Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Archives - Page 4 of 16

Sephora

Top Makeup Favorites You Can Find At Sephora

November 2, 2018

I’m have Part 2 of my beauty recommendations for the second weekend of the Sephora Holiday Bonus Beauty Insider Event! This weekend continues with savings for Rouge Tier Members. This roundup focuses on my top makeup favorites for bases, cheeks, eyes and lips. You can find Part 1 Skin, Body and Hair recommendations here. Dates, codes and details:

Rouge get 20% Off 11/2-11/5 with code: ROUGEBONUS
VIB get 20% off 11/9-11/12 with code: VIBBONUS
Insiders/ Non-BI members get 15% off 11/16-11/19 with code: BIBONUS

Terms, conditions and exclusions listed here. I tried to narrow my absolute top picks and favorites limiting myself to under 10 per category. There are so many good products available right now, especially with holiday beauty launches. Most of these are products I consider tried and true staples but there are a few newer items I’ve tried recently I think are really worth the splurge. Products that are press samples have a * next to them.

Foundations + Base:

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Long-Wear Foundation in Buff * is my favorite full coverage foundation, I think I’m on my third bottle already.
Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5 and 7 are my matches for a natural medium coverage finish.
La Mer Luminous Lifting Cushion Foundation is new, I was thrilled to find a match in Warm Bisque, review coming soon but it is amazing and it comes with a refill. I will say I do think there are color gaps, definitely try before you buy. I suspect when I lose my summer tan this color I’ve bought will definitely be too dark. It’s also very dewy in finish but will set well if you finish with a powder. I’ve since re-sampled the Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation at the counter and really want to buy it, I’m in between Beige and Suede though.
Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer was my previous favorite full coverage foundation, it’s still very natural looking and lasts all day, I still love this one but the LM wins for now.
Erborian BB Creme or CC Creme are my favorites for natural finish, although I feel they are better suited for normal to dry skin or normal, if you’re oily these might be too rich for you.
If you want a glowy finish or tinted moisturizer I think the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is still the best, followed by the YSL Touche Eclat All In One Glow.

Concealer:

Tom Ford Foundation Stick or the Make Up For Ever Foundation Stick are products I layer for extra coverage, kinda like a concealer, to wear them all over the face is a bit heavy for me, but I think they’re both great.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger is probably holy grail material for me.
Cover FX Power Play Concealer * is new, full review soon, this really impressed me for a full coverage concealer, it glides onto the skin without caking – if you found the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away too thick but still wanted something full coverage, I’d recommend you check out the Cover FX option.
First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Bendy Avocado Concealer * is also a great natural looking radiant option, it blends easily and does not look cakey or dry.
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer * is another favorite for a more natural finish product, it is similar to the formula of the NARS but not as radiant in finish, swatches of all shades here.

Powders + Setting:

Hourglass Veil Translucent Loose Powder * is one of the new launches this year, I love this for it’s truly translucent finish (no white cast) and sheer natural matte finish.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose * is my most-worn loose powder, I like it with either the puff or a regular powder brush.
Armani Neo-Nude Fusion Powder is the best all over setting pressed glow powder, doesn’t make me too shiny, just adds the perfect amount of even coverage and glow, if you’re oily you should probably opt for an all matte option though. Review here.
La Mer Sheer Pressed Powder is one I have gone through several of Light and Medium, it’s the best sheer natural pressed matte powder I’ve tried, although I will say I think MAC Next to Nothing Pressed is a very close dupe that’s cheaper (but they don’t carry MAC at Sephora).
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder in Medium is my holy grail blurring powder, it covers and smooths imperfections, I wish it came in more shades but am happy Medium has worked for me.
Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray is my go-to setting spray to set makeup and help make it last longer. It’s available in a number of size options including a mini if you want to try one before splurging on the full size.

