I tried Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin foundation and it’s still on offer after Black Friday

Darlings, you don't want to miss out on this one...

charlotte-tilbury-beautiful-skin-foundation-review

by Samantha Price |
Updated on

Charlotte Tilbury is a name that's practically synonymous with beauty, and at least one product from the makeup artist's award-winning range makes it onto a bestseller list across nearly every brand you know. From her renowned Pillow Talk lippies to her Pinkgasm liquid blush wands, there's one thing we haven't covered yet: foundation. And no, we're not just talking about Flawless Filter.

I tried out Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin Foundation, but, was it really worth the purchase? Here's what I have to say about it, for anyone wanting to give it a go...

heat's best Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin deals, at a glance:

30% off: Charlotte's Award-Winning Complexion Trio, WAS £85, NOW £59 on Charlotte Tilbury

Save 20%: Beautiful Skin 3-Step Routine, WAS £111, NOW £88.80 on Charlotte Tilbury

Save 20%: Charlotte's Beautiful, Flawless Looking Skin Kit, WAS £77, NOW £61.60 on Charlotte Tilbury

Save 20%: Beautiful Skin Complexion Kit, WAS £66, NOW £52.80 on Charlotte Tilbury

Save 20%: Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Glow Kit, WAS £69, NOW £55.20 on Charlotte Tilbury

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©Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin Foundation has been expertly formulated with skincare ingredients to create a brighter, smoother and plumper complexion. It's made up of hyaluronic acid to flood the skin with moisture, rose complex to target pigmentation and coconut extract to strengthen the skin barrier - so it's absolutely jam-packed full of skin-loving ingredients.

It's a medium-coverage foundation, recommended for dry-to-combination skin. This is because the foundation has a dewy finish, and is brimming with hydration to bring back that instant glow. It's a water based foundation, making it lightweight, effortlessly wearable and ideal for sensitive skin types.

Other ingredients include Charlotte Tilbury's C.T. Defence for protecting the skin against pollution, Hyalurosmooth™ to target uneven skin texture and BIX'ACTIV™ to visibly reduce the look of oiliness, shine and pores. Sound fancy? Well, it is. The foundation has been clinically tested by Charlotte Tilbury and her team, with results showing participants found their skin to be three times more radiant during wear.

What do reviewers have to say about the foundation? Well, from the thousands of reviews, the bottom line is that it's a blendable, breathable and buildable foundation. (Bloody hell, that's hard to say out loud). Countless customers have commented that it glides on effortlessly, covering imperfections and illuminating the skin.

SHOP: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation

Expert rating:
4.5
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin FoundationCharlotte Tilbury

A buildable, medium-coverage, hydrating foundation for a healthy-looking, beautiful skin effect. It's infused with hyaluronic acid, rose complex and coconut extract, making your skin appear radiant, smoother and plumper. Supposedly, it also boasts 16 hours of long-lasting wear.

Pros

  • Used by celebrities and professional makeup artists alike
  • Thousands of glowing reviews across multiple sites
  • Jam-packed full of skin-loving ingredients for healthy, hydrated skin

Cons

  • Is much more suited to dry and combination skin types
  • Includes Charlotte Tilbury's C.T Defence for protecting the skin against pollution
  • BIX'ACTIV™ ingredient visibly reduces the look of oiliness, shine and pores
  • Contains Hyalurosmooth™ to target uneven skin texture

But, what do I think of Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin Foundation? Read on for my honest thoughts...

My honest thoughts

Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin Foundation is the first foundation from the brand that I've owned. Yes, Flawless Filter gets all of the attention, but I believe this one deserves a bit of love too. But what actually made me want to try it out? Aside from the beauty brand's impressive reputation, of course...

Earlier this year, I attended a Charlotte Tilbury beauty event and was advised on what foundation to try from a professional make up artist. I was shade-matched as a 1 Neutral. She asked me whether I preferred a matte or dewy finish and what kind of coverage I liked in my foundation. Based on my answers, spoiler alert: it was 'dewy' and 'medium coverage', she recommended the Beautiful Skin Foundation.

And I have to say, she hit the nail on the head with this one.

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©Samantha Price

This has to be, hands down, one of my favourite foundations that I've ever tried. The texture, finish and level of breathability are just right for me. It doesn't feel too heavy on my face, and it gives a natural yet radiant glow. I've tried other foundations that were far too matte and chalky against my skin, showing up every pore and line, but this one feels just right. Almost a 'your skin, but better' look.

As you can see, the colour blends quite well and it's totally buildable, with a medium coverage. Meaning, it's great when you want a daytime look that can transition to the evening. The consistency is silky and lightweight, which blends like an absolute dream - and it feels hydrating on your skin as you wear it.

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©Samantha Price

It covers redness fairly well but may need a little more help with stubborn blemishes. You may need to build the formula up or double up with concealer, like what I did for my finished look. Having said this though, I noticed it doesn't break me out or aggravate my sensitive skin, even after over 12 hours of wear which is a major plus.

