I’ve Tried Almost Every Charlotte Tilbury Product – These 7 Are Most Worth Your Money 

Main image – Courtesy of writer

Having been a fan of Charlotte Tilbury makeup since the brand’s launch in 2013, I have made it my business to slowly sift through each product over the years to find my favourites.

From glowy highlighters and primers to universally nude lipsticks and flattering eyeshadows, there is no doubt in my mind that Tilbury has created an iconic makeup and skincare brand, and an incredibly successful one at that.

 

 

But which products should you be spending your money on? Because whilst it would be heavenly to own them all, they’re not cheap and, believe it or not, there are some products that I personally wouldn’t buy again.

So, here is my carefully curated list of the 7 best Charlotte Tilbury picks.

 

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1. Hollywood Flawless Filter

Whilst spending £39/$50 on a highlighter would, indeed, be utterly crazy please bear with me on this one. Because this highlighter isn’t just your bog-standard tube of glow, it’s a chunky, 30ml glass bottle with a huge doe foot applicator that means business.

I’ve had mine for months and months (possibly over a year), and I am nowhere near running out so it’s worth the money. As for what’s inside, it’s one of the glowiest makeup formulas I’ve ever come across, so much so that if I didn’t have oily skin with its own variation of ‘glow’ I would want to apply it all over my face. 

The product comes in 12 shades to cater for all skin tones and contains things like porcelain flower extract to brighten the skin and squalane to soften and hydrate it. It glides onto the skin so smoothly and blends seamlessly too. You can apply it over or under your base, completely alone or you can mix it in with your moisturiser. Either way, it’s honestly like a light bulb for your skin.

Hollywood Flawless Filter is £39 from Cult Beauty UK /$50 from Sephora US.

 

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2. Eyes to Mesmerise

I love a cream eyeshadow but particularly one that’s slightly shimmery and actually stays on my eyelids. This is exactly that. The formula is so utterly creamy that I’m always excited to apply it (I know, it’s quite sad really) and I love the shimmery finish it leaves on my eyelids. My absolute favourite shade is Rose Gold as it is really pretty for daytime, and it looks really flattering next to the brown liners and shadow I sometimes wear in the crease of my lids. I also love Amber Gold for a night out. 

You can apply it with your finger or with a brush – your choice – and doesn’t feel drying or clings tightly to your skin like some cream shadows can. It’s hydrating, comfortable and lasts all day, particularly when worn over an eyeshadow primer. It’s totally smudge-proof too. 

Eyes to Mesmerise is £26 from Cult Beauty UK /$36 from Sephora US.

 

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3. Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara

I’m not usually into gimmicky mascaras with funny shaped wands but this I’ll make an exception for. The paddle side of the brush vertically paints each lash, then you twist the wand around to the bristle side and comb the mascara through. It’s quite a knack – keep practising – but the results are amazing. What I love is that the formula itself is like a lacquer – it’s quite wet and shiny – but once you comb it through using the bristles, lashes are separated, fanned out and lengthened. 

This is thanks to the formula containing a natural gummy ‘stretch and flex’ polymer, as well as conditioning keratin to make lashes look thicker. The mascara, which comes in black and a burgundy-brown, promises to work like a lash curler and it really does – there is no need for both as the mascara does the job on its own. It doesn’t smudge either (although this can often be subjective, depending on eye shape), nor does it flake off. 

Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara is £28 from Cult Beauty UK /$29 from Sephora US.

 

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4. Luxury Palette in Pillow Talk

This is my all-time favourite eyeshadow palette, particularly because the four shades go so well together. I can’t stand it when you buy a palette and use only one or two of the shades – it’s a waste of money and precious makeup bag space. But these four shades have been created specifically to be used together. 

The lightest shade goes onto the inner corners of your eyes, the matte pink goes all over the lid, the smoky pink-bronze shade is used on the outer corners of the eyes and along the outer lower lash line and the sparkly pink is dotted in the middle of the eyelid. I have blonde hair and medium-to-fair skin so these colours work best on me but, amazingly, the palette comes in 15 other colour combinations. It’s pricey for a palette but you can clearly feel Tilbury’s makeup artist skills have been put to work here as not just anyone can come up with four shades that work so well together. 

Luxury Palette in Pillow Talk is £47 from Cult Beauty UK /$58 from Sephora US.

 

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5. Charlotte’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir

I wouldn’t normally turn to a makeup artist-owned brand to solve my skincare woes, but the Magic Serum is a true hero of mine. It contains peptides for firming, niacinamide to boost the skin’s tone, vitamin C for brightening, as well as polyglutamic acid which is even more hydrating than hyaluronic acid. 

For a start, it smells like a beautiful spa treatment plus it’s such a gorgeous formula too – creamy, milky and lightweight. The claims state that your skin could appear firmer after 8 weeks of use, which is something I certainly noticed, however it was the texture and hydration of my skin that I was really grateful for.

My skin type is oily, so I need lightweight hydration that’s not greasy. I didn’t get on with this product’s counterpart, Charlotte’s Magic Cream, as it was too thick and oily for my skin. But the serum is so different and does everything I need it to do without clogging up my pores or creating a thick, greasy film on my skin. Instead, it looked and felt consistently smooth, firm and balanced after only a few weeks of using it. 

Charlotte’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir is £65 for 30 ml from Cult Beauty UK /$85 for 30 ml from Sephora US.

 

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6. Lip Cheat lip liner in Pillow Talk Original

Returning to the Pillow Talk these, the original lip liner in this classic shade one of my absolute favourites for its sheer useability.

Ok, admittedly it can pull either slightly orange/purple on undertones that are excessively cool/warm (meaning it’s not quite as ‘universally flattering’ as advertised), but this shade is a great starting point for most.

Applied under a lipstick/gloss/stain it will prolong the wear time of both, while worn alone it will add a chic matte wash of colour. And if you find you really can’t get on with the original Pillow Talk shade, there are now an additional three shades (Fair, Medium and Depp) to broaden this icon’s appeal.

You can see a full review of the Pillow Talk Lip Cheat by my colleague Laura Chova below.

Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk Original is £22 from Cult Beauty UK /$28 from Sephora US.

 

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7. Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick

My struggle to find the perfect cream blush is real, but this new-ish stick blush from Charlotte Tilbury might just make the cut.

Yes, the shade range is disappointingly limited so far (at the time of writing there are just 6) but the blusher itself is the perfect blend of dewy yet long-wearing. It also super pigmented yet blends like a dream.

While it can be applied by both brush and hand, I like to swipe the applicator once across each cheek before blending out with my fingers for a naturally flushed look.

Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick is £32 from Cult Beauty UK /$44 from Sephora US.

 

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The takeaway

So, now that the research has been done for you, you will hopefully have more of an idea of where to start with your Charlotte Tilbury purchases. You’re welcome! These 7 buys have my heart forever – dramatic? Me?! But as a dedicated beauty editor and, let’s face it, huge makeup addict, I take saving our readers money very seriously. Happy shopping!