Eye Makeup:

Charlotte Tilbury Stars in Your Eyes Eyeshadow Palette is the prettiest large eyeshadow palette I think I’ve tried of the season, it rivals NARS Singapore (which is sold out everywhere as it was limited-edition), versatile for a wide range of looks – reviewed here. Swatches of the palette in this post here.
Urban Decay Naked2, Naked3 or Naked Cherry are great options if you’re new to shadow and don’t know where to start. Naked2 has the neutral taupes and browns, Naked3 runs more pink but still neutral, Naked Cherry * is trendy but still wearable. I reviewed Naked Cherry in this post here. There is also this pretty awesome Naked Cherry Vault in a limited-edition set available now too.
Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon is probably my favorite warm neutral, it goes with anything and everything and brightens the face with any cheek color. Nude Dip comes in close second for neutrals.
Pat McGrath anything wins unless you’re not a glitter fan in which case I still think her MTHRSHP Subliminal Platinum Bronze Palette is amazing (review here). I’ll have a review of her Opulence collection posted tomorrow so stay tuned!
Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks are my most worn shadow sticks, I don’t have oily lids so they last all day for me and don’t crease. Rosegold is my holy grail go-to shade I wear the most, followed by Copper.
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadows are also ones I like to wear a lot, I use them alone on lazy makeup days or layered with powder on top to make them last longer.
Natasha Denona makes amazing eyeshadows, the pigment, intensity and complexity of her palettes are really truly beautiful. It’s hard for me to pick one but I think her Camel or 5-Pan in Color Option #2 are great ones.

Brows and Lashes:

Anastasia Brow Wiz * in Medium Brown has been a go-to until I discovered Dior and Hourglass, since getting highlights I’ve felt the need to change my brow color to match a bit more, Taupe and Caramel have been working great for me.
Diorshow Brow Styler in Univeral Brown is still my holy grail, it still works even with highlights!
Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel * is among my favorite tinted brow gels (in either Soft Brunette or Warm Brunette), although the Tom Ford Fiber Brow Gel is also very good.
Surratt Lash Curler is spendy and you can find good alternatives for less, but I think it’s worth the splurge.
Mascara – my current favorites aren’t carried at Sephora but I’ve linked a few I’ve enjoyed in the shop the post carousel below.

Cheeks:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Unlocked (reviewed here) or Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 4 (swatches here) – either of these are really pretty for a soft glow and since they’re super expensive, the sale is the best time to buy them to save a little!
Becca Sunlit Bronzers * are among of the most natural bronzers I’ve tried. Review + swatches here.
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powders * are also very natural looking and come in several shades. Review and swatches in this post here.
NARS Liquid Blush in Orgasm * is probably one of the best liquid blushes I’ve tried, swatched here.

Lips:

Pat McGrath Matte Trance lipsticks are LIFE to me. I think any of the shades are a win, her newer fall shades * swatched here.
NARS Velvet Lip Glides in Roseland and Swing are usually in rotation at least once a week, swatched on lips here.
Dior Addict Lip Glow is a cult classic with good reason, swatches of most shades here. (I just bought the new one.)
Tom Ford Lip Colors are amazing in coverage and color selection. I love shades like Sugar Glider, Bad Lieutenant, Indian Rose, Pink Dusk (swatched here) or any of the Boys and Girls for minis (current year’s swatched here).
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk is my universal lipliner for days I feel like adding it. Most of the time I skip it, but this color seems to go with all the neutrals I own.

That wraps up my top makeup picks and recommendations for things you can find during the Sephora Beauty Insider Event! Hope this helps if you’re looking for ideas. It’s always nice to have these events each year to help save on new things or to stock up on favorites. I’ll have a haul post soon and will also have another giveaway when I post the haul.

Dates, codes and details, online and in store at Sephora:

Rouge get 20% Off 11/2-11/5 with code: ROUGEBONUS
VIB get 20% off 11/9-11/12 with code: VIBBONUS
Insiders/ Non-BI members get 15% off 11/16-11/19 with code: BIBONUS

Let me know if you hauled anything yet! Or any fun beauty items recently if you’re not shopping the Sephora Beauty Insider Event. Always love hearing about what you end up buying!

Press samples indicated with a * next to the product listings.

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of Pops Supersonic Girl + Superstar Lips Review

October 24, 2018

I’m on a Charlotte Tilbury kick with another review on some holiday launches. I reviewed the Stars In Your Eyes Palette a couple weeks ago and love it, but I received an overwhelming number of requests to also review her Luxury Palette of Pops Supersonic Girl. I ordered it before it sold out and also added some of her Superstar Lips to my online shopping cart. Thoughts, swatches and review today.

