Irreverent, unconventional, beautiful and, of course, a beauty guru. Sofia Tilbury is the granddaughter of celebrated makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, and is already considered the rising star of the makeup universe. Growing up between London and Ibiza, her bohemian and carefree lifestyle strongly influenced her desire to become an artist, starting her journey in the beauty world under the wing of the best teacher: her aunt Charlotte. After the incredible success of the launch of the Charlotte Tilbury brand, Sofia has taken on the role of Lead Artist, assisting Charlotte in her work as a makeup artist alongside celebrities, fashion brands and international events. Her vision is aimed at innovation, at mixing social culture with makeup to create something incredibly iconic. Are you curious to know her better? We met Sofia Schwarzkopf-Tilbury for you:
TBS: Hello Sofia! You’re a make-up artist, brand ambassador and product creator for your aunt’s famous brand Charlotte Tilbury. When did you realize you wanted to become a beauty expert too and what’s the thing that makes you more passionate about makeup?
SOFIA: Hey The Blonde Salad!! I’ve been working for Charlotte for almost 9 years now and every day I am so grateful to be part of her dream team, and to have the incredible experiences I do! Charlotte was a huge reason why I fell in love with beauty at a young age! I grew up in Ibiza, surrounded by creatives (including Charlotte, my mum and my grandparents), so I always knew I wanted to do something to do with art, especially as my grandfather is a painter. When I was growing up, Charlotte would come home to Ibiza with bags and bags full of makeup. She’d have been working for an amazing brand or she’d just be coming back from Fashion Week or an incredible shoot for Vogue, and my sister and I would always be so excited to see what new makeup products she had!
After school, I knew I wanted to work with her, so I started working at her Selfridge’s store in London as an artist, and I learned so much, so fast! After two years, I started assisting Charlotte when she was working on VIP clients for big red carpet events and backstage at fashion shows. I was like a sponge! I observed all of her techniques and soaked up her tips and tricks, so that I could practice them on myself and on friends for my Instagram page.
The thing that makes me so passionate about makeup is the power it has to boost people’s confidence. Charlotte always says, ‘if you give someone the right makeup, they can conquer the world’ and I truly feel that magic every time someone sits in my makeup chair. It’s so much more than superficial—with makeup you have the power to boost your mood, confidence and frequency! Charlotte’s products really bottle confidence and I love being able to share that with the world, too!
TBS: How would you describe your makeup style and what are, if there’s any, the differences between Charlotte’s beauty approach and yours? How do you combine your styles?
SOFIA: I love all kinds of makeup! Whether its’s a sultry, smokey eye, a bombshell red lip or a fresh, natural look—there’s so much fun to be had with makeup and variety is one of the best parts of my job. Personally, I am definitely more of a natural girl—I LOVE a beachy, Golden Goddess glow, I’m obsessed with fuller, wider looking lips and one of my absolute favorite products is Charlotte’s Airbrush Bronzer—it mimics the effects of the sun for the perfect sun-kissed bronze effect!
I have learned everything I know about beauty from Charlotte, so while our style might look different, you can definitely tell it’s from the same family! She taught me the importance of skin care; how to prep your model’s skin with Magic Cream before makeup so it will glow from within; how to apply the perfect feline flick to make your eyes look more mesmerising and feline. The feline flick has now become one of my trademarklooks too, but my twist is to make it a more elongated, graphic finish!!
TBS: If you had to choose one among Charlotte Tilbury’s “signature looks” which would you choose and why?
SOFIA: My signature look would have to be Pillow Talk!
Pillow Talk is such an iconic look—Charlotte and I have used it on countless celebrities and supermodels because it’s so universally-flattering and dreamy. It instantly makes you look more beautiful, fresh, soft and pretty!! It all started with Charlotte’s iconic, nude-pink Pillow Talk Lip Cheat, and it has now expanded into a whole world of beauty secrets—from Pillow Talk Jewel Lips infused with Diamond Powder, to the stunning Pillow Talk Instant Eye Palette which is something I use almost every day for an easy, fresh day time eye look!!
One of my ultimate go-to Pillow Talk products right now is the eyeliner—it’s a stunning berry-brown shade that glides on with a gorgeous, creamy formula and the wearable shade makes every eye colour pop! Just glide on, when finish with Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Mascara—it’s like a push up bra for your lashes!
TBS: What do you think are Charlotte Tilbury’s must-haves we should try?
SOFIA: This is such a hard question… I feel like all of Charlotte’s products are must-haves! If you look in my makeup bag, you will only see Charlotte Tilbury!
First up, I would have to say Charlotte’s Magic Cream Moisturizer is a must-have. I never do makeup without it. It’s the most incredible, rich, nourishing instant turnaround 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 Magic Cream Light for the same glow-boosting, smoothing, hydrating effect, with a light-weight texture.
I also always use Charlotte’s Hollywood Flawless Filter beneath foundation for a glowing, lit-from-within effect. It’s like a social media filter in a bottle! You can use it on its own, as a primer, as a highlighter or mixed with your foundation—it just gives your complexion a radiant glow that catches the light beautifully and lasts all day!
Right now we’re all wearing face masks, so it’s a great time to really focus on the eyes. There are so many incredible new eye secrets in Charlotte’s beauty secrets gift shop this year, and I can’t wait for everyone to discover the new Hollywood Flawless Eye Filter palettes, which are coming soon!
Everyone needs these! They are confidence and social media filters bottled: the most incredible, universally flattering shades to brighten, widen, smooth and illuminate the eyes, and you can use them wet or dry, depending on how much you want to turn up the volume! I love to apply the shimmering champagne gold and copper tones right on the centre of the lid to make the eyes look wide awake! These palettes make your eyes look HUGE!