This Life of Mine with James Corden
Guest: Charlotte Tilbury
Release Date: December 9, 2025
Host: James Corden
Podcast Network: Lemonada Media
Episode Overview
In this vibrant episode, James Corden sits down with Charlotte Tilbury — iconic makeup artist, beauty entrepreneur, and founder of one of the most successful luxury beauty brands. True to the podcast’s theme, “This Life of Mine,” Corden invites Tilbury to reflect on the people, places, possessions, music, and memories that shaped her dazzling journey from a bohemian upbringing in Ibiza to influence at the top of her industry. The conversation sparkles with insights about creativity, confidence, and the power of positive thinking and manifestation, all delivered with the duo’s trademark warmth and wit.
Main Discussion Points
1. Place: Ibiza — The Melting Pot of Creativity
[02:40 – 08:52]
- Tilbury’s Childhood Roots
- Charlotte reveals she was raised in Ibiza from infancy until her teens. Her parents, an artist father and a producer mother, were part of the island’s original creative expatriate community.
- Quote:
“This melting pot of creativity and freedom has really had a huge influence on my life and led me to where I am today.” [02:54, Charlotte] - The island was less of the modern party hub and more a “bohemian paradise,” frequented by musicians, artists, and fashion icons like Grace Jones and James Brown.
- Quote:
“We lived this life… going to the clubs at sort of like nine years old, swimming around in the swimming pool with a massive paper mache dragon slide. It was the sort of Studio 54 of Europe, I would imagine.” [03:30, Charlotte] - Her upbringing emphasized limitless thinking, positive manifestation, and mingling across social boundaries — a mindset she brought into building her own brand.
- Corden’s observation:
“You have this ability to mix in every single social environment… You are authentic to yourself at all times.” [07:08, James]
2. Possession: Her Childhood Logbook from the School of Ra
[09:03 – 13:07]
-
A Surreal Education in ‘The History of the Universe’
- Tilbury’s parents enrolled her in a school run by a mystical Oxford don called Ra, with classes starting at “1 billion BC,” covering astrophysics and telepathy.
- Memorable Anecdote:
- She and three boys were expelled after an “intergalactic game” got out of hand:
“One was a white dwarf, one was a red star, one was a black hole… One day we were playing and… Ra said, ‘This is not beautiful anymore. You’ll have to leave.’” [10:01, Charlotte]
- She and three boys were expelled after an “intergalactic game” got out of hand:
- The experience stretched her mind and influenced her lifelong curiosity and belief in different ways of thinking.
-
Ego and Gratitude
- Discussion of the need to stay humble and grateful despite success, and Charlotte’s belief that comparison is the “thief of joy.”
- Quote:
“Ego is something in life — whatever you do, stay grateful and humble for whatever you’ve been given.” [11:51, Charlotte]
3. Building Charlotte Tilbury: Manifestation, Belief, and Disruption
[16:02 – 26:54]
-
Dreaming Big and Visualizing Success
- Charlotte shares how her brand was born from necessity and a drive to disrupt beauty norms — e.g., creating her signature ‘Magic Cream’ backstage at fashion shows for supermodels.
- Her early journals and “manifestation lists” were foundational, visualizing success from as early as age 13.
- Quote:
“At the beginning of my career, I wrote down… I manifested pretty much my whole life what I wanted to do.” [20:27, Charlotte] - She urges young listeners:
“Dare to dream it, dare to believe it, dare to do it. But belief is the biggest thing… I turn everything around into an opportunity.” [22:19, Charlotte] - Corden notes Tilbury's method of “walking backwards” from the ultimate goal to strategize tangible steps.
-
Disrupting the Beauty Aesthetic
- Charlotte recounts her frustration with industry norms — black-and-white counters, confusing products — and her mission to make beauty accessible, empowering, and simplified.
- Product Perfectionism:
“I am a perfectionist… For me, it is like giving birth to these products that I know are going to really empower women and men to feel their most beautiful, wonderful selves.” [25:10, Charlotte]
4. Music: “You Got the Love” by The Source feat. Candi Staton
[27:06 – 28:32]
- Why It Matters
- The song is a celebratory anthem for her and her close friend Kate Moss; it was central to many joyful and “euphoric” moments, including a fragrance campaign.
- Quote:
“It’s just this utter sense of euphoria. But I love it because I think life is about love… you got the love I need to see me through.” [27:31, Charlotte] - Her approach to positivity:
“On the whole, I wake up really positive, and I’ve trained my mind to think positive thoughts. If a negative thought comes in, bash them out.” [27:52, Charlotte]
5. Innovation in Fragrance: Emotion Bottled
[28:32 – 31:10]
- Description of her emotional fragrance line (e.g., “More Sex,” “Joyforia”), where scents are designed to trigger specific emotional reactions or frequencies.
- Quote:
“Our emotions are dictated by our brain… 75% of what we smell affects our emotions. So I’ve created this fragrance collection of emotions… They act like pheromones.” [29:15, Charlotte] - Corden notes Charlotte’s obsessive customer focus:
“What’s incredible about you is that you are only thinking about the customer, only thinking about how can I service their life and make it better.” [30:22, James]
6. The Art and Intimacy of Makeup
[31:10 – 34:11]
-
Makeup artistry is intimate and transformative, bringing Tilbury close to her celebrity clients at major emotional milestones (weddings, awards, reinventions).
