Beauty Diary: Charlotte Tilbury is ‘unstoppable’ despite cost-of-living crisis
Despite the fact Aussies are broke, data shows we’re “obsessed” with one brand, with its CEO now revealing the “secret” to her success.
Consumers and businesses alike are struggling in the current cost-of-living crisis – and the cosmetics industry is no exception.
But as some beauty companies are ending the year facing “significant financial hardships”, there’s one brand that continues to go from strength-to-strength.
Charlotte Tilbury is one of the world’s “leading beauty brands”, turning over 310 million British pounds (that’s over $600 million Australian dollars) in 2022, a feat data analysts have said makes the brand “unstoppable”.
Now Tilbury, the make-up mastermind who founded the brand back in 2013, has opened up about the “secret” to her success, revealing people love the products because the were among the first that made “beauty accessible for everyone”.
“Darling, even before I launched my brand, I always wanted a platform to share all my Hollywood tips, tricks and secrets with the world, which is why I launched my YouTube channel,” she told news.com.au’s The Beauty Diary.
“With my brand, it was the same idea. I wanted to decodify all my Hollywood beauty tips, tricks and secrets for everyone, everywhere, creating amazing products that are easy-to-choose, easy-to-use and easy-to-understand.
“I wanted to bottle the gloss of Hollywood stars and the airbrushed look of supermodels. That is why I created my 10 Iconic Looks collection, a set of confidence-boosting makeup kits that contain everything you need to transform yourself into whoever you want to be.”
The 51-year-old has become a household name since its initial launch, and often finds its products are regularly “duped” by rival brands, something Tilbury states is due to her ethos to “never” replicate anyone else.
“Something I have always insisted is that with everything we do, we innovate and never imitate,” she said.
“I am constantly striving to be several steps ahead, predicting the customer need-state and identifying gaps in the market while staying true to our brand.
“I am obsessed with putting innovation at the heart of what we do, so with my 30 years of industry expertise, I work with my magic innovation labs and product development team to trial formulas, shades, testing on hundreds of models of different skin types, tones and ages.”
Because of this ideology, Tilbury – who was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the beauty and cosmetics industry – said a product does not launch until she knows it is “perfect”.
“It can sometimes take years but we innovate everything. Formula, ingredients packaging design... I believe it is one of the reasons we are adored by every generation,” she shared.
“Since day one, my brand has been about creating products that are easy-to-choose, easy-to-use and easy-to-gift for everyone, from ages 18 to 108. We have something for everyone, and that is the magic of Charlotte Tilbury.”
Some of the beauty brand’s most popular products include its cult “Magic Cream”, which Tilbury said was “because it is not just a moisturiser”.
“It retexturises the skin, it boosts the skin’s barrier, and it perfectly primes the skin for make-up,” she stressed.
Aussies are also “obsessed” with the brand’s “Hollywood Flawless Filter”, a sheer foundation that Tilbury described as “giving you the best healthy-looking glow of your life”.
We’re also huge fans of the Charlotte Tilbury “Pillow Talk Lip Cheat” and “Matte Revolution” lipstick.
“My universally flattering nudey-pink hue mimics the tones we are naturally blessed with, making it the perfect shade for reshaping and resizing for fuller-looking lips,” Tilbury explained.
The brand also recently expanded to add fragrance to its popular line-up of skincare and make-up products – a new SKU Tilbury said had been “a lifetime in the making”.
Ahead of the Christmas season, the brand also collaborated with a string of famous faces, including Australian icon Kylie Minogue who appeared in a commercial promoting Charlotte Tilbury’s holiday range.
Fans lost their mind at the new ad, with many labelling Minogue’s collaboration with Tilbury as “iconic”.
“Kylie Minogue and Charlotte Tilbury are a fabulous combo,” one wrote.
“Kylie and Charlotte is a dream come true,” someone else mused.
Tilbury explained to The Beauty Diary that she and the Aussie popstar have been friends “for years”, adding, “we always have so much fun working together”.
“She is so talented and an absolute superstar, so I knew I had to have her in my new holiday campaign, ‘The Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Show’.
“I loved getting such a star-studded mix of talent for my biggest campaign of the year.
“Kylie’s mesmerising makeup look was all about my limited-edition ‘Hypnotising Pop Shots’, which are part of my ‘Magic Gifting Universe’ this year.”
Australian influencer Leah Halton also appears in the campaign after finding fame earlier this year with an extremely viral TikTok video.