Charlotte Tilbury Launch Event at Holt Renfrew!

Hi, everyone! As I could not be more thrilled about the recent launch of Charlotte Tilbury cosmetics in Canada, today marks the start of Charlotte Tilbury Week here at Vibrant Beauty Blog! Since the brand landed at my local Holt Renfrew, I've been engaged in several ways- (finally) being able to test the products in-store, getting a makeover with one of Charlotte's iconic looks, snagging a bunch of products for my own, and- arguably most excitingly- meeting Ms. Tilbury herself! 

Today I'm bringing you details of the event that made the latter possible. While the line officially launched last Monday, it was Wednesday evening when the fanfare was in full-swing. When I heard Charlotte Tilbury was making an in-store appearance I could not have been more excited. But I had no idea of the grandeur the event would entail. In true British royal form, her arrival coincided with a luxurious amount of pomp and circumstance. 

I arrived at Holts about 45 minutes before Charlotte was slated to arrive and made a bee-line for the sign that said "Meet Charlotte Tilbury- Lineup Begins Here". Seemed like the place to be! I was quickly joined by Liz, Zubie, and Jenn, which made the wait much more enjoyable! There was also a DJ on hand, blasting dance music to get the energy up (though we didn't need it; we were all pretty pumped). The line formed behind us quite rapidly, so we all felt lucky to be near the front! 

Just after 6pm, the crowd began to stir and cameras were flung out and held steady at attention. Ms. Tilbury had arrived outside in her famous Tilbury taxi! 

She walked up the red carpet alongside the CEO of Holt Renfrew and was followed by pink robe-clad models painted up in her iconic makeup looks. They twirled pink feathered fans (some half-heartedly, but I digress) as they adorned the escalators with all of the glam you would expect from a Charlotte Tilbury entourage. 

The lovely models walked around before the arrival as well, some handing out little lipstick samples. Here are the "Vintage Vamp" and "The Rebel" kindly posing for a photo. 

Charlotte spoke to the crowd for about 15 minutes, touting the magic and innovation of her products and proclaiming that the Charlotte Tilbury counter launch at Holt Renfrew had been the most successful makeup launch of all time, outdoing the brand's inauguration at Bergdorf Goodman in the U.S. last year. Some serious evidence that us Torontonians are rabid makeup fanatics! 

Within 10 minutes of finishing her talk (during which she schmoozed with media), our "meet and greet" line began to move. Then it was my turn! Upon meeting Charlotte, she warmly greeted me with hug, then instantly began to inspect my makeup. I told her I was wearing the Dolce Vita palette and she quickly pinpointed the fact that I was not wearing the coinciding lipstick for the Dolce Vita look. If anyone would have an eagle eye for her makeup, it's her! 

She examined my colouring and suggested that I also try the "Golden Goddess" and "Rock Chick" looks. Who am I to argue? Here I am looking up to her as if she were my fairy godmother. I mean, can you blame me for being in awe of receiving advice from a makeup genius!?

Charlotte was kind enough to pose for a few photos before wishing me farewell. The event was quite well organized, which meant that I was subject to the "move along" motto after the meet and greet. But given that there were hundreds of other people waiting to see her, I could completely understand. 

After Jenn and I had savoured our moments with Ms. Tilbury, we lingered for a short while but, given that neither of us needed to get our makeup done or buy anymore products (I'd done plenty of that the previous day; more on that to come), we decided to dodge the crowd and head home. But not before rubbing elbows with another vital faction of the Tilbury entourage- Queen's guards! 

Overall, I deemed this event a huge success! While I would have loved to have seen a live makeup demo from Charlotte (a true icon in action), I totally appreciate that so much time was dedicated to meeting her fans. Charlotte Tilbury was clearly passionate about her brand and was warm, patient, and eager to share beauty advice with her fans. It was a thrill to meet such a beauty icon and to be part of an evening that felt like a true British invasion! 

Look out for more Charlotte Tilbury love on the blog later this week!

Have a wonderful Sunday :)