Charlotte Tilbury’s Divisive Magic Cream – Did I Love it or Hate it?
Main Image – Courtesy of writer
When a world-renowned makeup artist creates a skincare line, a part of me always thinks it’s a bit of a risk.
Yes, makeup artists know their stuff when it comes to skin and making it look incredible, but if I was given the choice between buying a world-renowned makeup artist’s skincare products and a world-renowned dermatologist’s, I’d normally opt for the latter without a second thought.
So, when the opportunity to test out Charlotte Tilbury’s best-selling, yet famously divisive Magic Cream came up (some people love it, some people hate it, and almost no one is a fan of the price, but more on that later), I was intrigued to see whether my opinion would change.
Would my skincare snobbery miraculously disappear in a puff of smoke? Or would I continue investing in the derms?
Keep scrolling to find out.
The product details
This SPF day cream has so many exclamation marks in the description on the Charlotte Tilbury website it almost makes me want to turn the volume down on my laptop. Plus, shouting about it in the form of exclamation marks is only making me suspicious that it could be all talk and no action. But let’s not judge a book by its cover just yet…
@charlottetilbury @@Dr Ewoma ??’s HOLY GRAIL ? Charlotte’s iconic #MagicCream ? #CharlotteTilbury
It aims to retexturise, smooth, firm, plump and prime in one step – that’s a lot of things to check off the list in a very short space of time. Clinically proven to help boost the skin barrier, it contains ingredients like vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, as well as peptides and ‘Cushion + Life Mesh Technology’ to smooth the skin.
The cream is meant to play with the light ‘in the most flattering way’ (exclamation mark!) and apparently does a brilliant job at helping makeup to sit really well over the top too.
And now to the price, which isn’t small. This moisturiser comes in a regular sized 50ml (£79 from Cult Beauty UK /$100 from Sephora US), a smaller 30ml size (£54 from Cult Beauty UK /$65 from Sephora US), a supersized 150ml (£195 from Cult Beauty UK /$260 from Sephora US), a travel sized 15ml (£28 from Cult Beauty UK /$30 from Sephora US). Refills are also available.
Image – Courtesy of writer
First impressions
The packaging is luxurious and classy – a gorgeous glass jar, adorned with a gold lid with Tilbury’s usual branding on top. Open the lid and you’ll find a plastic cover that’s easy to take off and you can either throw it away or keep it to protect your cream from getting damaged or extra air inside.
At first smell, I was pleasantly surprised. I had heard that many people had complained about the fragrance being too strong, however I liked what I was smelling and found it neither offensive nor intrusive. It’s just a clean, pretty scent.
Ok, I can see it’s not for everyone – and, if I were to pick one small thing out it could be that others might think it’s a teeny tiny bit old lady-ish – but honestly, I’m clutching at straws here.
I swiped my finger over the cream and dabbed some onto my cheeks, forehead and chin. It’s easy to scoop up and feels very smooth and, well, creamy.
Image – Courtesy of writer
As I rubbed it into my skin it felt even better, and whilst my skin looked instantly plump. Not plump as in, “oh my god my wrinkles have disappeared,” but plump as in, “my skin looks hydrated, smooth, fresh and awake.” Love could be on the cards.
My ongoing, mixed results
After a few days of wear, I noticed my skin to be incredibly well hydrated and overall pretty content. Whilst I didn’t really notice any firmness, I loved the feel of it on my skin, the fresh, floral smell and it just seemed to be a really nice moisturiser to be going along with.
I’d heard that some people had experienced a skin reaction after use – I didn’t. However, much to my disappointment, our love affair was still to be short lived. For all its smoothness, hydration, plumpness and freshness, there’s a big problem. It’s far too greasy for my oily skin.
I didn’t notice this at first. I was distracted by the luxurious plumped finish it gave my skin and my makeup certainly seemed to glow extra hard once I started using it too.
But ask any oily skinned girl and she will tell you that after a few weeks, days even, of such luxurious hydration, your skin is eventually going to work overtime in the oil department.
Image – Courtesy of writer
So now, what was once a glowy makeup finish, that, yes, initially appeared to sit beautifully on top of the cream, soon turned into one big greasy, oil-slick around a week later.
My makeup started to slide off by mid-morning and not even my trusty makeup setting spray could keep it in place. If there was a time when makeup had wheels, this was it.
Greasy makeup is my worst nightmare and something I spend every single morning trying to avoid. “Why did you test out a moisturiser that contained shea butter then?” I hear you cry, because shea butter alone is something I would never normally apply to my already-slippery skin.
Maybe I was sucked in by all the exclamation marks in the end. Either that or perhaps the initial plumpness it gave my skin lured me into a false sense of security.
Either way, my hopes for this product were dashed, and the Magic Cream now sadly sits unused on my dressing table.
Overall value for money
Well, if your day cream is going to cost £79/$100 for a regular size it’s got to be perfect – right? So my advice would be to either go for the travel sized version first (if you don’t have oily skin) or try to get hold of a sample somehow.
For those with oily skin you could also try the lighter alternative too, Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream Light Moisturiser (£79 from Cult Beauty UK – it’s sadly discontinued in the US) which promises “everything we love about the Magic Cream but in an airy, cloud-like formulation.”
I’m pretty shocked by the price of the regular Magic Cream though, and I’ve heard I’m not the only one. If this product ticks every single box for you and your skin and you couldn’t live without it though, it’s worth every penny.
But if it isn’t completely perfect, I suggest you try something similar (and cheaper). I hear lots of people have been substituting it with the likes of Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer Rich worldwide (£35 from Glossier UK /$35 from Glossier US). Just saying.
What other users are saying
The reviews highlight how much some people live for this cream and others aren’t fans.
Worcester Rose only gave Magic Cream one star. “I have the worst deep seated spots I have ever had ever,” she says. “The Cream is extremely thick and oily. I use a teeny amount and yet feel like I have a mask on my face. Yes make up sticks to it but later in the day the spots break through and now my nose is starting to seriously flake. So Sad.”
And some others weren’t a fan of the scent. “Don’t put this on your face,” writes JenniferElle. “It’s INTENSE.”
Many others absolutely love it though. Londie writes, “This cream has truly changed my complexion and my life! It’s worth every penny! It’s so luxurious feeling when applying it to my skin and it quickly smooths and blends into my poor dry complexion. I swear I can hear my pores shouting THANK YOU!”
The takeaway
In fairness, I don’t think my oily skin type was completely to blame for this cream being disappointing in the long-term. I believe that there is a running theme with all the other Charlotte Tilbury skincare products I have tried being quite heavy.
Obviously I wouldn’t have experienced so much grease if I didn’t have oily skin, but I still think the formula itself is very thick for a day cream, even for the driest of skin types. It certainly makes a good first impression (once you get over how much you’ve spent on it) but all that heavy hydration proved to be too much, and I won’t be buying it again.
You might feel differently though- many other people certainly do judging by how loved this product is. Just bear in mind the other half who are a little more on the fence before making the investment.
Get Glowing!
