Charlotte Tilbury’s "Pillow Talk" Effect: How to Own a Color Shade via Influencers

If you’re like me, you know the struggle of finding a nude lipstick shade that still has a hint of pink, so it flatters your natural lip pigments and doesn’t completely wash you out. I’ll go through hours of online searches and check brand photos against user swatches to settle on a shade that I think (and hope) would look good on me, only to end up with shades that are either too ashy against my warm skin tone or too deep for everyday wear.

Knowing this, Charlotte Tilbury came up with Pillow Talk – a universally flattering nude-pink shade that eventually became a viral sensation. And while the shade of the lipstick has already set it up for success, the brand owes its virality to beauty influencers.

This post breaks down the influencer marketing strategy behind the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk collection and how you can replicate it. Let’s take a look.

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk: A Brief History

Before diving into the strategy that turned the iconic Pillow Talk into a makeup must-have in the beauty community, it’s important to get a better understanding of what exactly Pillow Talk is. This will clear up any confusion and set you up with enough knowledge to understand the brand’s marketing efforts.

So what is Pillow Talk? Is it a color? Is it a lipstick? Is it a makeup collection?

Interestingly enough, the answer is “yes” to all the above questions.

It all started with the Pillow Talk Lip Cheat Lip Liner – a single shade of lip liner that Charlotte came up with, so it’s flattering for everyone. The nude-pink shade became such a hit sensation that Charlotte went on to use it for various lip formulas, such as Matte Revolution and K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

And with feedback from customers, the Pillow Talk color range expanded to include even more shades and appeal to more diverse skin tones. Besides the original, you can find Pillow Talk lip products in Fair, Medium, and Deep.

Charlotte further expanded Pillow Talk into other makeup products like eye shadow, blush, lip plumper, and even mascara. So there’s a whole range of products that make up an entire Pillow Talk collection. What once started out as a color ultimately grew into something more, expanding into products and entire collections.

As Charlotte herself puts it:

“Pillow talk is not just a color, it’s a beauty realm to make all your beauty dreams come true!”

The Role of Beauty Influencers in the Pillow Talk Sensation

Now on to the most important part: How exactly did beauty influencers play a role in the popularity of Pillow Talk?

As we’ve established in the previous section, Pillow Talk isn’t just a product. This meant that Charlotte Tilbury needed a strategy to market a “universal shade,” which presented a few unique challenges.

If you’re marketing a product, you could talk about the features, the ingredients and formulations, the price point – the opportunities are virtually endless. But when you’re marketing something as intangible as a “universal shade,” there are far fewer talking points.

For Charlotte Tilbury, this meant proving their “universality” claim since the claim set the whole precedent for their marketing strategy.

That’s why they heavily relied on real people, mainly beauty influencers, to prove the claim and spread the news about Pillow Talk. They needed to get the word out as widely as possible, reaching diverse audiences with varying skin tones. This meant working with a diverse influencer selection to show just how “universal” Pillow Talk is.

Charlotte Tilbury used product sampling to activate hundreds of beauty influencers. These influencers shared honest reviews and product demos, effectively showing how Pillow Talk is a color that’s truly flattering for everyone.

Audiences could see how Pillow Talk looked on people with darker skin vs. lighter skin and on cool-toned vs. warm-toned vs. neutral-toned skin.

And with Charlotte Tilbury having a range of Pillow Talk shades, audiences could see which shade looks the best on someone with the same skin color and tone as them. Influencers framing a shade as “made for (them)” helped to hype up the match and convinced audiences that it could be the “perfect fit” for them, too.

Influencers also found a way to weave Pillow Talk into new beauty trends, ultimately establishing it as a must-have for everyday makeup routines.

For instance, there were opportunities to infuse Pillow Talk into color theory marketing – a trend that’s largely shaping the fashion industry but also extends to beauty as well. As more and more beauty buyers have become more conscious about picking shades that match their skin tones and undertones, there was an opportunity for influencers to tap into this.

They could talk about how a certain shade looks better on cool-toned skin vs. warm-toned or vice versa. Or a certain shade “pulling warm” on their skin while another looks more flattering.

The Charlotte Tilbury Influencer Selection Playbook

With Charlotte Tilbury’s entire Pillow Talk campaign relying on influencers, they needed to be very strategic with their influencer selection. They needed beauty influencers who were relevant to audiences, not just in terms of niche but also in terms of skin color and tone. They also needed influencers whom people trusted.

Considering these requirements, they focused on three main factors to guide the influencer selection process. They vetted influencers based on:

• Diversity and relatability – Can audiences with a specific skin color relate to them?

• Authenticity and credibility – Do their followers trust their opinions and recommendations?

• Expertise and relevance – Are they positioned to talk about beauty and makeup?
  

Diversity and Relatability

The trouble with products that claim to be a “universal shade” is that they’re only “universal” for various shades of fair skin. So people with different skin colors would first want to see how the shade would look on someone with the same skin color as them.

Charlotte Tilbury wanted to prove that Pillow Talk really is a shade that would match people with different skin colors and tones. This meant they needed to work with diverse influencers to reflect the inclusivity of the Pillow Talk color. That’s why their product sampling campaigns included beauty influencers across different ethnicities and races with varying skin colors and tones.

For instance, they sent samples to Helecia Will (@iknowlee), who regularly creates beauty and fashion content speaking to Black women. She created a long-form YouTube video demonstrating and reviewing the Pillow Talk collection.

So other Black women could see if the collection could work for them, especially if they have the same skin tone and shade as the influencer.

Similarly, the brand diversified their influencer selection to better relate to all types of audiences. This helped them to effectively demonstrate how Pillow Talk would look on someone with a specific skin color, shade, and tone.

