Charlotte Tilburry.
While it's definitely the dresses that do most of the dazzling on the red carpet, hair and makeup can make or break a look. And when it comes to working on faces in the spotlight, few are more sought after than Britain's celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury. The vivacious redhead (and best friend of Kate Moss) was responsible for five beautiful faces at New York's recent Met Ball, including the striking Amal Clooney's. She is also a longtime favourite of Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz and Rihanna, to name a few.
Tilbury, whose father was a painter and mother a locations manager, had an artsy upbringing in Ibiza before being sent off to boarding school in the U.K. at the age of 13. It was there that she discovered makeup's power to transform and, five years later, enrolled at a London makeup school. Now 42, the mother of two spends most of her time jetting around the world on cover shoots and fashion campaigns and, in September 2013, decided to take things up a notch by launching her own line of makeup. (It hits Canada in June.) I caught up with Tilbury at Toronto's Soho House recently, where we chatted about smoky eyes, her boldface friends and clients and why one never gets too old for makeup.
What's your impression of Canada ? The final frontier?
I have quite a glamorous impression of Canada because I always think of the Toronto Film Festival, and I think of the Weston family, because of what they did with the Selfridges brand. They've been amazing business partners for me and also I knew them through my teenage years to early 20s because I'm friends with their daughter, Alannah.
Tell me about the line of cosmetics you're bringing here.
Fifty per cent of women in England do not engage in makeup. And yet, when I would do celebrities' makeup, they would look in the mirror and have that kind of epiphany, that moment where they'd be like, "Oh my god, there she is!" Because they would get off planes, and they would be exhausted. I also understood that many women felt disempowered by makeup, because they're not artistic. That's why I created a line that makes it quick and easy. I'm basically giving away all of my makeup secrets, tips and tricks with this brand. I'm dialing it down.
Makeup for me was a coming-of-age thing. I'll never forget the first tube of lipstick I bought or the first time I put eyeliner on or my first pair of false eyelashes. Do you ever get too old for makeup? They say that as you age, less is more.
Absolutely not. I've got this mantra that makeup actually can make you look younger, especially with today's technology, because you are working with formulas that merge skincare with makeup. All my of products are treat-and-transform.
You've worked with some of the greatest icons of the red carpet, and some of the greatest photographers and designers. What did you learn from, say, photographer Mario Testino?
What he would always say to me is, "I want the girls to look like they've had sex in a club, and they're having fun, and their bodies are really gorgeous and glowy and sexy, and they have Brazilian skin!" And so I created a product around that called Supermodel Body. But it's very Mario Testino glossy, Victoria's Secret kind of skin.
What did you learn from Stella McCartney?
Well she's crazy about my Magic Cream actually, because she likes everyone to look completely natural, and have glowy, dewy skin.
What about Tom Ford? He's got some strong ideas.
Tom Ford and I share a passion for the smoky eye. We like sexiness as well, and a little bit of play of colour.
And you've worked with so many stars on the red carpet. What do you glean from them?
Jennifer Lopez is somebody else I created a product around. From way back, Jennifer very much understood facial framework – that kind of contouring before it was big. She's been doing it forever. She always likes to highlight her cheekbones and always highlights her nose. So we'd always be mixing up different things to get the certain gold shimmers right. Jennifer loves makeup, she loves to experiment she loves to play. I was one of the first people to do a feline flick on her, which is a thing I created for Kate Moss And Kate?
Well, we've known each other since we were 19. I was the one who put that kind of cat eye on her, and the feline flick. So that's why I created a product called the Feline Flick. It's all because of Kate Moss.
And any personal feelings about cosmetic surgery? About going too far?
I do think some people go too far. I'd rather cheat it with makeup. I'm 42 and I've had nothing done. And I think the reason a lot of people tell me, "You don't look 42!" is that my clay mask and my Magic Cream have made a big difference. It's [also] about using the right makeup. As you get older, the colour drains from your face, so you need to put blush on – but you need the right kind of blush. And as you get older, colour drains from your lips, so a little bit of lip colour is good. All these makeup-artist tricks can make women look a lot younger.
This interview has been condensed and edited.