Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation Review

This is actually my first foundation purchase in nearly two years. Yes, you read that right. I’ve been on a foundation purchasing ban for two years on a vow to make a dent on my existing foundations and base products, to which I am proudly half-ways of my high end foundations. So as a pat on my back, I decided to go for a more luxury selection this time around, so Charlotte Tilbury it was. 

This foundation has been pretty much catching and breaking hearts all around the blogosphere and YouTube. Disappointment? Fulfillment? Read on to find out.

Description:
My Magic Foundation is a miracle in a bottle that transforms skin for all ages, skin tones and skin types. I have worked with laboratories for five years to create a “hyper-intelligent” formula that gives full-coverage yet feels completely weightless, with all the anti-ageing and protective benefits of a luxury skin cream. It conceals imperfections, glides on like a dream, and literally feels like a second skin. Whether your skin needs just a bit of perfecting, or you struggle with a frustrating issue like acne, melasma or rosacea, my Magic Foundation will give you a perfect looking skin day, every day!

4 Fair is a neutral peach for Light to Medium Skin Tones with Cool Undertones. Buff on with my Magic Complexion Brush for a flawless, air-brushed finish.

COVER THE FOLLOWING:

Acne & Acne Scarring

Tightens pores and reduces shine

Minimizes oil production after 9 weeks

Redness, Rosacea, Discoloration & Melasma

Weightlessly covers any discoloration or imperfections

Helps reduce over-production of melanocytes (which cause pigmentation issues like melasma)

Mature Skin: Lines, Deep Wrinkles, Age Spots & Thread Veins

Smoothes the appearance of wrinkles in just 1 hour

Reduces the appearance of age spots by 75%

Normal to Tired, Dull Skin Antioxidant formula rejuvenates skin from within for a rested, refreshed look

The packaging is luxe. Frosted glass bottle, rose gold pump and cap. This standing on your vanity instantly makes it look classy. But of course this is about the product inside, otherwise it would just be some very expensive home decor. And with its eloquent description and ability, it would do well for it to deliver at least one of them.

For the past weeks I've had a bout of blemishes coming up on my chin and above my lip so what better time to test out the coverage? 

Bare face except for Brow Powder

One layer of the Magic Foundation,

The consistency is very rich in moisture, and I mean that it has a large percentage of water in the formulation. It comes out of the pump as gel-like but spreads easily but with coverage, There seems to be reports of this just being drank up by brushes, so for application, I tend to spread a thin layer on my face with my fingers and buff with a brush or blend with a sponge.

It feels quite light on the skin, and when I look closer, it seems to minimize pore size or refines skin texure but still looking very natural almost as if you were just given a better version of your skin. This is definitely one of those foundations that look believable on skin. So this is definitely one for a date night. 

But unfortunately it isn't as full coverage as it says it is. It has medium coverage at most for me and my blemishes. Build-able perhaps but I personally feel layering it on might give it heavy feel on skin. It has a demi-matte finish which I liked because I haven't encountered anything like it, it felt like a good moisturizer was spread on skin but was not sticky or tactile. 

I've heard that some have been comparing this to the famous Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation which I happen to have a bottle of, but unfortunately they are completely different beings. ELDW is legendary for its oil control abilities and the longevity of wear, the Magic Foundation has that fatal weakness in oil control, which I have to compensate by using an very good oil controlling primer/base underneath it. 

Overall it has been a good foundation, I'm a fan of how it gives skin a more refined texture with its ability to minimize pore visibility and just give a nice veil of better skin, but the coverage is light to medium which is fine for me since it is more on the believable side of the spectrum, but of course if you are looking for intense opacity, this isn't the one. I'm also just running out of my Make Up Forever HD Foundation and this has a low SPF so this will be my camera friendly foundation choice. There's also the matter of oil control, I'm afraid it scores terribly in this department so you'll need a good oil control primer or powder to pair with this one. 

It's not life changing, but I've taken a liking to it. Not love but like. But if you intend on picking this up for the pretty penny it costs, it would probably look good on normal to drier skins with minimal blemishes. This wasn't disappointing but it's more of an alright product, to the point I'd say it was above average. But this is the bane of products that promise so much, sometimes it's just a bit underwhelming.