How the product was tested

We've tested the product over many, many months and can easily say it's one of our favourite foundations to date. You can see this just from how much product I have left! I've used this for both everyday wear and nights out, and here's how I tend to apply it:

To begin with, I apply the NYX High Glass Face Primer, a water based solution that gives a glassy, glowy base, the perfect compliment to Beautiful Skin. Then, I go in with Beautiful Skin in shade 1 Neutral using a standard, flat-head foundation brush from the Rio 24 Piece Professional Cosmetic Make Up Brush Set.

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©Samantha Price

For context, here's the foundation applied purely as it is over the top of the NYX High Glass Face Primer. As you can see, it has a dewy, natural finish with medium coverage. It had separated a little bit on the lids, which was quickly remedied with a touch of concealer and some powder later on in my routine.

This time around, my skin has a lot of stubborn breakouts, so I also add the L'Oreal Paris 24H Infallible Concealer to problem areas. I tend to conceal under my eyes, on any redness and along my jawline for definition after contouring. For one particular breakout, I need NYX's Green Concealer Wand to colour-correct, and even after all of the above, it still showed slightly. But, what can you do ay?

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©Samantha Price

Finally, I finish up with the Rimmel Match Perfection Transparent Loose Powder and spray the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray to allow my makeup to stay in place. Then, I went out for the evening and tried very hard to keep track of how my makeup was looking throughout the night...

What we loved

I've tried a fair share of foundations from various brands, but here are just a few reasons why I love the Beautiful Skin Foundation so much, and why I find myself stocking up on it again and again.

Gives a gorgeous, natural, dewy finish: I love how natural this looks against your skin. When you apply it on its own, it has an effortless and radiant 'lit from within glow'. I most likely have combination skin, and much prefer dewy foundations to matte ones.

Great for sensitive, acne-prone skin: I also have sensitive skin that can be prone to hormonal break outs, lucky me! Finding a foundation that I don't react to is important, and I've noticed that I don't react or break out at ALL with this one.

Buildable, medium coverage for versatile wear: You can wear it totally natural, almost like a skin tint, or build it up for a glam look. We love that it can be worn for the daytime and the night-time too. Its medium coverage makes it really adaptable.

What could be better

Despite this foundation being one of my favourites of all time, here are some things to note when it comes to testing out Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin Foundation.

Need a lot of product for fuller coverage: If I'm looking for fuller coverage, I do have to apply quite a lot of product to get the desired effect - which is fine, because it's advertised as a medium coverage foundation. However, I do find that this means you run out of product quickly.

May not be as long-wearing as others: Despite being advertised as 16 hours of wear, I've found that you'd likely have to keep touching up the foundation as you go. It does last a lot longer than I initially thought, especially with it being on the dewier side, though.

Final verdict

After dancing the night away and after around 12 hours of wear without any touch-ups, Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin Foundation fared well. I noticed some slight separation around those pesky problem breakouts, but overall I was pleasantly surprised, especially with it being a lightweight foundation. More importantly, though, after wear, I noticed that it didn't give me any new breakouts or cause any reactions which is a massive bonus to someone with sensitive, acne-prone skin.

FAQs

Why is Charlotte Tilbury so popular?

Charlotte Tilbury is an acclaimed and award-winning makeup artist in the world of beauty. Having been a makeup artist to the stars, her products are praised by celebrities themselves and makeup artists alike. Her line of products has amassed thousands of glowing reviews, with her beauty range often including new and innovative ingredients and formulas.

Is Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation water based?

Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin Foundation is, in fact, water based. But, what exactly does this mean? Usually foundation consists of a base from two ingredients: water or silicone. Silicone based foundations tend to have a longer-lasting finish and the ability to fill pores and fine lines, however, this might not be the best choice for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Water based foundations, on the other hand, are lighter in texture, more breathable on the skin and have a much more natural look and feel. These are brilliant for everyday wear, and while they may need touching up more often than a silicone based foundation, they're a much kinder choice for those with sensitive and acne-prone skin, like mine.

How to apply Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation?

On that note, a water based primer is your best bet before going in with the Beautiful Skin foundation. Silicone based primers with water based foundations can cause separation, while selecting both that are water based will provide a smooth, even finish.

Apply your primer and go in with the applicator of your choice, whether that's a foundation brush or a beauty sponge. When attending a Charlotte Tilbury beauty event, the makeup artist hosting the event revealed the best way to apply a Charlotte Tilbury foundation is by using a stippling brush to press the foundation into the skin, making sure to get into all of the creases as you go. The more you know!

Samantha Price is a Senior Commercial Content Writer for heat. During her time at Bauer, she has worked on several projects, from championing the heat newsletters to writing expertly crafted buying guides on beauty, fashion and lifestyle.

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