Charlotte Tilbury First Impressions! Is it worth the hype?
- Tabitha
- Nov 24, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 5, 2023
I recently decided after a lot of personalised advertising and my own research, to purchase some Charlotte Tilbury products myself and give you lovely people the info you need to know before thinking of buying!
I find it's very hard to get an honest review nowadays, some influencers are usually sponsored or biased in some way, or are hoping to get noticed by the brand they're reviewing and aren't looking to actually give an honest review! I guess that's where I come in. I have tested out every single one of these products and have tested important buying factors such as packaging, is it long lasting, what is the colour pay off like, are the eyeshadows pigmented and do they blend well? Thanks to your help on Instagram I will be answering some of the questions you would like answers too!
I took full advantage of the Black Friday Sale and bought myself two sets, which included:
Charlottes Magic Blush and Glow Complexion Kit
WAS £103.00 NOW £72.10
Brightening Youth Glow: a colour-correcting, moisturising primer with Pearlescent Pigments, Green Algae Extract and Vitamin B3 to even the appearance of skin tone and blur the look of imperfections.
Magic Foundation: a magic liquid foundation that suits all ages, skin tones & skin types. This full coverage formula will help cover the look of imperfections, but remains weightless and breathable!
Cheek to Chic blush in a shade of your choice: a two-tone powder blush for a dreamy, glowing kiss of colour! Choose from the pearlescent pink colour of Love Glow, rosy pink hue of Sex On Fire, cool pink POP of Love Is The Drug or warm reddy-brown of The Climax.
Charlottes Magic Conceal, Retouch and Glow Kit
WAS £133.00 NOW £93.10
Magic Foundation: my buildable, long-lasting foundation with a demi-matte finish for a flawless looking finish!
Magic Complexion Brush: my flat-headed, synthetic foundation brush for an even, flawless looking finish!
The Retoucher: my hydrating concealer pen that's perfect for concealing the appearance of blemishes and imperfections!
Beauty Light Wand in a shade of your choice: my Beauty Light Wand is a magical liquid highlighter inspired by the beauty light effects from the Hollywood red carpet for a luminous-looking, soft-focus natural finish! Choose from Goldgasm, Peachgasm or Pillow Talk Medium!
And to top it off, I received the Bella Sofia Eyeshadow Palette for FREE!
LET'S BEGIN!
Brightening Youth Glow
My first impressions of this product were great, the packaging is nice, it's sturdy, attractive but simple.
The actual glow booster is really pretty too, its slightly shimmery but not in that horrible iridescent way. I applied a pea sized amount all over my face, starting from the middle and working outwards. It felt smooth, supple and left my skin looking bright.
An added bonus to this product, is not only the way it feels and looks but the ingredients inside.
It contains silver pearl reflective pigments, that bounce out the light to more flattering angles of the face, while colour-cancelling pigments reduce redness and healthy, happy chlorella (green algae) stimulates even pigment distribution across the face. As well as this, corrective watercress extract actively blocks melanin production and protective vitamin B3 balances skin tone, while plumping olive extract boosts supple elasticity and camelia and rosehip oils moisturise, nourish and condition skin.
It also works well underneath foundation to give a beautiful dewy finish.
CT claims that after four weeks you'll notice a difference!
Would I recommend? YES.
Magic Foundation
This foundation promises a lot, CT says it will last 13 hours, it promises to smooth fine lines and wrinkles and leave your skin looking more youthful and plump.
Now, I have tested A LOT of foundations over the years, this is definitely not the worst but also not the best. It is not full coverage, I would say it's light to medium. It is not buildable, for some reason it just wouldn't pack onto the skin, I ended up trying three pumps and it still didn't cover my spots. It also didn't last 13 hours, after 6 hours, it was nearly gone. It sat in my lines and started to separate.
I really don't want to bash it completely because it has a very nice dewy finish, which made my skin look very healthy, it also comes in a huge variety of shades which is very important. I would recommend this foundation to older ladies who maybe don't need as much coverage and like a luxurious feeling foundation. The bottle is lovely and the pump applicator worked really well.
When I reflect, it wasn't that bad but for the price I wouldn't recommend this for the majority of people. I think I will mix it with some other foundations or use it for shoots where the model will only wear it for an hour or so.
