Charlotte Tilbury

This is a very nice foundation, but I have to mix it with primer to get the look and feel I like (dewy/moist). This was an "add on" purchase and I won't likely buy it again, but I will use what I have. The shade #1 is perfect for my pale face! I don't use foundation, I prefer tinted moisturizer and now I know why, as this is too dry for me. Oh, well, live and learn. It's great mixed with moisturizer, but then the SPF is too low. I actually prefer my tinted moisturizers to this. But the color and quality make it useable at least!

Pricey - yes, but it's worth it! I have this in 'medium/dark'. Perfect for that J-Lo type of glow. Firstly the bronzer is a medium-brown with warm undertones and a slightly gold hue to it. Honestly for me it's a game changer, it's so smooth and unlike the vast majority of bronzers I've used before, the quality is just in a league of its own. Also it's not super-pigmented meaning I can apply lightly and build-up as needed - just as good for day wear as it is building it up for a dramatic evening look. The highlighter here is a beautiful orange-gold slightly shimmery shade and again the quality is fantastic, you can actually see the difference in both when comparing to an averagely-priced highlighter or bronzer.
Great for highlighting cheekbones, under brow area and also inner eyes. Time-wise I get around 7-8 hours from both the bronze and the highlighter before they start to fade. I can see this lasting a long time. For reference I'm nowhere near the bottom of the pan yet, despite having this in heavy rotation (almost daily use).

Would be fantastic if this could be brought out in more shades as I feel it would appeal to a much bigger audience. For example my work colleague (roughly NC35) who got me onto this doesn't use it in winter when she is at her most palest, as she falls somewhere between the 'dark/medium' and 'medium/light' but not squarely into either. For me dark/medium is just perfect all year round and once (and IF) I run out I will be repurchasing.

Selena x


~ My HG list ~

(As I've sampled 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, I thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective. I love constantly trying out new stuff - usually sample sizes via e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora)


1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Hair Oil
2. Lip Balm: 'Nuxe' - Reve De Miel Lip Balm
3. Pigmentation + Anti-Ageing Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Facial Treatment Serum
4. Cleanser: 'Paula's Choice' - Skin Balancing Cleanser
5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ - Studio Finish Concealer
6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Divinelash
7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ - Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
8. Foot File/Callus/Heel Treatment - 'Microplane' - Colossal Pedicure Rasp Foot File
9. Ingrown Hair Treatment - 'Priva Shave' - Post Hair Removal Treatment
10. Hand Cream: 'Origins' - Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

Argh. Smells like a super old vintage scent. I thought it had gone off. A very plumy 1980s scent, fruity sweet, heavy. Not gonna be my thing.

This is one of those products that lives up to the hype.
It gives a proper glow rather than shine or blinding highlight to the skin.
I use this the old fashioned way - on top of my foundation.
I do not find that it's powerful enough to come through when worn underneath foundation (although I do use a high coverage one).
I tried wearing it all over - as a primer but I wouldn't recommend it for that. I've also tried it instead of foundation but it's just to glowy for that for me.
However - used on the cheekbones and other high points it looks natural and beautifully glowy.

The outer packaging is very lovely, but the product itself is just meh. It is not hydrating at all and has fine specks of shimmer throughout that can settle in lines or any areas of dryness. It doesn’t look like that on her YouTube videos; it looks like a glow, but the shimmer is apparent in person. It’s just ok, but the L’Oréal glotion provides a similar appearance for a quarter of the price.