There’s such a blinding amount of choice in beauty today – were you nervous about finding a niche?
Having worked with some of the biggest laboratories and brands in the world, I knew that whatever I did had to be a revolution in make-up. It had to be better than something that was already out there. So I came up with a different concept. Someone tells you what top goes with what skirt, but this is about teaching you how to put a face together, from The Bombshell to The Rock Chick [Tilbury’s range allows you to choose from 10 make-up looks, each with its own wardrobe and products]. Beauty – like fashion – is cyclical, so whether it’s the Sophia Loren of the past or the Penelope Cruz of today, it’s always a Dolce Vita [the name of a Charlotte Tilbury collection] woman. I’m giving you a make-up wardrobe; making it easy to understand; and I’m making you feel safe because you’re with an expert. People want to go to an expert, they don’t want a faceless conglomerate telling them what to do.

Your range is known for providing solutions to age-old make-up problems [her Eyes To Mesmerise Cream Eye Shadow stays on without falling into creases]. Was that intentional?
There are things that I still don’t have in my line, which we’ve been working on longer than Magic Foundation – which was five years in the making. Unless I can get them right, unless I know this is a peerless product, I just won’t do it. Take Mini Miracle Eye Wand, for example… Everyone down to my five-year-old son is knackered and we needed something with both an eye serum to tighten and lift, but also this amazing light reflector which is another breakthrough because it doesn’t sit in the lines. Another thing I’ve seen having had a massive effect since I launched is language. I’ve changed the way the industry speaks. I really believe in the power of positivity. Whether it’s ‘beautiful’, whether it’s ‘glowing’, ‘magical’, or ‘miracle’, the industry wasn’t speaking to women like that when I started this brand. It was all very negative.

Make-up is such an emotional thing for some women – why do you think that is?
Make-up is a very scary word for a lot of people – 50% of women in England do not engage with make-up because they don’t know what to use. When I look at women, I think, ‘I could change your life’. I’ve had people cry, I’ve had people tell me, “You’ve changed my life!”, or women with birthmarks across their face who suddenly don’t have them because Magic Foundation totally changes their skin. Just by putting yourself together well, people will pay you more money, they will trust you or fancy you more. But it all starts with you. If you look in the mirror and you feel confident and empowered then you will go on to give that to so many people around you. As humans, we’re a very visual species. The more we can do to make ourselves feel more alive and look more vibrant, it has a huge effect psychologically.

Have you experienced any inherent prejudices in the business world?
Is there a gender prejudice in the business world? Yes, 100%. Is the business world dominated by men? Yes, 100% it is. I would love to see more women in business. Part of my revolutionary spirit is – I don’t care if it’s men or not – if I believe in something, I will be heard, because I know that it’ll make money, and I know that it’ll be successful. I understand what women want and there is a need for this. There’s a great old saying: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’ I have a strong personality, I’m very passionate and I will stand my ground. I never feel intimidated by anybody. But everything in life always has to be a win-win, so I win, but the other person has got to win too, and that’s how I operate. It’s never for selfish reasons. It’s a two-way street.

Where did you get your affinity for business? Is it something you had to work at?
My father’s an artist, I come from a very artistic background [Tilbury was raised in Ibiza, then moved to England at 13 to attend boarding school] and so I have an eye for colour and shape that comes to me naturally. Working with the laboratory and speaking their language is second nature to me. And I think I’m a natural marketeer. I understand, really weirdly, the flow of traffic [in a store] so when I’m designing a counter – because trust me, I’m the kind of control freak who is designing every table leg of every counter – I understand the flow of whether women turn right or left. Where they will purchase, where there are sweet spots. I just understand that viscerally, and I understand how to turn a lightbulb on in someone’s head.

Charlotte Tilbury on morning routines, creating iconic looks and meaning business