-
Quote:
“You become very close with people very quickly because you’re right in their personal, intimate space… it’s been a real privilege.” [31:40, Charlotte]- She recounts significant moments with Kate Moss and Amal Clooney on their wedding days.
-
Music (especially “You Got the Love”) and energy are always part of that creative environment.
-
Makeup and Men
- The beauty revolution increasingly includes men, from George Clooney to King Charles, with growing curiosity about skincare and appearance across genders.
- Startling stat:
“We’re living in a world where climate change… we’re aging 10 years faster than we used to.” [35:08, Charlotte]
7. Person: Steve Jobs — The Epitome of Nonconformity
[38:10 – 43:57]
- Chosen for his ethos: “Put a ding in the universe.”
- Jobs’ dyslexia, customer obsession, emotional marketing, and spirit of nonconformity inspired Charlotte as she built her own disruptive brand.
- Quote:
“He thought differently. He broke the mold… If you’re crazy enough to think differently, you’ll leave your mark in the world.” [38:10, Charlotte]
- Tilbury shares how she learned to manifest her company’s growth — even writing a fake Financial Times article predicting its success, then achieving it.
- Discussion: Putting herself front and center as her brand’s face wasn’t about ego, but necessity and a mission to empower others:
- “It wasn’t about making myself more famous… I found something that empowered me… and I want to give this to everyone.” [40:58, Charlotte]
- She emphasizes makeup’s power to unleash inner confidence and positive energy.
8. Memory: Receiving Her MBE from Queen Elizabeth II
[44:04 – 47:14]
-
A Defining Moment of Recognition
- Charlotte describes her overwhelming gratitude and euphoria being honored at Buckingham Palace, accompanied by her parents and husband.
- Quote:
“To be recognized by her… talking about empowering women… Queen and country, for what you’ve achieved, is really humbling.” [44:15, Charlotte] - A candid story of chatting in the queue, forgetting her curtsy, and discussing creating “The Queen” lipstick with Her Majesty, whose eyes “lit up” at the mention of corgis and makeup.
- Tilbury expresses the importance of passion in work:
“When you have big dreams, it’s not working — you love it. All of that culminating in that amazing moment to be honored was euphoria.” [45:19, Charlotte]
-
Warm banter with Corden about honors, titles, and King Charles (also a user of magic cream and champion of young entrepreneurs).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Growing Up Among Icons:
“We lived this life that was kind of amazing… going to the clubs at nine years old… it was the sort of Studio 54 of Europe.” [03:30, Charlotte] -
On Authenticity:
“I think for me, it is really important to be authentic in yourself… authenticity is something that really cuts through.” [07:43, Charlotte] -
On Manifesting Success:
“At the beginning of my career, I wrote down… I manifested pretty much my whole life what I wanted to do.” [20:27, Charlotte] -
Advising Young Creatives:
“Dare to dream it, dare to believe it, dare to do it. But belief is the biggest thing… If a negative thought comes in, bash them out.” [22:19, 27:52, Charlotte] -
On Disruption:
“That type of disruptive thinking is always kind of—I'm like, well, just because it’s done a certain way for 100 years, why does it have to be done that way?” [25:10, Charlotte] -
On Steve Jobs:
“He was customer obsessed… understood emotional marketing… that think differently. I think for me it was the daring.” [38:10, Charlotte] -
On Being the Brand:
“It wasn’t about making myself more famous… I saw the magic when they were sitting in my makeup chair… They get more energy, they smile more, they’re confident.” [40:58, Charlotte] -
Receiving Recognition:
“To be recognized by her… is really a humbling, euphoric, amazing gratitude coming out of everywhere kind of moment.” [44:15, Charlotte]
Segment Timestamps
- Opening / Introduction: [00:36 – 01:25]
- Place (Ibiza): [02:40 – 08:52]
- Possession (Logbook/School of Ra): [09:03 – 13:07]
- Building the Brand: [16:02 – 26:54]
- Music Selection (“You Got the Love”): [27:06 – 28:32]
- Fragrance, Emotions, and Customer Focus: [28:32 – 31:10]
- Intimacy of Makeup / Men and Beauty: [31:10 – 35:32]
- Person (Steve Jobs): [38:10 – 43:57]
- Memory (MBE from Queen): [44:04 – 47:14]
- Episode Close: [47:16 – 47:39]
Listener Takeaways
- Unshakable Confidence and Manifestation: Tilbury’s outlook on dreaming boldly, erasing self-imposed limits, and believing relentlessly in one’s vision.
- Creative Upbringing’s Impact: The value of a diverse, open-minded, and intuitively creative childhood.
- Authenticity Above All: Carrying genuine personality and values into every setting and endeavor.
- The Power of Makeup: Its ability to transform, empower, and provide confidence — for everyone.
- Importance of Humility and Gratitude: No matter the “ding” you make in the universe, stay humble.
Final Moments
James Corden wraps up with a summary of Charlotte’s selections: “Your place is Ibiza. Your possession is your logbook from the School of Ra. Your music is ‘You Got the Love’ by The Source featuring Candi Staton. Your person is Steve Jobs and your memory is receiving your MBE from Her Majesty the Queen. Thank you so much for sharing this life of yours.” [47:16]
Charlotte responds:
“It was fabulous. It was intimate. It was real. James, you’re fabulous.” [47:36]
An episode filled with warmth, wisdom, and a contagious belief in the magic that happens when you dare to be yourself — and dream without limits.