Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Review & Swatches
At this point in your skincare life I’m sure you’ve heard about Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ($100) because, well, everyone is talking about how incredible and life changing Magic Cream is.
With a name like Magic Cream one would expect all sorts of wonders from it right? Especially with all the raving and hype that surrounds it!
Magic Cream supposedly contains a “secret mix” of patented anti-aging that hydrate skin while lifting and transforming dullness so skin is flooded with moisture which in turns leaves the user with a glowing complexion. This moisturizer apparently fights aging by stimulating collagen product and cell energy while fighting free radicals and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. It promises to restore hydration and elasticity so skin looks smoother. But wait there’s more….!
It also promotes healthy cell renewal so lackluster, duller, tired looking skin is refreshed and revitalized!
It’s also a whooping $100 for a 1.7 oz jar.
I feel that Charlotte’s collection was built upon Magic Cream. It’s such a staple product that instantly comes to mind when you think Charlotte Tilbury. Or at least that’s how I feel. This is a cult favorite product that gained super notoriety thanks to ravings from beauty editors, bloggers, and many, many fans. I’m just surprised more people aren’t ranting the fact that they are getting $100 worth of product in a jar packaging….hmmmm!
I got Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream when I purchased the Magic Skin Trilogy back in December for $285. I was skeptical about this trio but I don’t regret the purchase in the least as I ended up loving the new Magic Night Rescue Cream and Magic Eye Rescue.
This comes in an elegant faceted jar with a rose gold lid. It’s very pretty but unfortunately jar packaging means that the formula is rendered useless each time you twist open that cap! I must admit to being disappointed they didn’t give you a spatula for scooping product out of the jar. This is a $100 jar of moisturizer, I mean, really, a spatula would be a nice feature!
I’ve heard people describe the cream as having a subtle pearlescent finish which is where that promised “glow” comes from. This worried me as I dislike anything with a glow-y finish. Thankfully I failed to notice anything glow-y about the finish on my skin. I think the formula relies on moisture most to ease dullness and a lackluster complexion. I personally know my own dry skin becomes duller when it is drier and more moisture makes it look much, much better. Magic Cream provides intense moisture thus my skin looks better using it.
This is promoted to provide a smooth canvas when applied under foundation but I have to say at first I was skeptical about using this as a day cream as it is very rich. The base of the cream is shea butter plus it also contains rosehip oil it also has a very strong rose fragrance. I like rose but I actually felt the fragrance was a bit too much and it might prove irritating to sensitive users. I think the cream relies mostly on these two ingredients for the moisture it provides but the real star here is sodium hyaluronate/Hyaluronic Acid which helps retain moisture. It also contains some decent anti-aging ingredients but with the jar packaging, well, those won’t really be beneficial for very long. It also contains two forms of peptides but these are very far down on the list of ingredients.
I expressed my doubts above about using it as a day cream due to the fact that it is so rich. Turns out it worked fine for me as a day cream under my foundation but take into consideration I have dry skin. I would not recommend it for oily skin as a daily treatment as it may create unnecessary shine or oil. You only need a pea size amount or less as it is very, very moisturizing. Don’t overdo things during application. I didn’t have any issues with unnecessary shine or oil and it set to a very smooth, soft finish. The scent does linger a bit though.
I admit I was surprised. Considering how thick it is (it resembles a body cream!), it did absorb quickly and it did wear well under foundation. My face felt incredibly smooth and well hydrated but not dewy or oily after use. I’m thinking it might be too rich during the warmer weather but if I cut that pea size amount in half I might just be able to get away with it. It wore well under my makeup without causing it to slip or slide away. If anything at all it felt like my foundation wore longer with this used under it.
I’ve been using it for about two months now and I can’t say how beneficial it is in regards to aging, only time will tell but given the jar packaging it likely won’t matter much! I will say it is a powerhouse of a moisturizer and provides intense hydration which in turn results in smoother, softer skin that’s a lot less dull and lackluster. Does it lift my skin? Is it improving elasticity? I have my doubts about those benefits. I do wish it was available in a tube. Would I buy it again? Yes, if it was cheaper! Does it live up to the hype? Absolutely not. There’s a lot of reviews on this product that promote it as a miracle, I can’t say I experienced any miracles when using it aside from the fact that it does an excellent job at moisturizing skin but hey, for $100, I bet you can find a cart full of products that will do the same thing!
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream is available now at Nordstrom.com.
Tried it?
Do share your thoughts on it!