature cushion + lift mesh technology – a magic blend of skin cushioning emollients for softer, smoother looking skin.
It’s this undupeable technology that perfectly primes the skin – with magic cream your makeup will always look more beautiful. It’s not just skin barrier boosting, it’s skin barrier beautifying, darling! You see visible results in 28 seconds and over time in 28 days – I call it my magic dew of youth and luminosity in a jar! It’s the perfect primer for Unreal Skin, to level up your glow!
Charlotte Tilbury the brand releases many products each year, how do you decide what’s next?
As you know at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, we love to innovate. I'm obsessed with creating the best of the best, that no one else can imitate, as much as they try…
Darlings, with everything I innovate, it starts with a vision. You know how I get an innate sense about these products? I know what the customer need-state is, even before customers do! And I look around…at my friends, my family, the celebrities I work with, and of course, my customers – and this informs what's next.
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