There hasn’t been a more buzzed about luxury cosmetic launch than Charlotte Tilbury in the past 20+ years. I dare to say that the last time makeup enthusiasts were this enamored with a brand launch was back in the early 1990s when Bobbi Brown first unveiled her lipstick line.
I’ve been slowly collecting several pieces of Charlotte’s collection over the past few months and have formed some solid opinions – including things that are must-haves, things that weren’t for me and things I had to return (or exchange).
If you have been waiting to pull the trigger on your first Charlotte purchase or are just curious about my thoughts, keep reading.
I’m going to break this down by:
// Products I own/owed //
Light Wonder Foundation // “Youth boosting, perfect skin foundation,” is what the product claims and since it’s made my favorites, it’s a winner. I do not have perfect skin by any means (oily, acne-prone, sensitive) and this gives such a natural yet perfected (and long wearing) finish. This is the only foundation I brought with me on my honeymoon to Maui. It can be as light as a tinted moisturizer, but layered to medium coverage. A must-have.
Eyeshadow Palette – The Golden Goddess // “Color-coded eyeshadows,” is the idea behind all of Charlotte’s quads. She wanted to take the guesswork out of coordinating shadows which, for most of the palettes, seems to be true. For those who know me personally, the entire Golden Goddess look is completely my style, so I couldn’t pass on this palette. However; I think it doesn’t have enough impact on my medium/olive skin tone. Every time I use it, I just think how pretty it would look on my friend Jen, who’s fair-skinned with crystal blue eyes and blonde hair. I think it would look very subtly pretty on older women, as well. The bronze shade included should be a bit darker. The shades are very natural, but it lacks the depth needed to create a full look.
Eyeshadow Palette – The Dolce Vita // THIS is to die for. This is one of my most-traveled-with palettes. I love using the top two shades for daytime, then smoking it out with the bronze color at night and the pop of gold glitter just makes me so happy. The colors have dimension and variety, yet perfectly coordinate to truly take you from day-to-night.
Color Chameleon – Amber Haze // “Color morphing eyeshadow pencil for brown eyes,” is what this product states on the website; although any eye shade can use any of the pencils. If I were an eyeshadow pencil, I would be Amber Haze. These pencils also have the staying power of cement – so don’t expect them to go anywhere, even in the hot summer. This shade is the perfect deep golden/bronze that can be smudged on the lid and lower lash line with mascara for a complete look. It’s my favorite eyeshadow pencil of all time (of any brand).
Lipstick – Bitch Perfect // As soon as I heard the name of this lip pencil, I knew Charlotte was my kind of girl. Once I saw the shade, I was sold. It’s the perfect lipstick shade – a bit rosy, a bit peachy, a bit pinky. The pigmentation, creamy sheen, moisture and lasting power surpasses any brand of lipstick I’ve ever tried. Read more about my thoughts on it here.
Lip Cheat Lip Pencil – Pillow Talk // “Reshape and resize lipliner,” is the claim. To achieve slightly overdrawn, plumper-looking lips, you need a liner that won’t budge for hours (this lip pencil is bulletproof and will last all.day.long). You also need a liner that blends with (and enhances) the natural color of the lip. Pillow Talk is perfect because it is a gorgeous rosy pink that blends well with a wide variety of natural lip shades, making it easier to extend your natural lip line without looking like a clown. I’ve never been a huge lip pencil fan until I tried Charlotte’s formula.
Charlotte’s Magic Cream // An extremely hydrating facial cream that floods the skin with moisture – an instant pick me up! I received a deluxe sample and really enjoyed the thick texture that absorbed very quickly; leaving a beautiful healthy glow and visibly plumped up skin. You need the tiniest amount. It’s packaged in an absolutely stunning luxurious jar and scented like something an old film star would use – but not “old lady,” more, Marilyn. As much as this products touts serious claims and impressive ingredients, I didn’t purchase the full size at $100 because the ingredient’s potency dramatically decreases when exposed to air. The jar packaging – although exquisite – deteriorates the efficacy. If they could repackage this in a tube, I would splurge on it!
