From The Beatles, One Direction, The Rolling Stones and countless other pop culture moments, the United States has integrated many aspects of personalities and cultural elements from the United Kingdom. Not only do we love British musicians, but also British beauty brands have made their mark in the American beauty market. Charlotte Tilbury is the newest beauty craze and the brand has created cult-favorite products that make buyers forget about the price tag.
While the brand has been around since 2013 and was founded by the legendary celebrity make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury herself, there has been a recent elevated craze about one of the leaders in the make-up industry — but why? Here VALLEY will unpack what makes this brand worth the price point, how our favorite influencers and celebrities use it and offer some affordable dupes (after all, we are college students).
The Tutorial That Started it All
Despite the fact that the brand has been in the market for almost a decade, it is the one product that TikTok influencers and celebrities alike have been unable to stop raving about. However, maybe it’s just because it’s always been in their make-up bags but we’re only just now finding out about it in tutorials like Madison Beer’s Vogue Beauty Secrets video.
While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment the origins of the cult following, you can’t deny the fact that we all love Madison Beer and immediately ran to Sephora as soon as we saw her use the Beauty Light Wand in the color Pinkgasm.
A Beautiful Drug
So what is it about these products that force our eyes to glaze over the price point? Besides the fact that everyone and their mother uses them, there is something about the formula behind Charlotte Tilbury that makes it feel almost magical.
Here’s what Tate Pilch, a sophomore in communications, had to say about the brand.
VALLEY: So what initially drew you to the products in the first place?
Tate Pilch: I saw people on TikTok talking about it and was definitely interested, but because it’s so expensive, I wanted to hold off before buying.
V: What was your initial impression of the first product you bought?
T: The first thing I ever bought was the trial-size mini Pillow Talk lipstick combo to see what the hype was about and ended up loving it. I’ve continued to buy from them ever since.
V: Any takeaways on their formula and impressions on how it wears throughout the day?
T: Out of all the makeup I’ve tried in the past 10 years, Charlotte Tilbury has the best formulas I have ever used and it is definitely worth the money. Keep in mind, this is coming from someone that wears make-up on a daily basis.
V: And to finish off, what’s your favorite product and why?
T: Flawless filter because it’s like a primer but also works like a tinted moisturizer so it’s a really versatile product that can be used to elevate a full face or help achieve a natural, glowy look.
Get The Look: College Budget Approved
Maybe one day the time will come where we can splurge on these products without the guilt, but until then, we are spending our money on chicken baskets and finding affordable dupes. Here are a few staple additions to your makeup collection that can hold the place of your future Charlotte Tilbury purchases:
- NYX Wonderstick contour for the Hollywood Contour Wand
- Makeup Revolution Fix & Glow Fixing Spray for the Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray
- Maybelline Instant Age-Rewind Foundation for the Hollywood Flawless Filter
Like Charlotte Tilbury would say, happy shopping darlings.
