"It would be really great to see other people innovating, and not just copying - copying badly, at that."

Charlotte Tilbury on makeup, copycats, and a conversation from her childhood that would change her life.

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“I love the double denim, darling.”

If you’ve ever seen Charlotte online or in media, she’s effusive, dramatic, a rapid-fire talker, and infectiously passionate about makeup. Having met her several times over the past few years (the first in 2017), I can tell you that this is exactly who she is in real life.

She also remembers things - small details about you - and compliments you every time on something. Your skin, lashes, makeup, hair - something. She’s arguably a true lover of making people feel good, and, of course, this comes across in spades through her brand.

She founded Charlotte Tilbury at the end of 2013, which, in the grand timeline of the beauty world, was not that long ago. And yet, it’s a brand that feels like it’s an inherent part of our DNA.

I spoke to her in London recently about her process when it comes to creating new products, the one product she wants everyone to try, and what it feels like to be one of the most copied brands in the world.

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