Throughout her 27-year career as a makeup artist, Charlotte Tilbury had always wanted to share the power of makeup. From being a backstage beauty mainstay during Fashion Week, to collaborating with designers including Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen and Miuccia Prada, to being an editorial go-to, Charlotte saw an opportunity for simplicity in the market, focusing on creating products that were easy to use, easy to choose and easy to understand. Her dream became a reality in September 2013 with the launch of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty. CEW Beauty News sat down with the makeup maven to talk about her passion for makeup, building career milestones and her most recent endeavor, a U.S. store bearing her name.

CEW Beauty News: When did you know the time was right for you to launch your own brand?
Charlotte Tilbury: Soon after my discovery of the power of makeup at age 13, I always knew I wanted to create my own makeup brand. I have been fortunate enough to work for some incredible brands but ultimately I wanted to create my own limitless beauty revolution. I saw an opportunity to create a brand where no one felt daunted, but rather excited and empowered by beauty,m. I wanted to decodify the process of choosing and shopping for makeup, and I knew I could help women and men by giving them the guidance of an expert at every step.

CEW BN: What are the top milestones your brand has achieved?
CT: Every milestone in the last five years has been so magical, it’s hard to pick out my top ones but some which really stand out in my mind would be launching in North America at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan. We were the first ever beauty brand to take over every window along Fifth Avenue. My first ever beauty festival in North America, Makeup Your Destiny, at The Grove was an incredible event alongside launching in Nordstrom; creating my signature fragrance, Scent of a Dream, with my gorgeous friend Kate Moss as the face; and an industry-first Virtual Reality campaign showcased during a huge party at the Samsung concept store in New York during Fashion Week. Of course, opening the doors to my first stand-alone Beauty Wonderland in London’s Covent Garden was a dream come true, and my first ever Beauty Wonderland in the U.S. opens this week at the Grove in Los Angeles. To see the global expansion of my beauty revolution has been amazing, too. From Europe to the U.S. and Canada, APAC to the Middle East with the help of incredible retail partnerships including Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Sephora, Holt Renfrew and Lane Crawford. Most recently, the launch of my Hot Lips 2 collection, inspired by 11 new, incredible iconic women and men and in support of the amazing charity Women for Women International. This year, I will be pledging £1 million to this life changing organization, which dedicates time to help and support women survivors of war. The charity is very close to my heart and I couldn’t be prouder to be a Global Ambassador for them. However, one of the most memorable milestones of my career and my life, has to be receiving my MBE from Her Majesty The Queen for my contribution to the beauty and cosmetics industry!

CEW BN: What was the reasoning behind establishing a physical store?
CT: I’m a huge believer in the power of retail theatre, my brand has always been part science, part magic, magic you can feel but not always see. Opening my own brick and mortar store allows me to let the consumer even closer into the incredible VIP world I have been so fortunate to work in. I believe beauty is not an exclusive club and I want to share my expert artistry, tips and tricks with the world.

I couldn’t be more excited to open my first Beauty Wonderland in the U.S. at the Grove in Los Angeles. L.A. is the home and heart of Hollywood and the Red Carpet, both of which have inspired so many of my most iconic products. The store will include multi-sensory activations and brand-new elements of retail theatre and technology, like my incredible Magic Mirror powered by Makeup A.I. My amazing Team Tilbury artists will also be on hand offering makeup experiences as well as red carpet and backstage makeup tips and tricks.

CEW BN: Are there more to come?
CT: Watch this space darlings.

CEW BN: What’s next for your brand, your three-year goals?
CT: What’s next is to continue sharing the power of makeup, to revolutionize and disrupt the beauty industry and to be known for ground-breaking innovation across all that we do, every time we do it.

CEW BN: What’s your work mantra?
CT: Never give up and always have self-belief. Dream big. I talk a lot about the power of visualization. Visualize what you want and don’t give up until you get it. You need to be professional, dedicated and hard-working to make it in the industry, but most of all you need to have fun – to be successful you need to love what you do.

CEW BN: If you were to write the note found inside a fortune cookie, what would it say?
CT: Dare to dream it, dare to believe it, dare to do it.