Case above by The Daily Edited. Tray from West Elm. Bracelet is Celine.

The Luxury Palette of Pops comes in two color options, I opted for the warmer Supersonic Girl because it launched first. It has already sold out at both Nordstrom and Charlotte Tilbury, I don’t know if they will restock. I hope I can ease your mind if you missed out. It’s good, but not as good as her Stars in Your Eyes or the NARS Singapore Eyeshadow Quad.

There are four glistening shadows that have intense microsparkle. It’s like finely milled glitter that glides onto the lids. The color is very sheer but you can still see color once applied on the lids. The shades include a glistening pink, warm orange shimmer, shimmering warm brown, and warm red sparkle. I love the pink and brown, the orange and red both kinda morph into the same color on my eyes and it’s very very warm. I think it’s beautiful but more of a party palette or layering for me. As a stand alone it doesn’t have deep enough shades to do a whole eye look for me as I prefer having at least one darker shade I can use as a liner or to smoke out. The Stars in Your Eyes is very different even though there are a few similar tones. To me this one is a better buy because of the versatility and color range.

Swatches:

Side by sides, Stars In Your Eyes reviewed here:

NARS Singapore reviewed here:

She also launched a new lipstick formula called Superstar Lips. There are four shades Happy Lips, Walk of Shame, Pillow Talk and Confident Lips at Nordstrom and Charlotte Tilbury. Additionally there are two shades in Sexy Lips and Wild Lips exclusive to Charlotte Tilbury’s website. I ordered four from Nordstrom sight unseen.

These are an ultra slim glossy lipstick. Formula is semi-thick and glossy. They feel lush on the lips and are definitely not weightless. I think the formula is really really good but they’re super tiny especially for the price. They’re $34 each for 1.8 g, one of my Matte Revolution boxes says the formula is 3.5 g for the same price. Granted I have so many lipsticks so I’m not worried about using up colors or running out. I still think for the amount/size they should have lowered the price. They are scented in the same vanilla scent her other lipsticks have. The color stays put for hours, it didn’t slide around even though it’s glossy. Although if you’re lips are prone to having product slide around, I’d recommend you add one of her Lip Cheat pencils on your lips first.

Happy Lips is my favorite, it’s a happy coral peach color. Walk of Shame is a warm glossy red. Pillow Talk is similar to the matte Pillow Talk, it’s a nude pink, I prefer the matte version because it shows up better on my lips. Confident Lips looks black in the tube but has that Clinique Black Honey vibe, it goes on a deep wine plum.

One last look, I took these photos a few days before my hair transformation (more on Instagram in case you missed it!). Also wearing Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5 + 7.5 mixed, Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish Powder #2, Supersonic Girl on the Eyes, By Terry Lash-Expert Mascara, Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil in Warm Brunette.

Overall I do think the Luxury Palette of Pops has a great formula for glitter sparkles. The colors in general are too warm for me to wear alone and also very sheerish on my medium tan complexion. It’s going to be perfect for the holiday season but you can get a similar effect by using similar shades and popping one of the Hourglass Scattered Light shadows on top. I think her Superstar Lips are really good with a beautiful glossy sheen. For the price they are extremely small. My favorite is Confident Lips – it’s the perfect deep fall holiday color that will look different on everyone but I still think flattering regardless of skin tone.

I bought the Super Sonic Girl and Superstar Lips at Nordstrom. Hoping she will restock the palette for those who wanted it! Also available online at Charlotte Tilbury. Did you check these out yet? What did you think?

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Base Makeup Charlotte Tilbury Eye Makeup

New Charlotte Tilbury Magic Powder, Magic Away Concealer + Stars In Your Eyes Palette

October 14, 2018

Today I’m covering a few new launches from Charlotte Tilbury including her Genius Magic Powder ($45), Magic Away Concealer ($32) and swatches of the new Stars In Your Eyes Palette ($75). I’ve been the biggest fan of her Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder in #2 for years now. It’s one I still swear by today and I was really excited to put her new face products to the test. I hauled everything from Nordstrom and two of the three products I hauled are hits.

