Review: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation Is So Good, I Have to Write It a Love Letter
What if I told you that, before downloading TikTok in 2021, I had never tried a single Charlotte Tilbury makeup product? As a beauty writer, that sentence was embarrassing to write, but it had to be said. The app, connecting complete strangers together with trending songs, videos, and interests, really does have a tight grip on consumers — especially beauty lovers. So many viral videos and trends have had us filling our makeup bags (and emptying our bank accounts) with every Charlottle Tilbury makeup product we’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on. And I mean that quite literally: products like the Beauty Light Wand and Flawless Filter sell out faster than your local pharmacies’ COVID tests.
Because I’m on a confession streak, it’s also worth noting there have been some extremely admirable foundation launches over the past few months. That said, my expectations for the new Beautiful Skin Foundation, which launched on January 4 in 30 shades, were set to an all-time high. It promised hydrating, non-greasy wear with a dewy finish, so I couldn’t contain my excitement after securing two different shades, which I quickly realized were a tad too dark for my pale, winter skin but continued to apply anyway. I wasn’t leaving the apartment in 18-degree weather, so what the heck, right? Thankfully, the speedy Charlottle Tilbury team shipped me a new (and lighter) shade selection, giving the liquid foundation a second first impression with a full day’s wear — in and out of the apartment.
Before getting into what is frankly a love letter for this formulation, I’ll let cosmetic chemist Ginger King get into the nitty-gritty of this foundation’s hydrating ingredients. Its coconut extract and cassia angustifolia seeds are both a “hydrating and a natural source of hyaluronic acid,” King says. If you don’t already know, hyaluronic acid “is great at holding water and giving skin resilience and firmness,” New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Doris Day, M.D., previously told Allure. “This not only helps the skin look beautiful but also helps it function at its best.” That makes it the perfect star ingredient for this hydrating foundation.
Two other noteworthy components make this foundation a great option for those with sensitive and irritable skin. Bixa orellana seeds, which are “antioxidant-rich and soothing for the skin,” says King. While on the topic of soothing, King can’t help but call out damask rose water, “a soothing, oil-toning ingredient” for the skin. Now that we’re clear on the key ingredients, here are a few editors’ honest reviews.