British celebrity makeup artist and founder of eponymous cosmetics brand Charlotte Tilbury is a force to be reckoned with. Growing up between “fashionable” London and “bohemian” Ibiza as a painter’s child, Tilbury was surrounded by colorful environments from a young age. After discovering the life-changing magic of makeup while at boarding school, Tilbury’s legacy was effectively set in motion.

The mogul formally began her career working under Mary Greenwell, whom Tilbury has praised as an “incredible mentor.” In 2012, she launched a YouTube channel, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, to near-instant success; just a year later came the release of her own beauty brand, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Ltd. Of course, her fanbase went wild. Charlotte Tilbury cosmetics hit and immediately flew off the shelves of London department stores, leading to the opening of the company’s flagship Covent Garden storefront in 2015. The brand has since gone global.

Tilbury and her expertise have been welcomed into the upper echelons of celebrity circles, working for the likes of Selma Hayek, Kate Moss, and more. Her work has also appeared in prestigious fashion magazines such as Vogue, LOVE Magazine, Vanity Fair, and V Magazine–just to name a few. She also works for Fashion Week in Paris, Milan, New York, and London, acting as the makeup director for iconic brands like Prada and Cavalli.

In 2018, Tilbury was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2018 for her services to the beauty and cosmetics industry. Her brand has also won more than 300 accolades since its launch, including the Walpole Award for Emerging Luxury British Brand 2014, CEW British Brand of the Year 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019, among several more. If Charlotte Tilbury isn’t the definition of a breakout success, then we don’t know what is.