The Magic Arrives: Charlotte Tilbury in Dubai

I’m not even going to try to beat around the bush here. I love Charlotte Tilbury for all the wrong reasons: she's fashionable with the online world, her packing is literally the prettiest, her stores look like lovely old 1950s film star boudoirs, and her ‘look in a box’ gift packages are just incredibly luxurious and frankly I would buy one without even knowing whats inside. In fact I cant deny it, I probably have.

These are not the right reasons to adore a makeup brand or recommend them to every one you know, whether they’ve asked or not. 

Lucky for me, her products are also incredibly brilliant and her Magic Foundation beats every other foundation I’ve ever seen or touched, hands down. So much so that I wore it on my wedding day and didn’t feel a moment of regret. 

I say lucky for me because lets be honest, I would still be using it even if it was utter nonsense in a bottle, because: packaging. 

So when I discovered that the holy grail of holy grails was opening a store in Dubai Mall, I was pretty pleased. My twice a year visits to her three floor store off Covent Garden Market just weren't doing it for me, sorry. And even though yes of course I was buying her products online any chance I got, there’s just something extra special about walking into the gold glitz of a Charlotte Tilbury store, that the online experience just cant match. The high street will never die on my watch! 

I had big hopes for the Dubai Mall store, because lets face it, every thing that opens in Dubai Mall is just that little bit bigger and better, and shinier, and more likely to make you spend far more than you need to, or can afford to. 

After visiting I can attest that, yes, Charlotte Tilbury in Dubai does all of those things. I did not need another K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick. My dressing table artfully stoked with those little magic gold bullets can attest to that. Ten lipsticks on display is too much Siri.

The new store packs a punch before you even step inside. It’s got a attention grabbing storefront that really dominates the space, reminiscent of a beautiful old Hollywood backstage mirror, and sits smack dab in the middle of Dubai Malls main concourse, taking pride of place beside the Aquarium, the Cheesecake Factory, and ironically one of its competitors, the ever glorious Sephora. It’s a fitting spot for a shop and a brand that can hold its own anywhere, frankly. 

You’ll have to excuse the lack of photos of the store itself in this post, I did my best to do it justice but I don't have the lens or the skills to capture it in all its glory. Nor really, is that the easiest task given that you are literally not left alone from the moment you enter the store. That’s not necessarily a good thing, but on the flip side if you're looking for warm and attentive service, you’ve come to the right place!

One of the most striking features of the Charlotte Tilbury flagship in Dubai is just how many beauty counters there are. The makeup range is somewhat limited in scope when compared to some competitors and so yes, naturally, if you’ve got a massive store, filling it with just one stand for each product, would look somewhat sparse. The advantage of the multiple beauty counters for each set of products is that you never have to awkwardly wait in line behind a group of girls hogging the lash counter, or crowding you out of the bestsellers corner. 

And you would be waiting in line or crowded out, because unlike a lot of other flagship makeup stores in Dubai Mall, which are usually largely empty due to their size, Charlotte Tilbury always has a healthy number of curious ladies taking the rounds, about to part with far too much of their savings, but leave happy nonetheless. Thats what counts right? 

The store also offers some really fun and unusual experiences for visitors, which would make great girl’s days out or gifts (apart from the lovely luxurious makeup gifts of course!).

I loved my visit to the store, and managed to squeeze in another quick visit before leaving Dubai, on my last trip. I can’t wait to go back and spend even more time in store, and to discover some of the exciting upcoming launches (a Charlotte Tilbury concealer?! Yes!). Here are some of my favorite Charlotte Tilbury products, in no particular order. 

Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Foundation:  

Although I literally just stated that this is in no particular order, I have to start with the best, because the Magic Foundation truly is the best. I used this foundation on my wedding day, and I can honestly say I have zero regrets. I couldn’t get over how flawless and smooth the finish was, and how much it made my skin glow, but in a totally, totally natural way, no golden glitter or sweaty looking dewiness, just a clean, even, your skin but way, way better, glow. It was so buildable, so easy to apply, and literally lasted all night, through tears, nerves, and plenty of crazy dancing! 

Charlotte Tilbury’s Lipstick: Miss Kensington: 

It’s funny but when you’re researching the perfect wedding makeup bag theres an awful lot o attention to the foundation you’ll be using and less so to the lipstick. But the lipstick you pick for the big day can literally make or break your look, and really affect how you look in your photos. I went through a lot of stress trying to find the perfect lipstick, I bought far too many and read far too many reviews, and with less than a month to go, I was still no closer to finding the perfect shade, and frankly, getting a little stressed out. 

That was until I stumbled on Miss Kensington literally a week before the wedding. I have to say I was not expecting too much, because unlike the more iconic shades like Pillow Talk or Bitch Perfect, Miss Kensington doesn’t get a lot of attention. But oh my, was I in for a pleasant surprise. It was perfect! And I have had no regrets, and no second thoughts, and I still wear it as my everyday lipstick (it feels pretty great knowing your everyday lip was also your lip on the most important day of your life!). 

Miss Kensington is the perfect pink nude shade and the lovely name adds that little bit of glamour and spring to your step when you’re wearing it! 

Charlotte Tilbury’s Seduce Blush: Pretty Youth Glow Filter:

A newer addition to the line up, this lovely cream blush and highlight duo is so very fresh and dewy, and looks a treat sitting on your dresser (right where mine takes pride of place, next to my Charlotte Tilbury lip line up!). I find it’s jus the right consistency and depth of color, and the shades are almost universally flattering, without giving you an obvious, I’m wearing makeup, look.

Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter:

The Flawless Filter came out to much fanfare and possibly a little confusion. It’s definitely an all rounder kind of product, with quite a diverse range of uses. I personally prefer to use mine as a super natural very blend-able highlighter, but I imagine as an overall base or mixed in with your foundation, it would be even lovelier. It packs a really punch so I imagine my bottle is going to last me a long, long time yet. The shade range is admittedly a little narrow, but given its sheer effect and diverse potential uses, I imagine almost anyone could find a way to benefit from it and integrate it into their routine. Plus the bottle is. Just. So. Glam. And it looks nice displayed next to your bottle of Magic Foundation, just saying.  

Charlotte Tilbury’s Full Fat Lashes Mascara: 

I know there are a lot of people out there who are not fans of the Charlotte Tilbury range of mascaras, and I genuinely feel like thats a shame because Full Fat Lashes, with its retro and understated brown and gold wand, is actually a really, really solid mascara.

 I don’t claim that its necessarily more effective or better than your average drugstore mascara (it probably isn’t because lets face it, nothing is better than drugstore mascara), but its still a solid part of my makeup bag, and I never have any complaints using it. I reach for it when I want to feel extra special just knowing I’m wearing it. Thats the magic of Charlotte Tilbury I suppose! 

I hope that this post has gone a little way in making you even more excited about the arrival of the flagship store in Dubai. As I post this, so many new exciting arrivals are on their way from Charlotte Tilbury, including the amazing full Pillow Talk range and the extraordinary new Stars In Your Eyes eyeshadow palette. 

I need to plan my trip back. ASAP.