Magic Powder + Magic Away Concealer

Up first is a look at her new face products. The Magic Powder is a loose powder for under the eyes and all over the face. It’s a soft light-diffusing powder to blur the skin. I find that the Airbrush Flawless Pressed and Magic Powder Loose colors don’t match with the same numbers. #2 in the pressed is a perfect match for me while #2 in the loose is significantly lighter in color but it does have a translucent feel to me. The powder itself has a really nice matte effect without looking flat or cakey even though the color is pale. The jar seems well made and has a twist lid inside so you can keep powder from flying around when you store it. The only downside is the smell – it has a very strong plastic smell which I thought was the packaging, which could be the culprit. But if it is, it is also in the powder and it’s pretty bad. The good news is that once it’s on the face and sets, the smell dissipates after a while. Still it’s a scent I don’t think any makeup product should have. A quick look at the product description says it’s made of veggie powder and natural oils to absorb oil and condition the skin at the same time. This could be the reason it smells. For now I’m going to stick with the pressed version and other brands of loose powders. My favorites rounded up and reviewed here.

The Magic Away Liquid Concealer is a hit! I ordered two shades 6 and 7 sight unseen based on the fact that I mix the Magic Foundation in 6 and 7. Both concealer shades work for me, 6 is a good brightening color but 7 is an exact match for my tan skin right now. It’s a smooth finish, full coverage concealer with a sponge tip applicator. I actually prefer tube or wand applicators but this one works to blend out the product right on the face without having to use another sponge. I’ve been a die-hard fan of the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for under eyes because I need something that is a little bit dewy. This comes in very close second. The Charlotte Tilbury has full perfect coverage, stays put, blends easily and does remove the subtle darkness I have under my eyes some mornings. Shade 6 applied below:

Left is applied heavily straight from the tube, you can apply as much or as little as you want. I did a heavy face swatch so you could see the color and texture. Right side is completely blended out with a sponge. Also wearing a mix of Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in 6+7 mixed all over the face, Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown and NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Swing on the lips. Top from Madewell.

I’ve swatched the concealer below next to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard, Macadamia and Ginger. I’ve also included one of the new MAC Studio Fix 24 Hour Wear Concealers in NC35, NC38 and NC40 (reviewing these soon, but I find this formula runs a tad bit lighter than the foundations).

Stars in Your Eyes Palette

The Stars in Your Eyes Palette is new for the season and it is one of the most beautiful warm palettes I’ve tried. I still don’t consider myself as really loving the red/warm eye shadow trend that’s been going on for a while, but this one is very wearable, doesn’t look too warm on my skin and has excellent color payoff. There is a mix of matte and shimmers. I think it’s a significant improvement compared to last years which I bought and still use but find high maintenance because it takes me a lot of layering to get the pigment I want. This year’s is perfect in every way for me.

This one has four sets of color-themed trios designed to Prime, Enhance and Smoke, but you can mix and match any of the combinations.

Love Eyes has a matte cream, shimmery rose gold, matte warm rose
Power Eyes has a shimmery soft gold, pale champagne shimmer, shimmery bronze
Happy Eyes has a rosy shimmer, warm soft brown matte, deeper soft brown matte
Confident Eyes has a shimmery mauve, shimmery plum and matte plum purple

Below wearing a mix of Stars in Your Eyes Palette Love Eyes and Happy Eyes, First Love Chic to Cheek Blush and NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Swing, same base as mentioned above:

As much as I love the pretty rose gold packaging it makes photographing product difficult. Colors will look slightly different in photos depending on what you see in the reflection, so I’ve included two photos, one with flash, one without.

Overall I highly recommend the Magic Away Concealer. I think it’s worth a look if you want a full coverage, smooth creamy concealer. It doesn’t cake or crease on me under the eyes and it also has enough pigment that you can use it to cover spots like sun spots or dark circles. I find it has better coverage than her other formulas. The Stars in Your Eyes Palette was a pleasant hit given last year’s formula was just ok for me. I’m thrilled that even though it’s warm toned it’s not too red or warm and easy to wear. The Magic Powder was something I had such high hopes for. The shades are a bit odd to me because the numbers don’t match in different formulas and the smell is so bad, but as a product it works on my face just fine. For now if you’re in the market for a new loose powder I’d say my top picks are the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder and Laura Mercier Translucent Loose (both compared here).

