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For Charlotte Tilbury MBE, makeup artist to stars like Kate Moss, Winnie Harlow and Amal Clooney, the mission is simple: arm everyone with the tools to harness their confidence. "Beauty is so much more than just superficial," she tells Refinery29. "It can change your frequency, transform your mood, and inspire you to go after your dreams!"
With skincare that works instantaneously to nourish skin with glow-boosting ingredients, and makeup that seeks to enhance and flatter over mask and cover, her legacy spans globally. And as someone who has never ceased to push her products on to anyone and everyone who will listen, I can firmly attest that her ability to create universally flattering shades is unmatched — think The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants style lipstick shades (only not shared... obviously). From her iconic Pillow Talk lipstick range to her Magic skin collection that is arguably the best foundation base your skin will ever need, the label's legacy truly speaks for itself.
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But though you'd be hard-pressed to find an Aussie beauty obsessive unequipped with some of Charlotte Tilbury's legendary products, we were more than a bit thrilled to hear that the brand is finally landing on our shores today!
To be stocked across Australia and New Zealand in all Mecca stores, both physical and online, it'll be game-changing to be able to swatch until our heart's content and express ship those goodies as we please. Just in time for spring lipstick shopping!
In celebration of the brand's inception into the local market, we chatted to the famed MUA about the products she could never part with and the beginner's guide to shopping her lauded range of cosmetics and skincare.
What are your 5 desert island products?
Firstly, my award-winning Magic Cream. I never, ever do makeup without it. It was how my brand began! From the very beginning of my career, I was known for creating gorgeous, glowing skin before amazing makeup. Magic Cream actually got its name because, for years, I used to mix it myself and use it backstage at shoots and shows to instantly turn around the look of tired, dull skin. Everyone became obsessed with it and would ask me all the time for my ‘MAGIC’ cream! It contains a matrix of oils and ingredients like Camelia oil, Rosehip oil, Bio-Nymph Peptides and Hyaluronic acid — instantly flooding the skin with moisture and giving it a glowing, smoother, plumper look and feel!
My universally loved, award-winning Pillow Talk Matte Revolution lipstick would have to be another pick! It’s an iconic, sumptuous, nudey-pink that has become a bit of a national treasure over the years. It makes the most of what you have, and I have three shades for everyone! You can wear it in the boardroom, or at the bar, or in this case, on the beach! — a look for anyone of any age.
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I am a mascara obsessive and I never, ever go anywhere without it, so my Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Mascara would have to be there with me too. It gives the most incredible 24-hr vertical lift effect and instantly makes you look and feel more confident and ready to take on anything! Mascara is what first made me fall in love with the power of makeup! I discovered a tube of it aged 13 and overnight, it changed my life!
Airbrush Flawless Foundation is my go-to for flawless, pore-less looking skin. It has the skincare benefits of a serum and gives you a weightless, full coverage, stay-all-day finish. I use this on all of my celebrity clients before a red carpet event!
Finally, I would have to take my Super Radiance Resurfacing Facial with me. It’s a miracle facial in a tube with a targeted blend of acids and hydrating ingredients that resurfaces, sloughing off dead skin cells and adding instant radiance for skin that looks reborn! I have been obsessed with this since it launched. I love the polished, gleaming glow effect it gives the skin!
For newbies, what are the must-have Charlotte Tilbury products to dip their toes into?
You can’t have a beautiful painting without a beautiful canvas, so the first product I would recommend is my Magic Cream moisturiser. It transforms your skin in 28 seconds — not the usual 28 days — and is clinically proven to boost hydration by 226% in 1 hour.
My Hollywood Flawless Filter is a social media filter bottled. From Kate Moss to Salma Hayek, all my celebrity clients are obsessed. It's also versatile enough to have 3 used — as a primer; on its own for a fresh, glowing, blurred skin look, or as a highlighter for a superstar lit glow.
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I also highly recommend my iconic 10 Looks Wardrobe to anyone new to Charlotte Tilbury. It was one of the first and most disruptive ideas I ever had! They’re confidence-building kits with everything to need to transform into a Golden Goddess, a Rock Chick or a Queen of Glow!
What else is in your empties right now?
I am big on VOLUME when it comes to my hair, so another product I constantly run out of is my dear friend Sam McKnight’s Cool Girl Texture Spray. It’s ideal for throwing into my bag when I’m on the go, between makeup appointments and parties for an instant volume boost!
I love the gorgeous Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics products — especially the Noni Glow Body Oil, which smells delicious, is super-hydrating and gives my body an all-over glow.
You can now shop the entire Charlotte Tilbury range at all Mecca stores and online at mecca.com.au as of September 21.