Charlotte Tilbury Spills Celebrity-Approved Makeup Hacks You'll Actually Use, No Matter Your Skill Level

We interviewed Charlotte Tilbury because we think you'll like her picks. The products featured are from Charlotte's brand. E! may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Learn more.

When it comes to makeup, who better to turn to for tips than the queen herself, celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury? In an exclusive interview with E!, Charlotte unveiled her fabulous 2024 holiday products and dropped a treasure trove of celebrity-approved makeup hacks that are bound to elevate your beauty routine. I couldn’t possibly keep all this amazing knowledge to myself—after all, I’m no gatekeeper!

Charlotte’s mission is all about making beauty accessible and enjoyable, so whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting, these tips are for everyone.

Ready to glow? I’ve rounded up the nine most helpful hacks I learned during my one-on-one session with Charlotte. From enhancing your natural features to mastering that perfect glow, these tips will empower you to unleash your inner makeup artist without any stress. 

1. Use Setting Spray for Everything

"People don’t realize you can use setting spray for everything, even lipstick. It’s amazing. Your makeup stays if you decide to go in swimming pools. You can go out in the rain and that setting spray is foolproof."

"Setting spray is really good on the body. People don’t realize how great it is even if you’re not doing body makeup, it’s like you have new skin. It looks blurred."

More Charlotte Tilbury Hacks: "I used setting spray all summer with my boobs. It retexturizes. You will have goddess skin. It’s hydrating the skin so you’re not looking kind of crepey or tired. It’s plumped. It’s a great hack."

Celebrity Fans: Melissa Gorga, Olivia Culpo, Paige DeSorbo, Kyle Richards, Rachel Recchia, Lisa Rinna, Emily Simpson, Kristin Juszczyk, Marianna Hewitt, Gia Giudice, and Nordstrom National Beauty Director Autumne West.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lipstick Looks Good on Everyone

"Here’s something every girl needs because your grandmother, your mother your friend, your aunt, your cousin, your daughter. This looks good on everyone. Everyone looks good in Pillow Talk. It just suits everyone, right?"

Celebrity Fans: Hailey Bieber, Sarah Hyland, Chrishell Stause, Hannah Brown, Paige DeSorbo, Madison LeCroy, Jenna Bush Hager, Alexia Nepola, Audrina Patridge, Phoebe Dynevor, and Margaret Josephs.

If you want to go all out with the universally flattering shade, stock up on this limited-edition holiday set with Pillow Talk lipstick, lip liner, and lip gloss.

3. Do the One Eye Test

If you're curious about how effective an eye care product is, Charlotte recommends applying it to just one eye. This way, you can easily see the difference!

"Put it under one eye. Then, you can wait 15 minutes, or you could do ten. Lines, dark circles, puffiness gone."

More Charlotte Tilbury Hacks: "You can’t overdo it. I will sometimes leave them on for a half hour if I can while I do other things. They really hold up, so I wouldn’t say they dry out necessarily, but you’re getting a lot of these amazing peptides and serums."

4. Apply Highlighter to the Edges of Your Face

"You should put the glow on the outer edges of your face and down the nose, with little dots."

More Charlotte Tilbury Hacks: "You want the powder in the middle of your face and the glow on the outer extremities. If you want to lift that lid, put a little highlighter."

5. Cocoon Your Skin Barrier

Charlotte emphasized, "My skincare is all about calming and cocooning. It's very effective. It has this immediate revival."

"When skin is irritated, you need something to cocoon and calm. You want to calm the redness and get this glow and a plump. It’s blurring, it’s plumping. It’s like magic."

More from Charlotte Tilbury: "Magic Cream was born out of necessity backstage at fashion weeks. These models have done 40 fashion shows this week. That’s a lot of makeup, washing it off, and starting over again with skincare, and more makeup. The skin barrier can get completely damaged for models. Everything is exhausted."

6. Use Makeup to Create a Real-Life Filter—No Editing Needed!

Charlotte shared, "I’m obsessed with living in the digital age with AI and filters. Now, you’re on HD TV and all of these celebrities are on the red carpet with these zoomed-in angles. So, I’m driving the scientists crazy constantly. How do we create that AI look in real-time in the hideous daylight?"

To get that real-life filtered look, Charlotte recommends using Hollywood Flawless Filter before or after makeup application. You can also mix it in with foundation. She says it makes your face "smooth, blurred, and glowing."

Shade: 13

Celebrity Fans: Meredith Duxbury, Heidi D'Amelio, Tinx

These before and after photos demonstrate how effective this easy-to-use product truly is.

Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter Results

A little goes a long way with this iconic product, so if you grab the travel size, it’ll last you quite a while!

7. Color Correct Under the Eyes

"Put this under your eyes. It doesn’t mess up makeup, so you could even put it over makeup if you feel like dark circles are still showing through or if you have some other discoloration."  

More Charlotte Tilbury Hacks: "It just smooths out and lifts your under-eye. It’s incredible. It’s great to bring to an event and keep in your purse if it’s a long day or night."

"This is a top celebrity must-have, and it's got a peachiness, so it cuts through any dark circles, so it really brightens that area of the eye in a really smooth, hydrating way that's amazing."

Shades: 4

These before and after photos illustrate how transformative this under-eye product truly is.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Color Corrector Results

8. Use a Gentle Toner Twice a Day

"If you like a glowy look, you’ve got to use this every single day. I would say day and night."

More Charlotte Tilbury Hacks: "This toner takes off dead skin cells in a unique way that's gentle on your skin. It gives moisture as you exfoliate. You’ll get glass-like, gleaming, glowy skin, which is amazing. So, use this every day. Give yourself this as a challenge."

If you’re looking to try the toner and get that glowing skin, going for the mini size is a smart move!

9. Don't Buy Charlotte Tilbury Dupes

Charlotte explains, "People try to dupe me. It doesn't have the same smoothing, blurring, or glow. It sits more in the pores. It's more tacky, it's more sticky— not Charlotte-approved."

"I would say the magic difference with Charlotte Tilbury compared to other brands comes down to three things."

1. It has to perform immediately. If I can’t see a difference right away when I use a product, it’s not for me and I’m not selling that.
2. I want to give people ongoing results. I want customers to notice the effects over time and feel like the product is worth having.
3. It's important to me that every product is clinically tested.

Where can I buy Charlotte Tilbury products? 

You can purchase Charlotte Tilbury products from Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Revolve, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, and the Charlotte Tilbury site among other retailers. 

Are Charlotte Tilbury products cruelty free?

Charlotte Tilbury is Leaping Bunny approved by Cruelty Free International. Charlotte Tilbury Beauty has maintained a cruelty free commitment since its launch in 2013, and the Leaping Bunny approval provides an official confirmation of its cruelty free status.

How much is Charlotte Tilbury shipping?

If you shop on the Charlotte Tilbury site, you will get free shipping and returns on every order If you are a loyalty member.

If you want more Charlotte Tilbury products and amazing insights, here's everything you need to know about the 2024 holiday gift sets.