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer, Powder and Stars in Your Eyes Palette at Nordstrom. Also available online at Charlotte Tilbury.

Have you tried any of these yet? What did you think?

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters, Cheek Hug Brush + Collagen Lip Bath

June 20, 2018

Charlotte Tilbury launched Part 2 of her Beauty Filters collection focused on lips and cheeks. I picked up all three of the items including the Pretty Youth Glow Filter Kit in Pretty Fresh and Seduce Beauty ($60 each for blush duo + brush) along with the new Collagen Lip Bath ($35). I reviewed Part 1 last month on her Bigger Brighter Eyes Collection. Part 2 for lips + cheeks do not disappoint color and quality-wise.

Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters

The Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters are duo cream cheek palettes and the kits come with the Cheek Hug Brush at Nordstrom. It is only because of this brush that I think these palettes are worth the high price tag of $60. (The blush is available individually at Charlotte Tilbury’s website though.) In terms of quality and pigment both colors are really good but to me it seems as though there is very little product. These each contain a highlighter and blush – the brush is perfectly shaped and very well made to pick up both colors and apply them in a perfect blush/highlight motion. I simply swipe across the palette and apply in a swipe up method on the cheeks, then blend/buff with either my fingers or a separate blush brush. Texture is a silky cream finish. It’s truly a cream to powder like the description states. Color on me is medium to sheer.

Seduce Blush is the more neutral/muted option with a soft champagne and pinky-nude. There is a slight hint of shimmer in the pan but on the cheeks it’s very diffused and satiny.

Wearing Sunday Riley The Influencer Foundation 190, Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadows in Star Gold and Rose Gold mixed together, Collagen Lip Bath.

Pretty Fresh is a brighter option with a paler rose shimmer and brighter pink. This one is my favorite of the two. It can be built up for more color but blends out to a very nice flush.

Closer look at the Cheek Hug Brush:

Overall these had medium lasting power on me. I’m still experimenting with primers and bases to find what will last through the humidity. I felt like I had it all figured out last summer. Then we had about six months of truly mild weather here and I feel like I’ve forgotten what worked in humidity! I think these blushes are both excellent. I still really love her Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow for texture and finish and think if she had made these Pretty Youth Glow Filters colors in powder form I’d snap them up in a heart beat and that others would too. I’d say in terms of finish/texture the lasting power and pigment, the Pretty Youth Glow Filters is similar to that of the Sisley Phyto-Twist Blush sticks.

Some swatch comparisons:

Collagen Lip Bath

Then there is the Collagen Lip Bath which all of my friends were texting me about asking if I had tried it and if I thought it was worth the price. I love all of Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Lustres and Lipsticks so had high hopes for this even though it looked like it was basically a clear gloss. As soon as I opened my heart both sank and then rose back up.

When I removed the wand I was completely shocked at how little product there actually was in the tube. The wand takes up 1/2 the space! Then the actual wand itself is shaped like the top of a heart which is the cutest applicator I’ve ever seen. After getting over the shock of how little product there was I swiped it and fell in love. It makes my lips look lush and plump without any tingle or sting. They truly look super healthy and plump in the best way I’ve ever seen. It’s supposed to have peppermint extract to cool, but for some reason I did not feel any cooling sensation. It’s basically clear even though it’s a soft rose tint in the tube. Below is what my lips look like with clearish gloss, they almost always turn rose pink.

So in terms of performance and what it does, I 100% love it. I’m still peeved at how little product there is and I feel like I’m one who rarely gets upset about product weight. I still really like it and will use it up entirely in no time at all.

Overall beautiful. In my mind Charlotte Tilbury can do no wrong with the quality and color choice of her products. I think the Pretty Youth Glow Filters and Collagen Lip Products are beautiful additions to her line. I’d recommend them for anyone who wants a soft pretty and natural feminine glow. I do think the price points are a little steep, especially for the amount of product you get. I do feel the Cheek Hug Brush is really well made and makes the duos worth the splurge. For creams they aren’t too emollient but if you have super oily skin you might want to try before you buy if you can. As for the Collagen Lip Bath, I love it, but I don’t love the price. I wish it came in a squeeze tube like the MAC clear lipglass. The brush tip is nice and the design quite innovative but not a game changer to make it worth the steep price.

