I ordered the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Killer Cheekbones Set ($110) last week online. It’s a duo that includes the Filmstar Bronze and Glow along with the Powder and Sculpt Brush. It’s currently a Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive in the US and has been released as an early preview for the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty line. According to a Nordstrom Beauty Livechat I had earlier this morning, the entire line will launch online at Nordstrom.com around August 10th. Update on August 4th, per Charlotte Tilbury PR, the line will be available in the US around September 3rd.
On the nails – Aventure
The Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow (16 g/0.56 oz, made in Italy) comes in a luxurious rose gold colored compact. It has a warm bronze with a soft satiny shimmer glow. On my skin it acts like the perfect contouring powder. When it comes to contouring the face, I am a super minimalist. I have a roundish face without high cheekbones so any kind of contouring is me brushing on product in areas to create a fake one. I do like a good bronzer to sculpt the face and add warmth in a 3 shape motion around the edges of my face, but that’s typically the most I’ll do for contouring.
I find traditional matte/taupe contouring looks good in photos but in real life can look fake and too sharp on me (this is when artists do it on me or when I attempt it). The Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow however makes contouring goof-proof and super easy. The Sculpt/Bronzer side has enough warmth and color that it doesn’t make the skin look ashy and also isn’t too warm that it turns orangey. It has a soft satiny sheen that gives depth.
The Highlight/Glow side is a yellowish/gold pale champagne highlighter. Based on what it looks like in the pan and how it swatches on the arm, I was worried it would be overly frosty and sharp on my skin. On the face it glows. There is visible shimmer but on me it doesn’t look frosted and it doesn’t emphasize pores. Huge plus! If you have dewy skin, you may need to apply with a light hand. It’s very pigmented and adheres well to the skin. I like to dip the brush into the highlighter and then tap it to dust off excess. On the skin it’s a light golden color but not too yellow for my olive skin.
The Powder and Sculpt Brush is the full size version made of goat hair. It’s a smaller brush than what I’m typically used to for the face but it’s tapered for perfect contouring on the face. It’s well-made and the bristles pick up the product and blend well, but I don’t think it’s a must-have since I have so many other brushes and find that a regular blush brush can do the same. I do like the way it’s shaped for easy application. It places the product right along the cheeks in the right shape for a perfect contour.
Swatches, don’t let the frost/shimmer deter you, they apply much softer on the face:
I pulled a few comparisons:
Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer (original version shown, newer version here)
Chanel Les Beiges Multi-Colour 02 (summer stripe version)
Overall a huge thumbs up. I had high expectations for this because of raves about Charlotte Tilbury’s line but was worried it might be just another standard bronzer/highlighter/contour duo. After playing with this for several days I can say that I have found my perfect contouring duo. On my medium/tan skin it’s not quite bronzer level, but I suspect on fair to medium skins it will be suitable as a contour or bronzer depending how you apply and how much you layer on.
I love the soft silky texture of the powder. Brushes pick up just the right amount of product so you don’t have to swirl the brush in the pan a lot. It’s powdery but not too powdery. It blends very smoothly on the face and layers nicely. It’s on par with Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer (my holy grail) in the sense that it’s impossible to mess up because it’s super easy to apply and it’s very flattering on the skin.
I am really pleased with the set even though it seemed a bit pricey. However you do get a full sized bronzer-highlighter duo and the brush is the full size version that is well made. It’s a very high quality set that makes the price tag worth it for me. If you have a lot of brushes you may want to wait for the entire line to launch in August and just get the Filmstar Bronze and Glow. That being said the brush does make contouring easy for those who aren’t good at contouring (like myself). Even though this is designed for the face, I’ve found it wears well on the eyes as well.
Many have asked whether I think the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Killer Cheekbones Set or Chanel Dentelle Precieuse powder is the better buy. I can’t choose between them, they are both phenomenal products, my thoughts:
- The Chanel powder is limited-edition and gives a more glowy finish with a pinkish, peach and bronze champagne glow on me. For my skintone it’s definitely a highlighter while fair skinned readers have commented it appears darker and more bronzey on their skins.
- The items in the Charlotte Tilbury will both be available for purchase in the US at a later date when the line officially launches. It’s also more of a contouring duo rather than a highlighter. The bronze/sculpt powder is beautifully warm and satiny with a natural glow, but you can probably skip the brush if you already own a good detail brush.
If you can get both eventually but only want to purchase one now, I would
recommend getting the Chanel since it’s limited-edition and I’ve found there’s nothing really like it. If you don’t need a contouring brush then I’d say wait for the line to launch later this fall, skip the brush and just opt for the Bronzer/Highlighter duo.
recommend getting the Chanel since it’s limited-edition and I’ve found there’s nothing really like it. If you don’t need a contouring brush then I’d say wait for the line to launch later this fall, skip the brush and just opt for the Bronzer/Highlighter duo.
The Filmstar Killer Cheekbones Set is currently a Nordstrom Anniversary Beauty Exclusive and retails for $110. Online it looks like it’s on backorder. I can’t wait until the entire Charlotte Tilbury line launches in the US later this fall.
Have you tried this Filmstar Killer Cheekbones set or anything else from Charlotte Tilbury? What were your thoughts?