Goddess Skin Clay Mask* // A clay mask that leaves your skin hydrated!? I really had to use this for a few months to form an opinion. Was it working? What was it even doing? Is this for my skin type? Here’s my thoughts: I think this mask would be better on someone with extremely dry or older skin. Since I have combo/oily, I don’t get as dramatic results as some other reviews that I’ve read/seen. However, I love it for a weekly detoxifying without stripping my skin – like most clay masks do. I like it a lot, but I don’t love it and I think the level of love someone would have for this is commensurate with skin dryness, dullness and age.
Beach Stick – Es Vedre* // “Lip to cheek dewy color pop.” Es Vedre is a brightened coral-red. It’s pretty intimidating in the tube, but this is one of my favorite cream blushes! I literally need a dot on my cheeks to blend out into a perfect summer glow on my medium/olive skin. It shows up like a poppy red on my lips, but is a bit dry used that way. If you’re lighter than me, I don’t think you’ll enjoy this shade as much.
Beach Stick – Ibiza* // A warm golden bronze shade that is awesome for a J Lo ‘glowy bronze’ look. Very buildable and I think this shade can work particularly well for light to medium-tan skin tones.
Beach Stick – Moon Beach* // This shade reminds me of a cream version of NARS “Orgasm.” In the summer, I like using it on the cheeks for a very sheer golden/pink glow (almost a highlight), but when I’m pale, this is a pretty every day blush. On deeper skin, I imagine this would be a very pretty highlighter and even lip color. I think this shade is the most versatile for different skin tones in the Beach Stick collection.
(Swatches L to R: L top is Golden Goddess palette, L bottom is Dolce Vita; R top of finger is Pillowtalk liner and below is Bitch Perfect. *FYI, swatching lip colors on the pad of your finger gives you a truer indication of what the shade will look like on your lips!)
// Products I am lusting after //
// Tried; not for me //
Wonderglow Primer* // Provides a luminous glow under foundation or over as a highlight. I have other products I use for this effect that I like better and didn’t find it to extend the wear of my foundation. I gave this to my grandmother who lives in Miami.
Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder // A buttery soft and finely milled powder that feels incredible! However; it’s better suited for drier skin. My oily skin just completely took advantage of this powder. This is the non-powder powder for my friends who need a powder to set foundation/concealer, but feel that all powders are too drying.
Lip Magic Lip Balm* // An incredible lip moisturizer! I would apply this at night and wake up in the morning with the product still remaining on my lips and my lips felt like little happy pillows. But – like several of Charlotte’s skin care related items – it’s heavily fragranced like rose and although I was tolerating it for a few weeks, my husband finally said one night, “You smell like an old lady, what are you wearing!?”
Color Chameleon – Golden Quartz // I love the formula, but this shade just pulled really muddy on me. It swatches beautifully, but once slightly blended out, I looked very tired.
Beach Stick – Formentera* // Not the right shade for me; would look better on very fair, cooler skin. Sent this one to my grandmother, too. She loves those plum mauves.
Beach Stick – Las Salinas* // Not the right shade for me, either. Too bright pink. This would look fabulous on lighter, warmer skin tones or really deep skin tones.
Well, that’s a wrap. Overall, I have been extremely happy with my Charlotte purchases. The trick is to ensure you’re getting the right color for you (whether it’s an eyeshadow, lipstick, etc). I will continue to add to my collection and keep you all posted!
Charlotte Tilbury products can be purchased at select Nordstrom counters in the US, online at Nordstrom.com, Beautylish.com and CharlotteTilbury.com.
Let me know what has caught your eye from her beautiful collection!
-Steffanie
*All products discussed on Brighter, Darling were purchased by me personally unless marked with a (*), meaning that specific product has been provided by the brand as a gift. Reviews are my own opinion.