For instance, makeup creator Aditya Madiraju positioned Pillow Talk Medium 2 as the perfect bridal lip for South Asian brides. He went on to demonstrate how the shade looked on someone with brown skin.

This resonated so well with people of a similar skin color and tone as the influencer. You could see comments like this indicating a high purchase intent.

Authenticity and Credibility

In a market that’s rampant with fake reviews and dishonest promotions, Charlotte Tilbury needed to earn the trust of their target audience. It wasn’t enough to simply demonstrate how the product looked on someone with a specific skin color. They also needed to ensure that the demonstration was authentic and trustworthy.

That’s why they favored influencers who were authentic and credible. Instead of getting them to hype up a shade that doesn’t really work for them, they encouraged them to focus on the shade that does work.

Beauty influencers like Jovita George (@mrjovitageorge) demonstrated how a certain shade of the Pillow Talk Love Effect Lipstick gives you the perfect shade of muted deep mauve that perfectly complements brown skin like hers. She honestly mentioned how she hadn’t been a fan of the OG Pillow Talk range but was impressed with this one.

Expertise and Relevance

While an influencer may have the same skin color as you and share their honest review, this may not be enough to convince you to buy. This is especially true for products with a higher price point, such as those from Charlotte Tilbury.

People often look to experts or enthusiasts who know what they’re talking about before they go through with a purchase.

So the brand also worked with creators who specialize in the makeup and beauty niche. They’re professional makeup artists or creators who have in-depth knowledge about beauty products – basically influencers who create content related to the brand’s products. These beauty influencers added another layer of credibility to the claim.

And since their content is mostly about makeup and beauty, it also allows the brand to reach an audience that’s likely to be interested in their products.

Content Formats That Worked

Proving the universality claim requires more than just working with diverse influencers. These influencers could be posing with the products or sharing perfectly arranged visuals featuring the products. But it wouldn’t be enough to convince the crowd that Pillow Talk is indeed a universal shade.

Charlotte Tilbury also needed these influencers to show how the shade looks on different skin colors and tones. This meant they needed to use the right content formats to prove their claim.

Honest Reviews + Discount Codes

While a universal shade is intended to suit all skin colors and tones, it doesn’t always account for individual preferences. Someone with brown skin might love how the Pillow Talk medium perfectly blends with their natural lip pigment, while another might feel it washes them out.

That’s why the Charlotte Tilbury team encouraged influencers to be honest with their reviews. Beauty creators like Claire Bridgett shared a Reel where she openly talked about how she wasn’t a fan of the original Pillow Talk because it “pulled warm” on her. This honest opinion would resonate with audiences who share the same experience.

She also introduced the Pillow Talk Fair and expressed her love for this version, swatching both shades and asking her audience for their opinions.

And the influencer included a discount code, so her followers can use it on the brand’s website. So if someone relates to the experience of not liking the OG shade, loves how the Fair looks on the influencer, and is ready to buy it, they can use the code to make an instant purchase.

Video Demos + Swatches

With Charlotte Tilbury producing different shades of Pillow Talk, customers want to know which shade would work on their skin. That’s why beauty influencers demonstrating the shades on video and swatching different shades work so well.

This type of content addresses a key customer question and guides their buying decision. So it gets them closer to making a purchase.

Swatches are especially great for promoting new product ranges, such as the Pillow Talk Love Effective Lipstick. Since audiences are still new to the range, it helps to have influencers demonstrate how different shades would look.

And activating influencers to demonstrate the products gives them more control over how they’re represented, instead of relying on organic reviews from influencers not on their payroll. A positive demonstration could instantly strengthen the product’s standing as it hits the market.

Full-Look Videos + New Product Announcements

When new products were added to the Pillow Talk line, Charlotte Tilbury used product sampling to spread the word. Some influencers introduced the new products to their followers through full-look videos.

This involves creating a full makeup look using the entire new collection. So it can be used to demonstrate just how good the products look, not just on their own but also when used together. It also helps to effectively showcase the extensive product lineup in a short yet engaging format.

Video Replies + Product Education

People tend to have a ton of questions, especially when it comes to new products. That’s exactly what happened when Charlotte Tilbury launched the Pillow Talk Big Lip Plumpgasm in 2024.

When someone asked a relevant question about whether the lip plumper burned, model and influencer Meredith Buxbury created a video replying to the comment. This opened up an opportunity to share product education and answer pressing questions, ultimately addressing barriers to purchase and guiding buying decisions.

Replicating the Pillow Talk Strategy with Beauty Influencers

From spreading the word about new launches to demonstrating products to engaged audiences, beauty influencers helped Charlotte Tilbury “own” the Pillow Talk color shade. You can replicate the strategy by finding diverse and relevant influencers with a platform like Influencity.

This allows you to conduct an analysis of influencers by ethnicity, language, skin tone, and many more. So you can build a diverse roster of influencers and ensure your campaign represents all buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pillow Talk by Charlotte Tilbury?

Pillow Talk is one of the most iconic color shades from Charlotte Tilbury and is available as a variety of makeup products, including lip liner, lipstick, lip plumper, mascara, blush, and eyeshadow.

Which beauty influencers work with Charlotte Tilbury?

Charlotte Tilbury has worked with a number of beauty influencers, including Bambi Does Beauty, Claire Bridgett, Helecia Will (@iknowlee), and Tammi Clarke (@makeupbytammi).

How does Charlotte Tilbury work with beauty influencers?

Charlotte Tilbury uses various strategies to work with beauty influencers, such as product sampling, brand ambassadorship, affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts.

What are the best content formats for beauty influencers?

Some of the best content formats for beauty influencers are product demos and swatches, honest reviews, product education videos, and unboxing videos.