For other recent Charlotte Tilbury reviews:

Hollywood Flawless Filters Review + Swatches
Star Gold, Rose Gold, Duchess, American Sweetheart and English Beauty
Bigger Brighter Eyes Collection Review

You can find the Pretty Youth Glow Filters and Collagen Lip Bath out now at Charlotte Tilbury counters. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also available at Charlotte Tilbury and Beautylish.

P.S. You can buy just the blush duo individually without the brush at Charlotte Tilbury for $40.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette Smokey Eye Beauty

October 17, 2017

Charlotte Tilbury just launched her fourth Instant Look in a Palette in a neutral-cool toned option called the Smokey Eye Beauty. This is currently a Beautylish exclusive and in terms of color options this is one of the deeper ones that she has launched. The colors themselves are pretty basic and standard but the quality is on point and colors are easy to use so it makes for a good everyday option.

These Instant Look in a Palettes are designed for a basic five minute face. They have enough colors that you can do a quick look with or use on-the-go. In concept the number of colors in the palette is just the right amount for a full look for makeup color (minus base, concealer, lips, mascara, brows etc.). I’ve found that I still need 2 more eye products to really finish the look for me as I tend to do a lot of blending and I need some kind of creamy shadow stick as a base to help the powders adhere or blend better. My previous reviews of the other three linked with Natural Beauty, Seductive Beauty and Beauty Glow.

Smokey Eye Beauty has three eyeshadows, one bronzer, two cheek colors and one highlighter. The top three eyeshadows include a pale champagne shimmer, medium cool brown matte, dark matte black with navy tinge. All three are extremely smooth and well pigmented. They are easy to blend and apply but they are on the powdery side with powder kick up. The contour bronzer is a light to medium brown, it has a subtle sheen to it which makes it natural looking. It’s cool-toned on my skin. The two cheek colors are a light warm pink and a medium warm pink, both soft and also natural looking. The highlighter is a pale gold which is supposed to be the Bar of Gold. I never tried it so I can’t compare it to the original. This one has a stiffer texture which makes it look sheer on my skin. Long-time readers know how I feel about yellow golds. This one is pale enough that you can’t really see the yellow tone once on the skin so for me it’s actually a lot more wearable than I anticipated just from looking at it in the pan.

Below wearing:

Foundation is MILK Makeup Blur Liquid Matte Foundation in Golden Sand
Concealer under eyes is MILK Makeup Flex Concealer in Medium
Powder to set is the La Mer Loose Powder in Translucent
Cheeks + Eyes are the Smokey Eye Beauty Palette
Lip Color is Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk + Miss Bloomingdale mixed
Nail Polish is Diorific Ruby (review here)
Top from H&M

Bottom line a solid performer. Colors, texture and pigment are all very wearable. As with powders there will be some powdery-ness and kick up, this one seems to have a little more than most but it wasn’t problematic. Color-wise the shades to me aren’t the most unique or exciting but they show up in a natural and soft way that is 100% wearable. I do think the combination of colors is great for ease of use. Sometimes an effortless palette is just what I need – this one is versatile enough to wear for a number of occasions and will go with all kinds of lip colors, light, deep, warm and cool. I give it a thumbs up. I will be reviewing the Instant Eye Palette soon (waiting on my order) – reviews have been really mixed, so it will be interesting to test this in person.

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette Smokey Eye Beauty exclusively at Beautylish right now. It retails for $75.

Thanks to Beautylish for sending this to me to review.

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Collection

September 20, 2017

By popular request I have a review + swatches of the entire Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Collection. This collection launched a few weeks ago with new makeup formulas for lips (liquid lips) and cheeks (contour wands and a new highlight wand). I’m still playing catch up with posting about new beauty launches – these have all been put to the test for several weeks by now. The entire collection has a glamorous theme with luxe packaging. For me there are some hits and misses with this launch. More details on each below.

