December’s – ‘The Party Issue’ – Download Now
Sofia Schwarzkopf-Tilbury is a makeup artist, brand ambassador and product and content creator at Charlotte Tilbury, who’s honed her skills under the mentorship of her aunt, Charlotte Tilbury.
Did you have a passion for beauty from a young age?
Growing up as a child in Ibiza, I was always into animals and art, but as I got older, I became interested in beauty from watching Charlotte (Tilbury) and soaking up all of the creative energy I was surrounded by! My grandfather, Lance Tilbury, is an artist, my grandmother Patsy was a fashion producer, my mum Leah, was incredibly creative too—I was always on a path to something in that world!
When I moved to the UK, for boarding school, I would go to London at the weekends to visit Charlotte in her office and she would always let me take some makeup back to school to play with! I’d spend hours doing makeup and taking photos, trying to copy Charlotte’s looks from magazine covers and shows. After school, I knew I wanted to do something in fashion and beauty, and Charlotte took me under her wing and taught me everything I know. I have been so lucky to watch and learn from her over the years!
Which products are clients buying more heavily into more this year?
I think we’re seeing people spending a lot more time taking care of their skin this year. Skincare is self-care and during lockdown, I definitely found myself relying on my beauty rituals for a bit of calmness every day.
Charlotte always says, ‘you can’t have a beautiful painting without a beautiful canvas,’ and she’s right! After cleansing with my two-step Goddess Cleansing Ritual every morning and evening, I like to use Charlotte’s supercharged Magic Serum Crystal Elixir to massage the skin and create a beautiful, smooth, hydrated filter effect. It helps makeup glide on better too! People are so much more focused on powerful skincare ingredients these days, and this is formulated with Polyglutamic Acid—which is four times more hydrating than Hyaluronic Acid, Golden Vitamin C to brighten and even the look of the skin, as well as niacinamide to tighten pores and help balance oilier skin types. I’ve seen a huge difference in my skin since I started using it.
Then I follow with Charlotte’s Magic Cream moisturiser, which I never do my makeup without—it’s one of Charlotte’s biggest bestsellers! People adore this, because it has the most incredible, rich, nourishing formula that gives you a lit-from-within look and helps makeup stay glowing and flawless all day. If you’ve got oily or acne-prone skin, I recommend using Charlotte’s new Magic Cream Light for the same glow-boosting, smoothing, hydrating effect, with a light-weight texture. We launched Magic Cream Light this summer and people are in love, especially those in more humid climates.
How do you balance your multiple roles on a daily basis and is there anything that helps you to do this?
My job is super varied, and I think people are always surprised by how hands-on I am with product development at Charlotte Tilbury. When we are creating a new product, I work with the team to trial new textures, find the perfect shades that work for every skin tone and test every look on models of all ages and skin types! When we’re on set for a shoot, I work with all of the professional artists and the creative team to help capture all of the emotion and feeling behind a new campaign. I love the fact that my role is so fast-paced and fun, and we have the most amazing dream team, so it never feels like work!
What’s the secret to dewy skin?
My ultimate secret for glowing, dewy skin is Charlotte’s Hollywood Flawless Filter. I like to use it under my foundation to get a lit-from-within, glowing finish, but you can also use it on its own for a fresh, dewy, no-makeup look; mixed with foundation for a flawless glow, or on the high points of the face like a highlighter! Charlotte has always been obsessed with glowing skin, and she launched this product so that everyone can have a radiant, glowing skin day -everyday. It’s like a real-life social media filter!
How do you ensure your makeup lasts all day and how do you elevate for the evening?
To ensure my makeup looks flawless all day, I like to use the full coverage Airbrush Flawless Foundation, which has an incredible formula of skincare ingredients that work when you wear it. It’s perfect for concealing blemishes, scars and pigmentation and lasts all day and night. I like to blend it over the skin from the centre of the face to the outwards in order to create a gorgeous, seamless-looking complexion with a natural matte finish.
Then, I buff the Airbrush Flawless Finish powder over my T-Zone to set the base and ensure nothing moves throughout the day. I couldn’t live without this powder, it is so finely milled; it blurs any imperfections and never looks heavy or talc-y like some powders. It’s the one product I always slip into my celebrity clients’ clutch bags before an event. I have one on me at all times when I’m going out in the evening.
I am also obsessed with the new Airbrush Setting Spray, which sold out almost immediately when we first launched it. It primes, sets and fixes your makeup for up to 16 hours and it smells incredible— just like a day at the spa. This is going to be a gamechanger for all your beauties in the Middle East.
Airbrush foundation Dhs162
What are your skincare tips to stay glowing during party season?
Charlotte has taught me all of her secrets to make the skin glow before an event – For red carpets, we love to use the Goddess Skin Clay Mask to tighten the look of pores and get that baby soft skin feel. Unlike other clay masks, this does not dry or crack, its super hydrating on the skin whilst still being very purifying.
