Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation

Charlotte Tilbury is a brand that has achieved such a huge success within relatively short period of time. The reason being, is of course besides of the great products, the persona behind it ; the world class MUA , Charlotte Tilbury. 

To be honest, I am not really a fan of her. There is something about her attitude I just don't really like. But then again, it didn't stop me from loving her brand since the products I've tested so far, have been mostly exceptional. This newly launched Magic Foundation is another great example.

I ordered the Magic Foundation from net-a-porter when the site was offering free worldwide shipping. I didn't do much research beforehand, there is just something about the foundation that made me want to give it a try. And gladly it didn't disappoint. 

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation comes in a frosted glass bottle packaging with pump spender. I like this type of packaging for high end foundation though. It looks expensive, functions well and hygienic due to the pump.

I picked up shade number 3,5 which according to Charlotte Tilbury's website is a light shade with yellow / gold undertone. The model who is wearing this shade on the website is asian, so I thought this would be a good match for me. I'm glad the shade is a spot on though! It has distinct yellow / gold undertone but it works well to counter the redness on my face. It's difficult to find foundations with yellow undertone and not orange, fortunately this one is not an orange case. ( PS : The shade #3,5 is almost identical to Tom Ford Perfecting Traceless Foundation in Linen ). I didn't oxidise on me. Charlotte Tilbury offers a wide range of shade which is great. I am shade 4 in CT Light Glow Foundation and #3.5 in Magic Foundation is a better match for my skin.

Texture wise, this foundation has thick liquid-y consistency. It glides on very smoothly on the face despite of the thick consistency. The foundation dries down to a demi matte finish. It's not completely matte like Estee Lauder Double Wear and it still has a very subtle glow. I prefer to apply it using damp beauty blender for more natural finish. But it works well with foundation brush too. 

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation provides a solid medium to full coverage. It evens out the complexion and covers blemishes or redness very well. I also notice that it does blur fine lines or large pores which is a very good thing. It doesn't set into lines or dry patches so I think it will be friendly for people with dry skin too.  The demi matte finish is natural and flawless without looking too much. It tends to transfer though, so I always set it with light translucent powder and setting spray ( my favourite is Urban Decay deSlick ). The oil control is nice, but on its own, I need to blot after 4-5 hour mark. With the help of powder and setting spray, I can get to 7-8 hour mark with no problem.

I've read a lot of reviews stating this foundation to be heavy. Well, it is not a lightweight foundation due to the thick creamy texture and the full coverage, but it's not as heavy as Estee Lauder Double Wear or MAC Studio Fix Fluid IMO. Applying it using beauty blender also helps to tone down the coverage and make it more lightweight which I prefer.  I think the foundation is still very comfortable on the skin. It's lightly scented and the scent doesn't linger.

Overall, I think this is a good foundation. One thing that bothered me though, was the over the top claims that the brand did to promote the foundation. Sure, you need to boost the sale with great claims and promises, I just found them to be slightly over the top.

And no, it is not miraculous or magic like the brand said. 

Love,

Pam