A Guide to Charlotte Tilbury Foundations (+ full-face demos!)
I remember the day Charotte Tilbury officially started selling her hugely successful line stateside. I signed up for the wait list and had to wrestle with a laggy, overloaded website just so I’d be able to check out. Back then I bought only two products – a lipstick and a lip gloss. The lip gloss did not wow me, but the KISSING lipstick was the best I’ve ever used. The formula simply blew me away! At that time I already owned a pretty decent collection of premium lipsticks, but none could compare to this one. Since that day I bought more KISSING lipsticks, but I never got to try any other products from the brand. The company was kind enough to send me some of their foundations to try, and I couldn’t wait to tell you more about them. As a bonus, I included a full-face demo of each product, so you can easily see what the texture and coverage look like, and maybe decide if a formula might work for you or not.
Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow Hydrating Tint ($40) – As the name suggests, this tinted moisturizer has very minimal coverage and adds a sunkissed glow to the skin, like a liquid bronzer. It suits all skin tones and can be used alone, as a primer, or mixed in with your daytime moisturizer. I’ve seen guys wear this skin tint with beautiful results, too. When used properly, it looks really natural and not like makeup at all. The tint looks white in the tube, but once you start spreading it on the skin, it releases the pigments to reveal the color.
Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow Hydrating Tint Before & After (I went a little overboard)
This is one of those products that are easy to over-apply, as you can see in my “After” selfie. I decided to just leave it that way as an example, instead of taking a better photo, because I think it’s helpful to see what not to do sometimes. When used sparingly, this tinted moisturizer gives the skin a beautiful summery glow, but you only need a small dab to achieve good results.
The color is best described as neutral-toned bronze with hints of red. Don’t be scared of that description, because it looks surprisingly natural and real skin-like. Basically, it gives you that sunkissed look with slight rosiness that you would see after a day in the sun, if that makes sense.
The longevity is about what you’d expect from a hydrating tint – not super long, maybe half a day when worn alone, since it’s going to be sitting on top of the skin. When used as a primer the results are better – on me it pretty much lasted the whole day, but I did need to blot the T-zone a few times since I have combination skin and usually prefer mattifying formulas. If you have oily skin, I don’t think Healthy Glow Hydrating Tint will work well for you, but feel free to prove me wrong.
Healthy Glow coverage test: bare skin.
Healthy Glow coverage test: dotted.
Healthy Glow coverage test: blended out.
This tint is not going to cover any imperfections. It’s one of those products that enhances the overall look of the skin without actually hiding anything. After Wayne Goss gave Healthy Glow Hydrating Tint a rave review last summer, a lot of people in his comments said they bought it but were left disappointed with the performance, and this is probably why. Either that, or they used too much product. I don’t blame them, I was surprised how concentrated it was, too.
You will LOVE it if:
- Your skin is already in great shape.
- You love no-makeup makeup.
- You have dry or normal skin type.
- You prefer light coverage foundations.
- You like to support cruelty-free companies.
- You like the look of sunkissed skin.
- You prefer to tan without the sun.
You will HATE it if:
- You are on a budget.
- You would rather not touch up in the middle of the day.
- You avoid added fragrance in cosmetics.
- You avoid parabens.
- You don’t like bronzers or any products that make the skin look sunkissed.
- You prefer medium or full coverage foundations.
- You only use natural beauty products.
- You have oily skin.
- You want your foundation to help hide skin imperfections.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenylpropyldimethylsiloxysilicate, Diisostearyl Malate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Peg/Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Dimethicone/Peg-10/15 Crosspolymer, Cellulose Acetate, Dimethiconol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Fragrance (Parfum), Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Urea, Propylparaben, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Magnesium Stearate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Alanine, Glycine, Magnesium Aspartate, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Creatine, Polysilicone-11, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tocopherol, Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891), Bismuth Oxychloride (Cl 77163), Iron Oxides (Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499).
Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Youth-Boosting Foundation ($46) – Unlike the previous skin tint, this light to medium coverage foundation comes in 10 shades. That’s kind of a bummer, considering how many companies make 30 shades or more per complexion product these days. But you know, a good company appreciates constructive feedback, and improves upon it if it aligns with their values. I bet there are already some shade extensions in the works as we speak, simply because of all the pressure to do so nowadays.
Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Youth-Boosting Foundation (1) Before & After
Light Wonder Foundation can be applied like any other foundation with your bare hands, a brush, or a sponge applicator. I like using a beautyblender for flawless results, but a foundation brush worked just as well. The formula leaves the skin with a healthy dewy finish, which can be easily turned into matte with a matte primer and some setting powder or spray on top. Personally, I am really into the slightly dewy look right now, so I leave it as is.
Like anyone with oily or combination skin, I am always concerned that a product with luminous finish might make my skin look greasy. As you can see from the full-face comparison, my face actually looks dewy without the oily shine. I love this effect!
Light Wonder (1) coverage test: bare skin.
Light Wonder (1) coverage test: dotted.
Light Wonder (1) coverage test: blended out.