If my client has skin on the drier side, I’ll use the Instant Magic Dry Sheet Mask to flood the skin with moisture. It has a unique biomimetic delivery system that helps the supercharged ingredients—peptides, oils, butters—get deeply into the skin where you need it most, giving you a gorgeous glow.
Another of Charlotte’s top tips for a flawless glow is ICE. We always have ice packs on hand to cool down any puffiness, tighten the look of the skin and get all the blood flowing for a healthy-looking glow.
What’s your signature look for party season?
For me, party looks are all about glow on the eyes, lips, skin, everywhere! Even though we might not necessarily be partying like we’re used to this year, gifts like the Palette of Pops in Dazzling Diamonds are great for a party season smoky eye. The sparkling, diamond-inspired shades instantly make your eyes look brighter and more mesmerizing, even on a Zoom call!! You can use the shades like eyeshadow toppers to dial up your look, or use them all together to create an otherworldly shimmer effect!
Charlotte’s Hollywood Superstar Glow highlighter is also amazing for gilding your skin with a smoother-looking, golden glow. I love wearing off-the-shoulder dresses and tops at this time of year, so it’s great for buffing over your collarbones and shoulders too!!
For lips, gloss and sparkle look great on and off camera! Charlotte’s new Jewel Lips are enriched with Hyaluronic Acid so they’re super hydrating, and they also have Diamond Powder in them to give you an instantly glamourous, shimmering lip.
Do you have any pre-bedtime rituals?
Anyone who knows me knows I love my sleep, so I like to use my bedtime ritual to really help me unwind and relax. I light candles and run a bath with Epsom salts, then I put on my favourite Stripe and Stare pyjamas, which are super soft and cosy, before doing my night-time skincare ritual.
If my skin is feeling really dehydrated, I like to use the Magic Night Cream. It is like beauty sleep in a jar, so many celebrities swear by it! You only need a tiny amount as it is so jam-packed full of supercharged ingredients like Plant Stem Cells, Vitamin E and Retinol to help improve the look of your skin while you sleep. Then, I’ll glide on some of Charlotte’s Magic Lip Oil to hydrate, plump and cushion the look of my lips.
Skincare is self-care and just taking 5-10 minutes of me-time to relax and unwind, while I do my routine always makes me relax, but I also like to avoid spending too much time on my phone before bed, it really helps!
Which three Charlotte Tilbury products suit everybody and make the perfect gift?
This is such a hard question! I’m obsessed with all of Charlotte’s beauty secrets this year. She is always inspired by the most incredible light-play magic and this year, it was all about JEWELS and GEMSTONES. I will definitely be gifting the Walk of No Shame Lip Kit, as it’s one of my absolute favourite lipstick shades, and such an adorable stocking filler. It’s a globally-loved, berry-rose that makes your lips look fuller, wider and just-kissed, making it the perfect gift for everyone from best friends to your grandmother.
I am also obsessed with the Bejewelled Eyes to Hypnotise Instant Eye Palette, which has four glowing eye looks inspired by topaz, rubies, amethyst and smokey quartz. We’re all wearing masks right now, so the eyes are more of a focus than ever this year!! So many of my girlfriends are begging me for this! The new light-play textures are so velvet-soft and creamy. It’s such an easy way to create a sparkling smokey eye in seconds.
Finally, I have to choose some skincare as everyone, everywhere loves hydrated, glowing, flawless skin—men and women. Charlotte’s Magic Skin Icons set is the most divine collection of supercharged, science-powered skincare for instant results. You’ve got Charlotte’s best-selling Magic Cream to cushion your skin in moisture, her ground-breaking Magic Serum to tighten your pores and smooth the look of skin, the eye-brightening Magic Eye Rescue and Magic Night Cream—which is literally like beauty sleep in a jar. I also love that it includes Charlotte’s Magic Lip Oil, as my lips get so dry at this time of year, and it’s easy to forget they need skincare too. Magic Lip Oil is like a serum for your lips that boosts lip volume by up to 70% in 4 weeks, so I am absolutely addicted. These are the products, I never do makeup without, and I know my father, uncles, grandmother—everyone will love them for the holidays.
Dreamy Glow Face & Body Highlighter
This is the party issue – how will you be celebrating this year?
We all need a bit of joy and positivity in our lives and this year, I can’t wait to embrace new traditions with fun dinners at home with my family, virtual parties with friends who are far away, and a lot of gifts and treats to spread happiness. I think that makeup and skincare truly have the power to change your mood and your confidence, so they make the perfect presents! And to make your holiday shopping even easier this year, Charlotte has created her new virtual consultations, so you can head to CharlotteTilbury.com and book a one to one.
December’s – ‘The Party Issue’ – Download Now
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Images: Supplied
