I’ve Tried Every Charlotte Tilbury Product Out There—These Are the 10 You *Need* in Your Routine
Layer every product on this list for a crazy good glow.
One thing you should know about me: I’m a *huge* Charlotte Tilbury fan. I try makeup products for a living, and despite having hundreds of thousands of products at my disposal (yes, my home looks like a Sephora), I consistently go back to Charlotte Tilbury everything. I’ve been a loyal customer since 2013 and pride my beauty career on the fact that I’ve genuinely tested every single makeup and skincare launch that’s hit shelves since. I’ve picked up a handful of application tips along the way (some have even passed on from Charlotte herself!), know which foundations are best for all-day wear versus a night out, and have an encyclopedia-like knowledge of the brand’s lipstick and eyeshadow shades.
All that to say: I’m the one you want to trust when shopping for Charlotte products. Whether you’re new to the brand or simply contemplating adding a new product to your summer regime, I’m happy to volunteer myself as your shopping guide. The hundreds of SKUs can be overwhelming to sort through, so I’ve boiled down the brand’s entire offerings to the top 10 products that you 100 percent, without a shadow of a doubt, need to test out.
Every makeup artist I’ve ever spoken to sings this product’s praises—and it’s no shocker why. Your makeup will simply look better with this as your base. It’s called a “complexion booster,” but through trial you’ll find it pretty much does everything. It works as a makeup primer, can be worn as a skin tint of sorts, or even used as a subtle, non-shimmery highlighter on the cheekbones. Regardless of how you use it, your skin will thank you. It gives a blurred, radiant effect that attracts a glossy-like, light-attracting finish wherever it’s applied. Personally, I like to apply a generous amount all over my face, rub it in with my fingers, dab a little concealer on problem areas, and walk out the door.
The color options are plentiful (Pillow Talk, Walk of No Shame, and Iconic Nude are classics), but the common denominator through it all is the creamy and unbelievably smooth formula native to Lip Cheat. There’s no tugging, dragging, or feathering—the pencil glides right along the lip (or just above it) to create a more defined, fuller appearance. You’ll get a good six hours of wear from one application, so you shouldn’t *really* have to worry about too much reapplication. Color in the lines and wear your liner solo or layer a gloss on top.
I don’t want to shade the Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation—it’s amazing. While it will always be my go-to for any event where I’ll be photographed, the Beautiful Skin foundation is the best of the best for everyday coverage. The finish is lightweight and super buildable, gives a glow without making you look too dewy or wet, and hydrates, blurs, and brightens with such a minimal amount of product. I’m always mesmerized by how well this wears throughout the day—I rarely, if ever, need a midday touch up, it plays well with powder, cream, and liquid bronzers and blushes, and never changes color throughout the day. It’s a staple.
Don’t underestimate Charlotte Tilbury’s skincare, particularly her cult-favorite Magic Cream. It was originally created to transform models’ and celebrities’ struggling skin in a pinch, so it delivers pretty instantaneous results. It’s quite literally the only moisturizer I’ll use if I’m doing a full face that needs to stay on for hours on end. Magic Cream creates the perfect base, restores hydration (it’ll transform your skin after flying), and grips foundation like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid, as well as vitamins C and E, so there’s no denying its brightening, hydrating, and plumping powers.
If I had to pick one product from Charlotte Tilbury to never, ever live without (that’s a really hard choice, FYI), I would have to go with the Beauty Highlighter Wand, specifically in the shade Spotlight. I’ve yet to find a highlighter at any price point that rivals the natural-looking, utterly reflective glow I’m able to achieve with just a few dots of this shimmery gold formula. I find that blending this in with my fingers gives the most second-skin finish, but you can use a beauty blender, brush—whatever your heart desires.
Pillow Talk put Charlotte Tilbury on the map, so it’s obviously going to make my must-have list. The OG Pillow Talk shade has since expanded to include medium, dark, and intense iterations, so every skin tone out there can find their perfect berry-rose. The fame of the shade range has been magnified by a seemingly never-ending slew of celebrity fans, including but by no means limited to Amal Clooney, Olivia Culpo, Gwyneth Paltrow, and even Meghan Markle. If you want to go all-in on the shade, you can scoop up the matching lip liner, gloss, blush, and eyeshadow for a monochromatic look.
If you, like me, have been mystified by eyeshadow palettes for the entirety of your life, I beg you: Buy this palette. The little quad is the perfect recipe for an eye look—you have your prime, enhance, smoke, and super pop. It’s available in over 10 color combinations, so you’ll be set for daytime occasions, nights out, and special affairs. While powder by design, each shadow has a very creamy feel that blends without much effort. The best part? You won’t experience any creasing—this will look just as good at eight a.m. as it does at eight p.m..
This is easily one of the most underrated products in the entire Charlotte Tilbury assortment. Everyone who has tried it, absolutely loves it—so don’t sleep on it. The texture is just as top notch as the formula, which features SPF 50 (!!), hyaluronic acid, and vitamins C and E. I typically only use a really thin layer; my skin instantly looks like the best version of itself. My pores are blurred, my redness is less noticeable, and my overall complexion looks smoother, healthier, and dewier.
I’ll be honest, this product is a newer addition to my favorites. But last month Charlotte herself *raved* about its existence. “When you put this on, in one fell swoop, you have silky smooth arms and legs. I am *dry* and this is the first body cream in the history of the world that has ever given me soft skin,” she told me. Over the past few weeks, I’ve put her review to the test—and I 100 percent agree with her assessment. It’s genuinely one of the most nourishing, non-greasy body creams I’ve ever had the pleasure of testing.
This is the powder for everyone who hates powder. It has a super-fine texture that feels (and looks) weightless on the skin. You won’t see any cakey residue or clumpy dots of texture. It has a blurring, oil-absorbing formula that makes it ideal for mattifying the chin, T-zone, and even under-eyes. I personally like to limit its use to certain areas of my skin, but you can use it all over if you’re chasing a more matte finish. Just make sure you use the right brush to apply the product. My rec? The Sculpt Brush, which fits perfectly in every contour and crevice.
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Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.
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