Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless review: we tested the cult beauty product (spoiler alert, it’s REALLY good)
IF you’ve ever found yourself scouring the net in search of the perfect foundation; chances are, Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Foundation will most definitely have popped up on your radar.
The brainchild of the legendary makeup artist, this is a foundation that clocked up a 17,000 strong waiting list when it first launched in 2019: no mean feat in a market that’s saturated with thousands of competing products.
- Airbrush Flawless, £34 from Charlotte Tilbury – buy here
Its secret? Well besides the already strong reputation of the amazing CT, there was the killer marketing campaign that featured everyone from Drag Race alumni Miss Fame to Hollywood icon Joan Collins. Yep, the Joan Collins.
Nearly two years later, this hero product has won a plethora of accolades from beauty reviewers and fans, and has very much cemented itself as a powerhouse foundation—plus all-importantly, it’s suitable for a wide range of skin tones and age groups, which we can really get behind.
So what makes it so special? Well, first of all, Tilbury studied the skin types of over 650 women of all ages, skin tones and skin conditions to create the perfect formula which works wonders on everything from rosacea to severe acne— as seen on the product page’s brilliantly candid before and after photos.
With a concoction of ingredients that promise to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 22% after 8 weeks of use, boost skin moisture levels by 216% in just an hour PLUS look flawless, what’s not to love? All that remains to be seen is: is it worth the hype? We put it to the test to find out…
First impressions
Ok so we know it’s what’s on the inside that counts…but let’s be honest, every dressing table deserves to be adorned with beautiful bottles, and we can’t not mention the packaging of this product.
From the peachy pink box to the copper-toned detailing of the bottle, everything about this foundation screams luxury. We’re definitely off to a good start.
- Airbrush Flawless, £34 from Charlotte Tilbury – buy here
How easy is it to apply?
A classic pump applicator distributes the product. We decided to apply it with our trusty makeup sponge which we always like to rinse first to make sure it’s fresh and slightly wet.
The formula itself is quite thick and velvety which we weren’t too sure of initially, but it blended in beautifully and wasn’t cakey in the slightest.
A little goes a long way too: we didn’t need to apply much in order to achieve an even base that concealed our imperfections with ease.
What’s the coverage like?
True to its name, this foundation really does achieve a flawless finish, with full coverage and a velvety matte finish that created a smooth base for the rest of our makeup.
One thing we particularly love about it, is its suitability for mature skin: with a few fine lines starting to appear on our face, we’ve been really conscious of high-cover formulations settling into the lines and emphasising them, but we needn’t have worried here.
Charlotte Tilbury was actually the first colour cosmetics brand to use Magic Replexium; an ingredient that claims to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 22% after 8 weeks of use. We’ll take that!
Did it last?
Airbrush Flawless promises to be sweat proof, humidity proof, water proof and transfer resistant so we were really intrigued about its staying power.
True to its word, the foundation didn’t budge all day—we barely noticed it was on and felt we could forget we were wearing it, whereas with other foundations, our oily skin means it can often start to slide and need smoothing out.
How many shades does it come in?
The foundation comes in 44 shades in three tones: cool, warm and neutral.
Handily, the Charlotte Tilbury website features a shade finder which enables you to pop in a brand and colour you normally use, and it will match you with your perfect shade in Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless. Easy peasy!
Knowing that our skin tone is fair and neutral, we opted for Number 2 Neutral and were really pleased with the match.
However, if you feel you still need a little more advice before jumping in and choosing a shade, you can book a one-to-one virtual consultation with a foundation expert who’ll match you with your perfect shade— bonus!
Is it worth the hype?
This is a foundation we’ve been wanting to try for such a long time after hearing all the rave reviews, so we’re very relieved to say it’s definitely worth the hype in our opinion.
Having suffered from acne in the past, we tend to look for high coverage foundations but struggle with them either being too cakey or too greasy for our oily skin. With Airbrush Flawless, this just wasn’t a problem: it felt light, smooth and at the same time was amazingly durable. The golden trio of foundation perfection!
The verdict
- Airbrush Flawless, £34 from Charlotte Tilbury – buy here
From the beautiful packaging to the velvety formula that felt and looked like a second skin, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless more than lived up to expectations.
At £34 a bottle, it’s a price we feel is justified for the quality. It might not be something we’d wear every day, but for occasions that call for a truly flawless base that stays put, this is the foundation we’ll be reaching for.
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