Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is one of the bestknown make-up lines in the world. According to the brand, one Pillow Talk product is sold every three seconds globally. Yes, Tilbury is a marketing genius who could probably sell milk to cows, but at its core, the secret sauce of the Pillow Talk range is that it simply works for everyone – all ages, complexions, skin tones. It’s universal and, as a result, universally loved.
I have used several products religiously since the range launched 12 years ago, particularly the Pillow Talk Dreams Eyeshadow Palette (€55 from Brown Thomas). I don’t think there’s been an occasion when I’ve worn it and someone hasn’t asked what’s on my eyes. There’s something about the pink hue in these products – it’s soft, subtle, but manages to lift and illuminate.
“The tones we use in Pillow Talk really go back to nature,” Tilbury tells The Irish Times. “We found them when we studied natural pigment and skin tone. It’s what people have naturally, but enhanced. That’s why it works. It makes everyone look soft, dreamy and fresh.”
Every so often, Tilbury adds new products to the Pillow Talk collection. The range is expanding this month with Pillow Talk Beauty Soulmates Face Palettes (available in two shades, €53), four new Love Effect Lipsticks (€37) and, most newsworthy of all, a new face for Pillow Talk – Kim Cattrall. “She’s fun, she’s naughty – we’re so similar,” says Tilbury.
In the new campaign Cattrall wears what’s likely to be the most popular lipstick shade of the four new launches: Naughty Talk. A flattering nude-pink with blue undertones, it’s an instant complexion brightener. The finish is interesting too, like a glossy satin. Tilbury describes the new formulas as washes of colour that can be worn as a stain or as a full lip. “They’re like dreamy watercolours in lipstick form, all designed to bring forward the natural pigment in your lips,” she says.
The two new face palettes – Flawless Peach and Flawless Pink – have a different feel. Like something you might find in Polly Pocket’s make-up bag: heart-shaped gold palettes embossed with pink gemstone hearts. While they could easily be dismissed as cute and fun, what’s inside is interesting: new shades of Pillow Talk matt powder blushes, and the brand’s bestselling Airbrush Flawless Setting Powder – but not exactly as we know it.
“It’s infused with Pillow Talk pigments,” says Tilbury. “It’s Airbrush Flawless Powder, but in a colour-correcting tone. That’s why it looks different – and I designed it to compliment the blush it’s paired with. Both can be used all over the face to brighten, blur and help perfect the look of skin.”
[ Simone Gannon’s verdict on Charlotte Tilbury’s new stick foundationOpens in new window ]
Having used the Flawless Pink palette several times over the past few weeks, I can attest to it being smoothing and brightening. The powder is finely milled and barely detectable when used for setting. I’ve also been using the pink blush shade on my eyes, a brilliant tip from Ed Mellor, global pro artist for Charlotte Tilbury. The cool-toned hue cuts through dark shadows and generally brightens the area.
This week I’m using ... Doctrine Infinite Hydration Moisturiser
A beautiful new addition to home-grown skincare brand Doctrine’s range, Infinite Hydration Gel Cream Moisturiser (€38 from doctrineskincare.com) is a lightweight daily cream that instantly quenches the skin, thanks to a hyaluronic acid and ceramide complex-infused formula. Like a big glass of water for the skin.