The longevity is decent, but I never get a whole day of wear without a quick touchup. If you have dry or normal skin, maybe your wear time will be different, but my combination skin melts any non-matte formula eventually before the day is over. I noticed that I need to blot and powder my skin after about 6 hours of wear, and then I’m good to go for another six. I would normally think of it as a hassle, but considering how much I enjoy the way my skin looks when I wear Light Wonder Foundation, I don’t mind.
Perhaps, the best quality of this foundation is that it doesn’t settle into pores or lines, or emphasize dry patches, even after a full day of wear. I think this is probably one of its best selling points, and this quality alone puts Light Wonder Foundation a step above the rest, even with all of its minor flaws.
You will LOVE it if:
- Your prefer light coverage foundations.
- You are looking for a foundation that won’t settle into lines or pores.
- You love no-makeup makeup.
- You have dry or normal skin type.
- You like to support cruelty-free companies.
- You like foundations with dewy finish.
You will HATE it if:
- You prefer foundations with matte finish.
- You avoid nano-sized ingredients.
- You only wear full coverage foundation.
- You would rather not touch up in the middle of the day.
- You have a dark skin tone. The shade range is limited to just 2 dark shades right now.
- You are on a budget.
- You avoid added fragrance in cosmetics.
- You avoid parabens.
- You only use natural beauty products.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Water (Aqua), Hydrogenated Didodecene, Titanium Dioxide (Nano), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Mica, Glycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Peg/Ppg – 18/18 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Cyclohexasiloxane , Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Squalane, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Bis-C24-28 Hydroxyalkyl Olivoyl Glutamate , Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Propylparaben, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Fragrance (Parfum), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Laureth-4, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Citrate, Vigna Aconitifolia Seed Extract, Bht, Chlorphenesin, [May Contain Titanium Dioxide (Ci77891), Mica, Iron Oxides (Ci77491 ,Ci 77492, Ci77499), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Tin Oxide (Ci 77861)].
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation ($45) – This is the heavy hitter among the three. Award-winning Magic Foundation provides complete coverage, weightless feel, and comfortable wear throughout the day without cakiness or the need for touchups. It is one of those bad skin day products that can completely transform the look of your skin and make it appear virtually flawless.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation (2) Before & After
This initially thick formula is fairly easy to spread if you use a beautyblender or a similar sponge-type tool. I tried using a brush, and had a hard time distributing the it evenly, which resulted in random patchy spots and streaks. It could be that I am just lacking the necessary skill to work it in with a brush, but I think most women are not professional MUAs and will have a similar experience. So in short, you’ll want a dampened beautyblender for that coveted airbrushed effect.
Magic Foundation (2) coverage test: bare skin.
Magic Foundation (2) coverage test: dotted.
Magic Foundation (2) coverage test: blended out.
Magic Foundation sets with a demi-matte finish, which works wonders for my combination skin. I need to blot or touch up exactly zero times, and my skin looks perfect from the moment I apply my makeup in the morning and until I remove it late at night. If anything, the foundation looks even better as the day goes on, because it moves with your skin, readjusting itself to provide flexible and complete coverage, all while letting the pores breathe.
Pro tip: you can control the amount of coverage by mixing the foundation with a little bit of moisturizer. This will give you more options!
You will LOVE it if:
- Your prefer full coverage foundations.
- You like the idea of being able to control the amount of coverage of your foundation.
- You are looking for a foundation that won’t settle into lines or pores.
- You have normal, combination, or oily skin type.
- You like to support cruelty-free companies.
- You like foundations with matte or demi-matte finish.
You will HATE it if:
- You avoid nano-sized ingredients.
- You only wear light coverage foundation.
- You are on a budget.
- You avoid added fragrance in cosmetics.
- You avoid talc in beauty products.
- You only use natural beauty products.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Talc, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide (Nano), Glycerin, Nylon-12, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Zinc Oxide, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Alumina, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid, Dimethicone, Tetrasodium Edta, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Propylene Carbonate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fomes Officinalis (Mushroom) Extract, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, [May Contain Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499)].
BOTTOM LINE:
I hope you enjoyed this little review of Charlotte Tilbury‘s three best-selling foundation formulas. Technically, the Healthy Glow tint is considered a primer on the website, but I think it can be categorized as a light coverage foundation too, since it does actually provide a light concealing and color correcting effect. Each product has its share of pros and cons, but there’s one thing all three have in common: they are not self-setting and will transfer, if you don’t fix them with some powder or a setting spray. For me this is not an issue at all, but if you are someone who touches your face a lot throughout the day, this is something to keep in mind.
Light Wonder foundation is my personal favorite among the three and the one I use most often. My skin is usually in pretty good condition, so I don’t feel the need of covering it up too much, and a light to medium formula with dewy finish works just fine for everyday wear. When I need my face to look absolutely flawless, that’s when I reach for Magic Foundation. It still looks very natural and doesn’t settle into lines and pores, but it’s definitely more of a heavy duty product. I use Healthy Glow tint on my no-makeup days by adding a drop or two into my moisturizer and spreading it over my face and neck for that effortless sunkissed glow.
Have you tried any Charlotte Tilbury products before? What is your favorite foundation right now? What level of coverage do you normally wear? Let me know in the comments below!