For the lips there are 10 shades of a new liquid lipstick called Hollywood Lips which are soft matte liquid lipsticks that have a plumping effect. I’m still not a fan of liquid lipsticks because I have full lips and matte shades tend to make my lips either look flat, dark or wrinkled like prunes. The best thing about liquid lips is the lasting power once they set and don’t budge after they dry however for me the “setting” factor isn’t something that works in my favor. They usually make my lips look like dry cardboard and I end up looking aged. Adding a balm or primer underneath can help with the finish for me but it’s an extra step I’m not thrilled about (I did that here with the NARS Powermatte Lips). In terms of matte lipsticks in general, the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution formula is the best matte I’ve tried (reviewed here and here). I had high hopes of the new Hollywood Lips as her colors are usually 100% on point but I was still unsure of the formula. These come with a beveled sponge tip applicator and have full buildable coverage. Texture is smooth and easy to blend but they still dry to a soft matte finish. Once on the lips they don’t budge or slide around but they aren’t transfer proof as they never set or dry completely. The thing that struck me the most was how full they made my lips look – without any tingle or plumping feel. The formula is one of the better ones I’ve tried for a matte liquid lip but it still has not made me fall in love with liquid lipsticks. Out of all the liquid lipstick formulas I’ve tried the Burberry Lip Velvets have the best formula and finish but if you remember my review from a while ago, none of the colors worked for me. With the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips the colors work well, but formula is still a bit dry-looking.

Descriptions of the colors:

Charlotte Darling is a light peachy pink
Best Actress is a perfect nude
Dolly Bird is a cool-toned light pink
Platinum Blonde is a pink nude
Rising Star is a medium neutral pink
Pin Up Pink is a deeper brighter rose
Too Bad I’m Bad is a deep coral pink
Show Girl is a perfect plum mauve
Dangerous Liason is a deep brick red
Screen Siren is a bright red

My favorites are Best Actress, Platinum Blonde, Too Bad I’m Bad and Show Girl. All the darker shades performed the best for me. I was relieved to see all the lighter colors worked as well color-wise, the formula not so much with Charlotte Darling and Dolly Bird – they looked extra dry on my lips.

Next are the contour and highlight which I wasn’t excited about in the least. To this day I’m not huge about contouring as I have a round face and there’s really only so much I can do to create the illusion of sharper cheek bones. I do use products to contour softly in a 3 shape (or backwards 3 on one side) with creams or powders but it’s usually a very quick process for me. I don’t have the patience to do a proper contour. There are two shades of the Hollywood Contour Wand in Light-Medium and Medium-Dark. Swatched on the arm you can clearly see the difference in undertone but on my face both look very similar in the sense they look dark straight out of the squeeze tube. The Beauty Light Wand highlighter comes in one shade Spotlight which looked super frosty when I swatched it but was surprisingly wearable once blended onto the face. Both come with a sponge tip applicator which is soft and cushiony. I don’t know how well it will hold up after use – it’s something that looks like it could get really dirty quickly.

The pigment is intense and quite rich but very easy to blend for a natural look. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like these. They do set after a few minutes so I’d recommend blending quickly. The Double-Ended Complexion Contour Brush is very good and quite clever with the smaller angled tip so you can easily blend along the nose or other areas where you want a more detailed contour or highlight. I’ve lost some of my tan with recent travel and the heat here in Florida has made it where I’ve pretty much stayed indoors as much as possible. I like the Light-Medium color but think it has enough of a cool undertone to work for those lighter in skintone than me.

Swatches:

A quick look with two of the Hollywood Lips and the Contour Wand + Beauty Light Wand. I’m wearing:

Diorskin Forever Perfect Foundation in 21 mixed with 31
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Powder #2
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brow Gel in Supermodel
Contour Wand in Light Medium
Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight (both on eyes and cheeks)
Right side: Hollywood Lips in Platinum Blonde, left side: Screen Siren

Bottom line a nice collection for lips and cheeks. The Hollywood Lips are definitely among the better formulas I’ve tried since they don’t dry down 100% and aren’t super matte. The colors are all beautiful and easy to wear. I was pleasantly surprised by how wearable and easy to use the contour wand and highlighter are. They’re compact and easy to travel with or apply on the go if you need to touch up or apply makeup in the car.

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Collection now at Charlotte Tilbury and Beautylish. Also available at all other Charlotte Tilbury counters.

