Charlotte Tilbury on Her Secret to Dewy, Hydrated Skin
The British makeup artist-turned-entrepreneur shares the importance of knowing the difference between dry and dehydrated skin
Originally known as the makeup director for major fashion brands’ runway shows like Prada, Miu Miu and Chloe, Charlotte Tilbury’s career has come a long way. Her early days as a makeup artist brought her invaluable experience, working with a diverse array of canvases, and learning how to enhance each person’s beauty in the most flattering way. So when the British makeup artist launched her own makeup brand back in 2013, it was only natural that people flocked to the shops looking to cop her products. After all, who better to create makeup products than a professional makeup artist?
10 years on, we speak to the founder herself, as the brand launches its new Magic Water Cream. The new water cream comes a decade after the launch of the CT-classic Magic Cream, which Charlotte Tilbury created to use on models who were walking down the runway. She shares her secret to glossy, fresh skin, and the impact that a good canvas can have on makeup application. Jonathan Reynolds, the Director of Scientific Development at Charlotte Tilbury, also speaks to us about the benefits of the beauty industry’s latest fixation – niacinamide – and how it works to boost our skin’s natural barriers.
If “makeup is our secret weapon”, what is skincare to you?
Charlotte Tilbury: Darlings, I always say you can’t have a beautiful painting without a beautiful canvas. That’s why every glowing look I create starts with great skincare!
Skincare has always been important to me. I was creating my famous Magic Cream for models and celebrities in the ‘90s, long before I was creating makeup. It’s the product that launched my brand! My mission has always been to make skincare and makeup easy to choose, easy to use and easy to understand. That’s why I’m bottling my years of research and expertise – so that everyone, everywhere can get immediate skin revival, with long-term, clinically proven results.
Together with my expert in-house skincare scientists and industry-disrupting global skin innovation laboratories, I’ve developed a skincare wardrobe to have a one-of-a-kind approach which combines the science of blending, the magic of light, and the power of layering. I want everyone to unlock the magic of skin confidence.
You’ve worked on so many different faces and skin types. How does dehydration affect one’s makeup and why is it so important to address this during skin prep?
CT: Working backstage with every skin type and every skin tone, I quickly discovered that no one can escape dehydrated skin. We are all going from one screen to the next, impacted by blue screens, air-con, travelling, and not getting enough sleep. We are generation dehydration, and we are all in need of immediate skin revival.
To prep a glowing look, I love using my new Magic Water Cream which drenches and revives the skin. This really gives the most glossy, glass-like water sheen! And I never start my makeup without applying my Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer with SPF 50 PA++++. This gorgeous formula has hydrating hyaluronic acid and smoothing airbrush polymers that give the most amazing silk-like texture. It’s also silicone-free so it feels light as air!
My entire skin wardrobe works in hydrating harmony so that every product complements, enhances, and supercharges for your best skin finish, with no pilling, rolling or slipping. If you use the right skincare, your skin and makeup will always look better!
What is the key difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin, and what should people be looking for when discerning their skin type?
CT: So many people get these two confused! Let me share one of my simple tricks to help you remember. Dry skin is a skin type and dehydrated skin is a skin condition. Skin types can vary from person to person – oily to combination to dry and sensitive – but anyone can have dehydrated skin. And darlings, everyone does!
For dry skin, which may feel sensitive, inflamed, and tight to the touch, I always recommend my award-winning Magic Cream. The oil-rich, hydrating, moisture-boosting formula gives silky-smooth skin that feels magically nourished and moisturised. For dehydrated skin, which looks tired, and dull and is craving hydration, I like to use my Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, which is enriched with hydration powerhouse polyglutamic acid.
To complement this superfood serum, I love applying my Magic Water Cream which locks in 100 hours of hydration for a dewy, fresh glow. And using a high-factor sunscreen like the Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer will help prevent UV rays from dehydrating your skin throughout the day.
With the Magic Water Cream’s lighter texture, would you recommend this formula over the cult classic Magic Cream under makeup?
CT: Both layer beautifully under makeup, and both will give you that iconic Charlotte Tilbury glow! I always say, my Magic Water Cream drenches like a water cream and revives like a Magic Cream for the best dewy glow of your life.
