Charlotte Tilbury foundation | Styled By Lauren

The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation has been at the height of many rave reviews so of course I had to see what all the fuss is about. I’ve been loyal to Nars Sheer Glow for so long so it was about time I tried something new in the high end category. I am a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury and her always impressive beauty range so it was about time to try one of her base products. So is the Magic foundation all that magic?

PRICE/DESIGN

The Magic foundation retails at £29.50 which is around the average price mark for a high end foundation. It comes in a tad cheaper than her Light Wonder foundation and is actually a decent price for the Charlotte Tilbury (CT) range considering she uses a more premium price point. It is also a little cheaper than the Nars Sheer Glow foundation so whilst it is still on the pricey side, it isn’t as eye-watering as some of her other products. The bottle design also boasts a luxury look as expected from the CT range. It makes a great dressing table decoration with a frosted glass design and a very pretty rose gold lid, I mean who doesn’t love a bit of rose gold!? Paying a high price, you will be glad to know this foundation also features a pump unlike some other high end foundations (*cough* Nars Sheer Glow).

SHADE RANGE

This foundation comes in 15 shades so covers a really good spectrum of skin tones. I have Shade 2 which is a perfect match for my skin tone. Her website shows a very detailed description of each shade so it’s easier to match up if buying online (like me) or if you have a counter near by I would recommend picking up a sample. Also, if you buy from her website you can pick 2 free samples, one being the foundation to try out, something I should have done!

COVERAGE/FINISH

The foundation has a semi-matte/satin finish, much like Nars Sheer Glow. It isn’t too matte on the skin but isn’t dewy either although it does give off a little natural glow. It is probably my most preferred finish for a foundation and one that usually works the best for my combination skin. The foundation is marketed as being full-coverage so one that seems more appropriate for special occasions. However one of the first impressions I took from using this foundation is that there is no way it is full coverage. It is much more of a buildable medium coverage foundation. I definitely have to work in thin layers to build up the coverage as desired which does use up a lot of foundation for one use which is pretty disappointing particularly for a ‘high coverage’ high end foundation.

APPLICATION

The actual application of the foundation was the most disappointing thing for me which sadly isn’t great considering it really is the most important factor to a foundation. The foundation applied incredibly cakey and was so drying on my skin. After trying out the foundation in different ways, I found the best method for application was to actual pat the foundation into my skin with a buffing brush opposed to buffing it in. Using that method, it sits much better on my skin and does appear as cakey or stick to dry areas. It has similar effects to many drugstore foundations I’ve tried were there is days were it looks decent and others were it doesn’t look great. The longevity also seems to vary on me as well but overall isn’t too bad. If there is one good point to mention, it is that the foundation does seem to wear better as the day goes on and with my makeup complete, the foundation looks a lot better than the first application.

OVERALL

As the holy grail foundation for many, sadly this fell a little short for my liking. The shade range is impressive as you would expect for a high end foundation but the application and coverage is such a disappointment for me. Foundations are always different for everyone but this foundation just doesn’t work as well on my skin compared to others. I can get away with it as it usually settles down during the day however I can’t see myself repurchasing this! For me it just doesn’t live up to the hype or the claims behind the foundation.

Have you tried the Magic Foundation?

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New year, new beauty, right!? At least I am sure that’s how it works! As 2016 is in full swing, it’s time to look at my wishlist picks for the year ahead. How exciting! I was actually looking back at my 2015 wishlist before writing this up and of course in real Lauren fashion I successfully ticked everything off my list! 2015 resolutions made, eh!? Although this year I am trying to ease down when it comes to beauty purchases, in a bid to try become more of a saver rather than a spender so hopefully purchases are more to a minimal this year! Nevertheless, I still have a little wishlist of items that I am desperate to get my hands on sooner rather than later!

First up, the cult favourite sponge that just everyone and their dog raves about, the Beauty Blender. To be honest I never quite understood the hype around a sponge, I mean surely it is just a sponge!? Although after a bitter start with my Real Techniques sponge turning into a everyday used tool, I gained a lot of interest in this little pink egg. I have heard so many people say that it is far superior to the RT version so I guess there is only one way to find out!

A lipstick that has been on my radar for far to long is the Nars Audacious lipstick in the shade Anna. I’ve heard a lot of good things about these lipsticks and being one of my favourite brands Nars never seems to disappoint! The shade Anna looks gorgeous too and such a great everyday shade being a mauve pink.

I am always up for trying new bases and this year I have two from Charlotte Tilbury on my list. I am a huge fan of CT products, as I am sure you are already aware! Although I have never got round to trying her base products and her two foundations sound exactly what I am looking for. Firstly, the newer Magic foundation was launched last year as basically the perfect foundation with great coverage but whilst remaining weightless and natural on the skin. I really have high hopes for that one! The other is the Light Wonder foundation, her first foundation in her makeup line. This is more of a dewy lightweight foundation so I would really like to try this too having heard great things and also developing a love for those lighter bases.

I do find it a little difficult to part with my cash when it comes to more expensive nail polishes although I am desperate to get my hands on one of those gorgeous Smith & Cult polishes. Again I’ve only heard good things regarding these shades and whilst they are pricey they look so gorgeous. Stockholm Syndrome and Bitter Buddhist is on the list, the first being a gorgeous grey-ish lilac shade and the latter a gorgeous spring mint shade.

Lastly, towards the end of 2015 I started to develop a little thing for liquid lipsticks and I am still looking out to try basically every one on the market. I love a good Mac lip product as much as the next gal so I couldn’t hide my excitement towards the new Mac Retro Matte Liquid lipsticks! I just adore the Mac packaging and the fact these have the typical Mac black lipstick top. There is a pretty good shade selection too and my heart is calling out between the two lightest shades in the collection; LadyBe Good and Back in Vogue which both look gorgeous everyday shades. I need!

What is on your 2016 wishlist?

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