Last year Charlotte wrote a post about her very favourite buys from MAC, one of her forever-favourite beautifying brands (here if you missed it). At the last RMS get together I shared my love for Charlotte Tilbury’s make-up line and our Charlotte suggested I did something similar.

I can’t claim to have either Charlotte’s depth of knowledge or expertise when it comes to make-up. In fact, apart from when I was around 15 and wore as much make-up as I possibly could get away with without being told off at school (we weren’t supposed to wear any) I’ve never really worn much make-up at all.

This has caused me problems. My manager when I was a Saturday girl at the Leeds branch of a mid-range high street store took me aside one day and told me I should start wearing more make-up when I turned up for duty. Ever the good girl I did as I was told but immediately started looking for a new job.

It also means that I’ve never really developed the skills that most women seem to have when it comes to buying and applying make-up. Last year, sick of making both costly and cheap-which-become-costly-when-you-add-them-up make-up purchasing mistakes I decided to do something about it.

I’ve long been a fan of Charlotte Tibury’s make-up style, which makes women look like the very best version of themselves, all the way from natural to night out drama, plus she says excellent things like, “If you give a woman the right make-up she can conquer the world.” Last summer I treated myself to a Beach Stick lip and cheek colour from the range which I loved (unfortunately I left it in a jacket pocket and it didn’t survive a go around the washing machine). And so it was that I headed to the Charlotte Tilbury counter in Selfridges last December, putting my face in the hands of a lovely make-up artist who I think, from memory, was called Maggie.

Maggie, if that’s what she was called, applied the products skilfully, giving me tips along the way and stuck to the products I’d said I’d wanted to try (everything I needed for a great base, plus mascara and a natural-looking lip product), as opposed to doing her own thing such as applying masses of eyeshadow, which make-up artists seem to like to do but rarely looks good on me. I loved the final look, my skin looked darn near perfect, my lashes were long and made my eyes stand out even without liner and my lips were glossy with just a hint of colour. I bought the following three products on the spot and have used them nearly every day since. Here’s why…

Light Wonder in 4 £32

After cleansing my face and slathering on the aptly-named but sadly rather pricey Magic Cream, Maggie applied a layer of Wonder Glow, a moisture-boosting, glow-giving primer, followed by a layer of Light Wonder foundation in 4 and finishing up with Retoucher concealer in 3. I bought a tube of Light Wonder and will probably buy the others at a later date. I’ve found Light Wonder super-easy to apply, the colour disappears into my skin, providing coverage without the danger of a line where the product ends and the rest of my skin begins, and it’s buildable so I can either use just a touch (yoga class), apply a thin layer (work) or a thicker one (night out) and it always looks good. It feels light, looks natural, leaves my skin looking all glowy and doesn’t cake as the day wears on.

Lip Lustre in Portobello Girl £16.50

Unlike some glosses which are really sticky, this one has a velvety feel whilst leaving my lips with a hi-shine finish. It’s a great shade for a natural look, my usual MO lips-wise, lasts (much) longer than the average gloss and doesn’t dry my lips out. I really like the way it smells too, like sweets!

Full Fat Lashes £22

Mascara is the one product that has don’t-leave-the-house-without-it status for me due to the fact that my lashes get blonde towards the tips and kind of disappear without it. I’ve tried a LOT of mascaras over the years and this is my favourite so far. With just a few coats it curls (my eyelash curlers have been gathering dust since I started using it), separates (no clumps!) and builds easily to create full, long lashes which is all you can really ask of a mascara. It lasts all day, although I will add another coat or two if I’m going out straight from the office. However many layers I add it still comes off easily with my favourite Simple eye make-up remover.

You can buy Charlotte Tilbury products online at Selfridges here. I’d recommend going to a Charlotte Tilbury counter if you’re after base as I’m really happy with the shade that was picked out for me. There’s no pressure to buy but – be warned – you’ll feel so great you probably will. There’s also lots of great application tips and videos on Charlotte’s site (here). I’m planning to treat myself to a Brow Lift next time I’m in Selfridges after it got such great reviews on my post about brows (here if you missed it).

Anyone else a fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s beautifying line? Which products would you recommend? Do share below!