I’ve been known as a trendsetter, and the next trend I’m predicting is mermaid-core glowing skin. It’s the secret to that fresh, glass-like, airbrushed glow that you see on every star and supermodel! If you use my Magic Water Cream under my famous Hollywood Flawless Filter, people will stop you in the street and ask you what you’re wearing. It’s my ultimate glow duo for mermaid-core glowing skin.
What led you to decide to look into developing a product like the Magic Water Cream?
CT: I always say that necessity is the mother of all inventions, which is why I had to create my Magic Water Cream! We are always on the go, so we need skincare innovations that can do it all – from adding radiance to hydrating, smoothing, and plumping the look of skin!
Textures are so important in skincare and makeup. Why did you choose to go for a water cream texture for this specific product?
CT: This is a lightweight, fragrance-free, bouncy-gel formula that drenches the skin and gives you a glass-like dewy glow. The texture is so incredible – it sinks right into the skin so you look like you’ve just come out of a spa. The intelligent water-break texture floods your complexion with micro-droplets of moisture that burst on application. It’s got that fresh youthful dew that everyone wants! I always want to bottle the most powerful skincare solutions that give everyone immediate skin revival and immediate skin confidence!
Could you tell us more about the trademarked Waterlocking Fusion Technology, the science behind it and how this formula sets itself apart from other hydrators on the market?
CT: My new innovation is infused with Waterlocking Fusion Technology that locks in 100 hours of hydration in just one application to give you the best, fresh glow of your life.
The hydrating blend of ingredients actively trains your skin to retain more moisture. You will see clinically proven results both immediately and over time. In just 28 seconds, your pores will appear to have reduced in size and skin tone appears more even. In 28 days, redness appears reduced and skin texture appears smoother!
You have been steadily expanding your brand’s skincare offerings on top of makeup releases. are there more skincare releases in the pipeline that fans of the brand can look out for in the near future?
CT: I am always innovating, so watch this space. There is so much more magic to come!
Niacinamide has been the ‘it’ ingredient these days. What are its benefits and why do you think beauty consumers are constantly looking out for this key ingredient?
Jonathan Reynolds: Niacinamide is an incredible ingredient that offers so many benefits to the skin, which is why so many customers are looking for products infused with this powerhouse ingredient! Niacinamide’s main function is increasing skin resilience by boosting the skin’s barrier function, helping to decrease transepidermal water loss and reducing the damaging effects of pollution on the skin. In turn, this also helps to even the skin tone, making the skin look more radiant and healthier while also reducing the appearance of wrinkles and redness. Niacinamide is also able to balance sebum production and reduce the appearance of pores, which is why it is a favourite of people with an oily or combination skin type.
What was the thought process in deciding to go for a silicone-free formula and what were the challenges in creating one?
JR: Layering incompatible silicones is one of the main reasons why products ball up or pill on the skin. We all know the frustration of getting to the last step of skincare and then applying sunscreen or foundation just for it to roll off of your face, requiring you to take off all of your skincare and start again! We wanted to remove this frustration so you can have the best glow of your life, but still be compatible with your other products. The challenge of removing silicones is that most of the replacements on the market leave a film on the skin, so it doesn’t feel like the product is properly absorbing, and they quite often flake off the skin throughout the day. They also don’t create the perfect makeup base, as the slightest friction from applying products on top can disturb the film formers.
We worked on many versions of the Magic Water Cream to create the perfect combination of glow, absorption, and prep for makeup. When we develop products, we always ensure that they work in a full routine - from cleansing to final setting spray application. If a skincare product doesn’t improve the look of your makeup it simply isn’t good enough for us.
Could you tell us more about the biopeptide complex present in the formula and how peptides can help with anti-ageing?
JR: The Biopeptide Complex is a combination of two ingredients. The first is our favourite revolutionary peptide blend Replexium, which helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and leave the skin feeling firmer in just 4 weeks. And the second is a natural peptide blend derived from upcycled cranberry fruit. Unlike the highly targeted efficacy of synthetic peptides, this rich and diverse blend of natural peptides offers multifunctional performance by helping to improve the skin barrier function, boosting the appearance of radiance, and reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and redness.
