Is Charlotte Tilbury’s Bestselling Airbrush Powder Really Worth The Spend?
Main image – Courtesy of writer
As someone who hates a cakey look, I’m forever on the hunt for a powder that simply just sets my makeup in place – without the weird finish.
I’ve been burnt in the past by many a product that seemed great – until a few hours of wear when the product visibly begins to settle into my pores and fine line.
So when Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder (£39 from Cult Beauty UK /$48.00 from Sephora US) came across my desk I was pretty excited. After all, a powder from one of the world’s most famous MUAs has to at least be better than average, right?
And as someone who is already a self-confessed Charlotte Tilbury fan– but who currently uses Laura Mercier’s iconic face powder- I was intrigued to see whether I could be converted to adding yet another CT product to my collection.
Let’s see how the Airbrush powder got on with my combination skin, and a 12-hour day of testing.
The product details
But first, some details. This award-winning, cruelty free product claims its complexion-enhancing micro powder formula gives flawless, poreless looking skin.
Image – Courtesy of writer
It comes in four shades (from ‘Fair’ to ‘Deep’) and contains ingredients like sweet almond oil and rose wax to hydrate, smooth and blurs the look of fine lines.
The packaging is also refillable, which is a plus from both a spends and an environmental perspective.
There’s also a mini version available at a slightly less eye-watering price of £22 from Cult Beauty UK /$28 from Sephora US.
First impressions
My very first impression here was how much smaller the actual powder is than the packaging.
Having said that, there’s definitely still enough product to be getting on with. I do also like that the packaging itself feels sturdy but sleek, and this easily slot into my purse for top-ups throughout my day.
One niggle though? I wish the powder came with a blending puff to avoid having to bring an additional makeup brush out and about.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Packaging inspection over, I swatched the powder on my hand to get a feel for the texture (what can I say, I’m a sensory kind of gal).
Happily, instead of the chalky feel some powders leave me with, Airbrush is actually surprisingly velvety. It melted straight into my skin with barely any blending required, a definite bonus.
The application
I decided to photograph my application efforts in two phases so that any results from the powder were noticeable in my before and after pics.
Here I am with just a face of foundation before applying further makeup or the powder.
You can see that the fine lines on my forehead are fairly visible, and there’s some noticeable texture on my cheeks. I was intrigued to see whether Airbrush’s blurring claims would make any difference here.
Jessica before applying makeup and the power. Image – Courtesy of writer
After applying the rest of my face of makeup, I used my favourite Real Techniques Powder Brush to dust the powder on to all the places where I like to minimise shine, and where my foundation normally disappears from first. Namely my t-zone, under my eyes, and around my nose.
I also set my makeup as normal using Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray (one of my all-time favourite CT products as it locks my makeup in tight all day).
You can see my finished makeup look below. You’ll see that straight after application my fine lines and pores are much less defined and my skin overall looks slightly healthier – dewy but not shiny.
Jessica after applying makeup and powder. Image – Courtesy of writer
My results
I applied the powder at 6am and headed out on my morning commute, coming home a full 12 hours later at around 6pm.
I did top up my powder in my lunch break at around 1pm, but overall the powder really did hold my foundation in place and tamed any shine.
Since I have combination skin, keeping my makeup shine-free (but still natural-looking) is a priority for me and I can honestly say Airbrush didn’t disappoint.
Not only does it apply like a dream, there’s no cakiness at all and it really does blur my pores and smooth my skin – even after a full day.
What others users are saying
A lot of people seem to have had the same results as me, with many commenting that this gives a really natural finish.
One Reddit user says, “The hype is real for me. Nothing else has compared and I’ve tried all the dupes. Doesn’t look powdery, doesn’t cling to try spots. Gives slight coverage.”
Having said that, there has been talk that the shade range isn’t wide enough. Definitely something for brands everywhere to watch out for.
Reddit user Trashtvlv comments, “The shade range is terrible, I’m pale with a pink undertone and the lightest shade is too yellow. I use it for days I am going very light on powder.”
Beauty writer Victoria Vale also commented on this, explaining, “the fairest shade is still a smidgen too dark for me.” I have to agree with these comments; the range is limited with the Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder only coming in four shades, which could definitely be improved.
And of course, the price is also a subject for discussion, with some users suggesting buying the mini Airbrush Powder as a way on saving on the full price.
Vanasrose says, “My tip is to buy the mini – it’s perfect for on the go and it takes me forever to go through!”
Overall value
Charlotte Tilbury is marketed as a luxury makeup brand and so it’s not a huge surprise that Airbrush Flawless Finish powder is not cheap at £39.00/ $48.00.
Having said that, the price per gram is quite steep, even for a luxury brand, since you’re only getting 10 grams of product here compared to the 30 grams of the comparable Laura Mercier Translucent loose powder for a similar price of £38.50/ $47.00.
I will admit though that the Charlotte Tilbury package feels a lot more luxurious than the Laura Mercier product. And Airbrush is definitely more practical, coming in a compact rather than loose powder form.
The takeaway
For my combination skin, Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder genuinely works beautifully.
It gives my skin a natural finish, controls unwanted shine and lasts all day.
It definitely isn’t cheap though, so if you have any concerns that this may not be for you I would definitely recommend doing what other users have suggested and going for the mini version.
Get Glowing!
