Last week, Charlotte Tilbury visited Sydney. It's the first time she's ever made her way to Australia and the beauty community collectively lost its mind. Not only is she a mega makeup artist who's created countless of iconic looks for the likes of Sienna Miller and Salma Hayek, but she's the founder of her eponymous brand (a suite of products that single-handedly brought glowing skin into the mainstream).

She's an industry legend and while often copied, Tilbury remains original, inspired and innovative. Not to mention inspiring — her philosophy around beauty is more than skin deep. Also, who else can count Mary Greenwall as a mentor, and Kate Moss as a close friend?

Tilbury and I spoke for over an hour, and throughout the conversation there were so many pearls, from makeup to life and then some. The best of it, below.

Good makeup should imitate good lighting...

"Good makeup is all about good lighting. I am obsessed with lighting, it's how we make magic on set. My products replicate this; it's good lighting bottled. It's like 'boom, Paris filter. Instant diva light. Instant cheek bones!' And most importantly it's easy for the consumer. Because I'm an expert. I can sit and buff whatever into the skin so that it looks good on camera for 20 seconds, but that doesn't work at home for consumers. We put that magic — good lighting — into the bottle."

Dupes don't always measure up...

"I think the reason I've had success is because I'm obsessed with my formulas and what they do for our consumers. It's hardcore to develop a beauty product — a good beauty product — it is not easy to do. My team of scientists hate to see me coming because I'm such a perfectionist. I drive the labs mad with clinical testing. That's my problem with dupers because they're saying something is the same when it isn't. It's not even copying, it's lying. This is your skin, your face that you’re putting these products on. A living, breathing organism. And that’s what upsets me. If you dupe a product, you’re duping the customer and potentially ruining their relationship with make-up and affecting their confidence. If you want to challenge me and out-innovate me, go for it — you should. I'll have nothing but respect for you. But otherwise, I have a huge problem with dupers. Because if we don't defend innovation, we won't have an industry."

Pink = universally flattering

"Basically, everyone looks pretty in pink. In old Hollywood they would sometimes paint the walls in a soft pink — Marilyn Monroe was said to have loved that. Pink is so dreamy, it's universally flattering. Pillow Talk lipstick was all about this. I invented the shade because I was always looking at the pigment in people's lips and trying to bottle it, the pinky tone. I studied different skin tones and we democratised Pillow Talk for everyone, as well. The Lip Liner and Lipstick just make your lips look hot, really. We joke that when you're wearing Pillow Talk, you get what you want."

The JLO sandwich red carpet hack

"So there's this makeup trick we call the Jlo sandwich — a lot of my celebrity clients will use it for red carpets — where we powder with Airbrush Powder, then spray the skin with Airbrush Setting Spray, and as it's setting, we take Airbrush Powder again and add it back on top. You get this incredibly smooth, poreless, flawless looking skin that lasts for hours and hours."

Magic Cream was originally created for ravaged model skin during fashion weeks...

"Magic Cream was made for all the fabulous models doing New York, London, Paris and Milan who were working all day and all night, out until 5 a.m., big makeup, baby wipes, exhausted, stressed out, living life at the speed of light. Skin barriers weren't a thing back then, but still their skin barriers were so damaged. Magic Cream gives you gorgeous glowing skin in 28 seconds. I made it for those moments but it's unbelievable under any makeup. It's all my work and expertise in a jar. It smooths, it blurs, it repairs, it hydrates. It's magic."

Sienna Miller and Kate Moss both swear by this no-makeup-makeup product...

"Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Foundation Stick looks like a light filter and it's quick. It only takes a few seconds. It's a favourite of Kate Moss and Sienna Miller... they love it because they're no-makeup makeup girls. They're fresh — they don't want to look like there's been a piece of foundation near their skin. They can scribble it on, and it's done."

Creativity starts from a young age (and we all need a hero)

"My father was an artist, and I was brought up around a lot of fashion people, rock stars, hippies... a very eclectic childhood. That really informed my thinking from a young age. I was obsessed with glamour. My mother loved red lipstick. I was also fascinated by the power of certain women, their presence when they entered a room. What was it about them? Why were some so magnetic? I realised a lot of it comes down to fashion and makeup tricks. 

But a pivotal moment for me was meeting Mary Greenwall, who was a friend of my parents. I was in Ibiza, I think I was age 11 or something. It was amazing. She was doing Vogue covers of Jerry Hall. It was the beginning of the supermodel era. This experience triggered my obsessed with the psychology around beauty and empowerment. I wanted to understand why some women held a certain magic about them, and how I could give it to others. Why just a special few? Beauty is a tool — our feelings and thoughts become things. I've seen it in my chair a million times. Energy shifts, people become brighter, happier. It's very powerful."

Someone always has to be first...

"Before I created my line, I worked for other brands. I did Helena Rubenstein, I did MAC, Armani, Tom Ford. I had a track record of success but I felt things were missing, and as an artist, I wasn't happy with what was out there. Shoppers were confused as well. I wanted to demystify things and create some retail theatre. I wanted people to walk away from my counter empowered and confident. I wanted to make my own line. Everyone laughed at me and exclaimed, 'Charlotte this industry is run by like five people'. And at the time that was true, but look at the state of it now? Thousands of brands launched after I launched. It only takes one disruptor."

Shop the edit:

Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick

Pillow Talk Lipstick

Magic Cream