Would I recommend? It's 50/50, I would try before you buy. But based on price, NO.
Magic Complexion Brush
Supposedly, according to Beautylish, ''this Magic Complexion Brush has been tailor-made to allow you to buff foundation onto your skin. The flat brush head distributes the product evenly for a flawless, air-brushed finish. Works well for women with acne, open pores, scarring and rosacea because it doesn’t force the foundation into the pores, but gently brushes over them.''
I was really excited to try this brush, the handle has been carved so it's really nice to hold, the bristles are soft, the brush head is a good size and it looks pretty! But I'm sad to say I was slightly disappointed. The brush picks up a lot of product, therefore not letting you apply the foundation evenly on your skin, it is also a waste of product.
For the price I would recommend buy a Zoeva Silk Finish Brush, which is considerably cheaper.
It does have some benefits though, the wood is sustainably sourced and the bristles are vegan.
Would I recommend? NO
Cheek to Chic Blush
Now I love a blush, I chose the shade 'Love Glow'. When it arrived, it was a lot paler than the photos which worried me, however, on application it looks really lovely. The colour is radiant with a gorgeous natural pink colour.
I really like this blusher and will be using it a lot in the future.
Would I recommend? YES
The Retoucher
This is a very similar dupe to the famous YSL Touch Eclat. I'm just going to go straight into it. It is not good. The colour pay off is not good, it doesn't cover blemishes at all and it took about 30 turns for the product to actually come through.
This could be a nice natural eye brightener for those who don't wear a lot of make-up but I have to say this is my least favourite product I bought.
CT boasts...
A hydrating complex keeps skin plumped up and moisturised for a natural, luminous finish.
A black tea derivative, rich in vitamins, fills in hollowed out skin grooves, creating a smooth, seamless surface.
A breakthrough Lipo-Siliconic compound and special elastomer pearls create an invisible plaster over the imperfections, creating a natural, traceless finish.
Ideal for concealing any blemishes or imperfections for flawless skin every day.
Paraben-free.
But is the proof in the pudding? The simple answer is no.
Would I recommend? NO
Beauty Light Wand - Goldgasm
I was sooo excited to try this highlighter, I am usually quite sceptical about non powder highlighters because they run the risk of picking up the foundation that's already underneath the skin. I saw a friend use this a few years ago and it looked amazing!
First impressions are 'oh my gosh there is hardly anything in this tube' it is only 12ml so please bear this in mind if you think about buying it.
When I swatched this for the first time on my hand, the pigmentation was insane, out came a gorgeous gold highlighter, that looked flawless.
I used the applicator to put this on my cheek bones, nose and chin, it wasn't as gold as it was on my hand but it looked really nice and didn't pick up my foundation too much underneath. One tip I would give, is to pat it gently on your skin and do not rub, or you can disturb what's underneath.
Would I recommend? YES
Bella Sofia Palette
This was a freebie, as you can imagine, I was very excited about this. I had heard a lot about the CT Eyeshadow Palettes and have wanted to try one for a while so when it said I could gain a free one with my purchase, I was SOLD!
This eyeshadow is designed to create a seductive, smoldering smoky eye, and I have to say it does just that!
When I first swatched these shadows, I wasn't convinced they were very pigmented, but when I applied them to the eye with a brush, it all changed. The colours are really lovely, a great combination of four molten party colours that compliment each other gorgeously and they blend so effortlessly on the lid.
One thing to note is the gold is more of a glitter but it sparkles amazingly in the sun, it's gorgeous!
The shadows are tiny, if you're not bothered by this then I would say go for it!
Would I recommend? YES
SO to conclude, it's a mixed bag. If you've got the money to spend and enjoy the feeling of having luxurious, high end make-up in your life then I think Charlotte Tilbury could be a brand for you. But if you're working on a budget and are feeling on the fence about your choices, I would recommend going to a counter and asking for a few samples before you decide on whether you like them or not.
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram to see the looks created with these exact products!
@tabithapmakeup
Love Tabitha x
Disclaimer. All views expressed on this site are my own and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated. Charlotte Tilbury is in no way affiliated with any views expressed here.