Many thanks to the Charlotte Tilbury team and Beautylish for providing products for me to review and swatch for my readers.

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow Set

July 21, 2017

Charlotte Tilbury has a special Nordstrom beauty exclusive called the Filmstar Bronze and Glow Blush Set ($75). This is a limited-edition set that’s part of the 2017 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale which opens up to everyone today! Out of all the makeup items I purchased this one is by far my favorite. My local Nordstrom didn’t have this so I ordered it online and think it’s the best cheek duo she’s launched to date. I’ve been a long time fan of her original Filmstar Bronze and Glow because it’s an effortless contour and highlight palette I find really versatile. She’s released a few other variations but this is the first that has a blush color. The set comes with a mini Artistry Blush brush which didn’t look like it would be the best quality from the cut but I was pleasantly surprised by how soft it felt and also how well it performed.

The bronze shade in this duo is the lightest out of all the Filmstar duo palettes but still has enough color to add warmth to my medium tan skin. If you’re super fair or light and want a natural looking bronzer I think this is an excellent option. The blush shade is a soft shimmering soft coral pink with a soft peach/gold sheen. To me it’s like a pink less frosted version of NARS Orgasm Blush. On me it looks medium but on lighter skins it will be more pigmented/brighter.

Texture of both sides is soft and luminous without any frost. This is perfect for summer to add a soft sheen. I found it perfectly soft – I was able to layer for more pigment by putting a tiny bit of cream blush or highlighter underneath to pick up more color. I feel like if I could only buy one makeup item from the sale, this would be it.

Close ups of each side and swatches, bronze side:

Blush side:

Swatches:

Look wearing:

Diorskin Forever Perfect Makeup in 21 + 31 mixed
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish Powder #2
Diorshow Browstyler Universal Brown
Charlotte Tilbury Look in a Palette Beauty Glow Eyeshadows
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow (Nordstrom Exclusive)
Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim Lipstick in I Woke Up
Top from Madewell

A few sets of comparisons, first a look at the Powder and Sculpt brush in the full size compared to the mini in this set. As you can see the mini seems to have a different cut on the brush – something I thought would be scratchy or harsh. It’s actually surprisingly smooth and easy to use.

Next a look at the three Filmstar Bronze and Glow Duos, the Light-Medium, Medium-Dark and Bronze and Blush Glow. As you can see the Nordstrom exclusive has the lightest/softest looking bronzer.

For a blush comparison, long-time readers know I’m a huge fan of her Cheek to Chic blushes for their soft luminous glow. They each have two colors to swirl and pop for depth but I really just swirl a brush in the pan and mix before applying to the face. The Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow shade resembles Love is the Drug the most, but it still has a slight hint of warmth to it while the blush is clearly pink.

Bottom line a solid winner and for me I call it a definite must-have. It’s naturally pretty, soft, luminous and easy to wear. I found it easy to control pigment by blending for a soft wash or layering for a more visible glow with color. I do think if you have dry skin this might not show up well on a bare face – it is powdery and with the soft texture it can feel a tad bit powdery. Make sure you have a well prepped face with some kind of tinted moisturizer or base. I found the duo performed well over a liquid base + powder, but it can look a bit powdery on bare or dry skin. Sometimes this can be fixed by spritzing a tiny bit of face mist like MAC Fix+ before applying powders or simply add a bit of a cream blush, luminizer or bronzer underneath to help the color adhere better.

For me it’s pure love and I think it’s 100% worth the splurge. I love these so much I’m going to giveaway 5 Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Palettes. Five distinct winners will be selected at random to pick their choice of 1 palette: Filmstar Bronze and Glow Light-Medium, Medium-Dark or Bronze and Blush Glow via the widget below. Simply enter by following one of the steps in the Rafflecopter widget. Open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to qualify. Giveaway runs through July 29th 11:45 EST. I’ll select and email the winners within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. Prizes will be mailed within 1 week after I receive a response. Please refer to terms and conditions in the widget for all the details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow set exclusively at Nordstrom for the Anniversary Sale. There’s a GWP going on online as well – check their Gift With Purchase Page as it gets updated regularly. All the other Beauty Exclusives here.

Are you shopping the sale today? What’s on your list?

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