Is the Skincare Magic? Charlotte Tilbury Review

It seems implausible that a beauty brand could be successful within both the realm of makeup and skincare but Charlotte Tilbury seems to have mastered both departments. Even though most people rave about the makeup, it is the skincare that Charlotte Tilbury seems to be more proud of.

Tilbury herself always raves about her Magic Cream and attributes it as the product that convinced her to start the brand. Apparently everyone asked for her 'Magic Cream' when she would do their makeup and that is how the brand came to be. Charlotte might always talk about Magic Cream but the makeup seems to have always been the strongest part of the brand and the part that people speak about most often.

The makeup is expensive but the skincare is even more expensive and I assume that is why people do not speak about it as often. To be honest if it weren’t for a discount on Cult Beauty I probably wouldn’t have bought the products that I am going to talk about. Now that I have tried them, I now understand why Charlotte pushes her skincare range so actively, the products are actually really good and worth talking about.

Magic Cream

If I am honest I had tried Charlotte's Magic Cream before. As part of my many orders that I have placed on the Charlotte Tilbury website I received a sample of Magic Cream which I took to London with me last year and that made me want to give the full size cream a go.

Having used the entire tub, I really loved the cream but I also thought my mother would like it. I ended up giving my mother a sample of this cream as I think it would be prefer for her. Magic Cream is a thick cream which feels luxurious as you rub it into your skin. Even though the cream is quite thick, it sinks into your skin effortlessly leaving a natural looking glow to your skin. The luminous quality also creates the perfect base for makeup.

As well as feeling luxurious, I mean look at the packaging it comes in. It looks like something you would find on Daisy Bucanhun’s dressing table. The packaging does make it rather annoying for travel but that is what samples are for.

£49 is really expensive for a face cream but I can safely say it is worth it if you are lacking glow in your skin or if you want a instant boost of moistursation that makes your skin look plump and fresh. It creates a great barrier for any serums you have used before and truly boosts skins radiance. One thing to note is that this does contain SPF 15 so this is only a morning cream, you do not need SPF at night and it will just clog your pores! I’ve found this cream to work on my oily t-zone and not exaggerate it but if you have super oily skin, this might be one step too close to greasy for you.

Magic Serum Crystal Elixir

If you truly want to boost the glowy look to your skin, the Magic Serum will do that instantly. At first I was too scared to use the serum and the Magic Cream together as it was so much glow but the more I have been using them separately, the more I wanted to give my skin the ultimate glow.

Looking at this serum in the bottle, it looks like a weird milky serum but when you drop some on the back of your hand you can see some of the crystal particles within the serum. These crystal particles do not translate on the skin instead they create a natural looking sheen on the skin.

The serum is an incredibly light texture that sinks in quickly and instantly boosts hydration, plumping your skin. This serum contains hero ingredients like: Polyglutamic Acid, Vitamin C and my ultimate favourite Niacinamide. The 8 key skincare ingredients work together to truly perfect the skin and when you add Magic Cream over the top, your skin will have a glow that you have never seen before.

I do really like this serum but I do not see that the results are overly different from that, that you get from using a Vitamin C serum. This serum does add a glow and a soft focus to your skin but if you pick the right moisturiser to use over the top of a Vitamin C you can still get that look.

This serum has quite a strong scent which feels oddly comforting to me but it could put other people off using the serum. It smells quite floral with a green, powdery undertone. I cannot quite put my finger on what the scent reminds me of but it feels familiar. This scent doesn't linger so if you do not like it, it isn't the end of the world but it does start off quite strong.

This tiny 8ml bottle is a whooping £25 which is a lot and the 30ml is £60 so this is not cheap however there is no way that this serum is aimed at people who already have youthful glowy skin, this is aimed at people who are slightly older, might take their skincare a little bit more seriously and want to add glow to their skin. This is for women who has a little bit more income to be able to treat themselves to such a gorgeous serum. If you are younger and don't need the blurring effects but want the glow, try the Becca Glow Elixir. I am using it at the moment and it really gives a glow, just like the Charlotte Tilbury one but it is cheaper.

Wonder Glow

Alongisde Magic Cream, Wonder Glow is one of the older products from the brand and over the years it has remained a staple on the blogger circuit. This is a Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash which in laymans terms basically means it is a primer. This is designed to be used under foundation to boost glow, that is if you haven't got enough from Magic Cream and Magic Serum already. The three products are a little bit much for me in one go, this primer is enough on its own.

The glow in this products is a soft golden glow that gives you that J.Lo glow without looking glittery or over the top, especially when it is under foundation. This primer is pure glow and it sinks into your skin really quickly and effortlessly. In a way this reminds me of the Becca Backlighting Primer but the Charlotte Tilbury one has a much lighter texture and doesn't feel as sticky on your skin.

I am also reminded of the Laura Mercier Radiance Primer which I have also been using; the consistency is very similar and the glow is very similar. I think this would be a great one if you want to add a bit of glow to your skin for an occasion but it is important not to add too much as it will give you a bold glow which could give bit of a sweaty look rather than glow. It can also make your makeup look a little bit thicker so if you like a more natural look, this isn't going to work for you.

This is a nice product but I do not think it is anything revolutionary whereas I can see that the other two products are slightly more unique making them somewhat worth the spend. The Laura Mercier Primer is a tad cheaper so you would be better off with the Laura Mercier one.

I’ve always been of the opinion that Charlotte Tilbury’s strongest makeup products are her base products and the skincare only helps to build my opinion of the brand. If you want to create a glowy, luminous base, Charlotte Tilbury’s skincare and base products are the ones you need to be using. The skincare may be expensive but I’ve never used products which add a glow quite like it. The Cream and the Serum are lovely luxury skincare items that if you have the money are worth trying but the Primer does not quite make the cut. I think the primer can be found easily from other brands for a bit cheaper.

I hope this helps you make up your mind as to whether these products are worth trying and if I see a discount like the one I found on Cult Beauty, I will make sure to update you either on my Instagram or my Twitter so give me a follow.

You might also like: