beauty

'Charlotte Tilbury told me the 3 biggest makeup mistakes she sees and... guilty.'

As the host of You Beauty's The Formula and someone who's quite partial to a yap, I speak to a lot of brand founders, experts and big names in the beauty industry. It's fun! Exciting! And I always come away with some solid golden nuggets to shake up my beauty routine.

But few interviews have made me as excited as I was when I got the chance to sling q's at none other than British beauty entrepreneur and makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury. Yes, THE Charlotte Tilbury — the woman behind some of the biggest cult products in the beauty industry (ahem, Flawless Filter).

Watch: Speaking of beauty mistakes, here's the time I tried the 10-pump foundation hack. Post continues below.


Video via Mamamia

And you're going to bet I asked her approximately ALL of the things (and more).

With over 20 years of experience under her (makeup) belt, Charlotte has built a reputation as a world-class makeup artist and remains a fixture behind the scenes at Fashion Week and some of Hollywood's biggest red carpet events.

So, naturally, I had to ask her: What are some of the biggest makeup mistakes you see? What do most people get wrong in doing their own makeup?

And guess what? She answered. 

What was that? Of course I'm going to share some of them with you! Silly question.

So, let's get on with it. 

1. Not prepping your skin.

As that very smart saying goes, 'Not to prime is a crime' — and our friend Charlotte couldn't agree more.

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"One of the biggest makeup mistakes I see is when people do not prep their skin properly," Charlotte told us. "You cannot have a beautiful painting without a beautiful canvas."

The key? Finding a product that works well with your skin AND makeup. Because approximately no one has time for pilling, patchiness and all that garbage.

The key is to choose products that will counteract your main skin concerns — whether that be a hydrating serum or a lightweight cream to hold and lock in moisture or a nourishing oil, prepping your skin properly helps influence how your makeup products will sit on your skin. Put simply, your makeup is only going to look as good as how you've prepped your skin. 

For example, if your skin is dry or dehydrated, you might opt for something with emollient ingredients to help form a barrier to hold moisture in. If you have combination, oily or blemish-prone skin, you might be suited to lightweight moisturisers that draw moisture into the skin, without feeling too heavy.

Charlotte's pick? Her cult Magic Cream, $50.

"My Magic Cream was born backstage where, before I launched Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, I found that nothing could give that instant luminosity I wanted and makeup would tend to pill on top of moisturiser. I needed something that could immediately soothe, hydrate and plump the look of skin, so I would mix my own secret blend to give them my signature glow," she said. 

"It re-texturises the skin, it boosts its barrier, and it perfectly primes the skin for makeup." 

2. Not setting your makeup.

If you're a dame who never uses setting products, it's time to get on board. Not only will it help make your makeup stay on your face for longer, but using something like a setting spray will help blend everything together beautifully for a glowing, fresh look.

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"I also believe that people underestimate the power of setting your makeup," said Charlotte. "There is nothing worse than creating a beautiful makeup look that only ends up creasing, melting or fading, which is why every makeup bag needs my award-winning Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder and my Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray!"

"My top Tilbury tip is to use Airbrush Flawless Finish to mattify the T-zone and oily areas but keep the high points of the face powder-free."

She then said setting spray can be used to prime your skin before applying makeup as well as in between steps and after you have finished. "Once you have used this, your makeup will not melt, fade or crease and will look fresh and flawless," she added.

3. Wearing the wrong foundation shade.

If you're anything like me, chances are you have a makeup bag full of foundations that are kinda your shade. But not exactly. 

Finding your correct foundation shade can be tricky (especially when you're shopping online), but according to Charlotte, you're doing yourself a serious disfavour if you're getting around wearing the wrong shade.

"A very common makeup mistake I see is people using the wrong foundation shade," she said. "I know how difficult it can be to find the perfect match, but we have a virtual foundation shade finder available on the Charlotte Tilbury website and mobile app, Easy Beauty For You."

"Powered by beauty AI, light technology and an expert skin algorithm, my easy and accurate foundation finder reads your skin for a flawless match in 60 seconds!" 

Want to hear more from Erin Docherty? You can follow her on Instagram.

What's your go-to makeup look? Share some of your tips with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Supplied. 

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