| Review | Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter


| Review | Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter 

Is it a foundation? Is it a highlighter? No, it's Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter! What is this mysterious and intriguing new concoction that Charlotte Tilbury has brought to us? Hm... no one seems to know for sure but I will attempt to categorize this exciting new release from the Queen of the Hollywood Glow! 

The Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter retails for $44.00 USD and is available at Charlotte Tilbury and other retailers.

I have to take a brief moment to commend Charlotte Tilbury for their excellent customer service! I had ordered on their site for the very first time and I was using paypal to pay for my order but there was an issue and I didn't know if my order went through so I placed a second order.  When I realized I had two order confirmations, I emailed them about canceling one of them and it was refunded the next day! I have never had such timely customer service before and they were so nice. I have to say if you ever need something from Charlotte Tilbury, do not hesitate to order from their website. The customer service and shipping is excellent!

Back to the Flawless Filter....




This product comes in 7 shades, 1 Fair, 2 Light, 3 Light/Medium, 4 Medium, 5 Tan, 6 Tan Dark, and 7 Dark. Ordering blindly online isn't easy. Though I own a Charlotte Tilbury foundation, this product could be very different in it's shade range. I asked another blogger who bought her's early for a shade reference because we are about the same shade and I ended up purchasing shade 4 Medium. For reference I am about a 6 or 7 in Charlotte Tilbury foundations ( currently own 7) and a NC 30-35 in MAC foundations. My summer shade of foundation is 7, so I thought I would get my year-round shade in the Flawless Filter.





Like the Brightening Youth Glow, which I wasn't crazy about (read my review here), I was suckered in by the words "GLOW". While this product doesn't explicitly say glow on the bottle, it has been marketed and talked up like crazy about it offering a glow. Naturally, I had to order it as soon as possible but I honestly have no idea what this product does and from what I can tell no one knows what this product is because it is a new one-of-a-kind product! Or is it? 

The Charlotte Tilbury website claims this product is:
Darlings, this is a new REVOLUTIONARY category in makeup, a customisable complexion booster for super starlit skin in seconds! My Hollywood Flawless Filter has the versatility of a primer, the mega-watt glow of a highlighter, and the perfecting properties of your favourite digital filter. Featuring fabulous ingredients, it soft-focuses, illuminates skin and makes lines and pores appear smoother. 
WHAT MAKES HOLLYWOOD FLAWLESS FILTER MAGIC:• The ultimate high gloss, high glow celebrity-skin-filter-in-a-bottle! This was born on the red carpet makeup, inspired by technology, for real life, in real time that looks amazing on-screen or off.
• Smoothing airbrush polymers roll over your complexion for a poreless-looking, creamy finish.
• Glossy Oil is a lightweight moisturising oil that reflects and adds light to your face where you need it.
• Finely milled powders soft focus, makes lines and pores appear smoother which means it only ever looks as amazing in real life, as it does on camera.
• Porcelain Flower Extract is a brightening ingredient derived from a Thai flower with natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatories to enhance microcirculation and brighten skin.
• Ideal for superstar-lit skin whether you want a subtle glow or a mega-watt complexion.
Apply the Hollywood Flawless Filter using the Magic Wand applicator to your skin.
Hollywood Glow-O-Meter:1. Beneath it! All over prime and stretch across the skin, underneath Magic Foundation for a subtle glow and polished finish.
2. Blend it! Mix with your shade of Light Wonder or Magic Foundation on the back of your hand to amplify your Hollywood glow.
3. Boost it! Dot along the tops of your cheekbones, down the nose, above the cupid’s bow and anywhere else to glow like a Hollywood star!
4. Bling it! Go mega-watt and wear it on its own at full volume, erasing any imperfections with The Retoucher Concealerfor a fresh, glossy, all-over-glow!
• Charlotte’s Tip: Follow this hybrid illuminator with the Filmstar Bronze & Glow for sculpted killer cheekbones to complete your red carpet look.

It appears this product is considered a "skin booster", or in other words an illuminating primer/highlighter hybrid but can be used a skin tint? Hmm.. still seems a bit confusing but using the recommended methods from Ms. Tilbury herself, these are my results: 

BENEATH IT! 

This product works very well as a glowing and perfecting primer. It lays down a very nice tinted base that smooths the skin's texture, reduces discoloration, and brightens the overall complexion. Since I don't own the Magic Foundation, I used the Light Wonder Foundation on top, which is quite glowy, but I still didn't find the glow to be over-the-top or overwhelming. In fact, I even placed my beloved Beauty Light Wand (full review here) on top of my cheekbones for extra glow! Clearly, my glow knows no bounds! I also tried it underneath a more satin finished foundation, I used my Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick on top and it looked really stunning! Still quite glowy but much more natural and I feel the "filter" effect is stronger because the skin is so perfected by the higher coverage foundation and the light-diffusing effect really creates a filter-like aura. 

BLEND IT! 

I love mixing in my liquid illuminators or illuminating primers with my foundations and this formulation is actually perfect for doing this. This product is the ultimate shade adjuster! My current Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation in 7 is a pinch dark for me because it's my summer shade but when mixed with this Flawless Filter in 4, it makes the ideal shade and provides a bit more coverage, which is lovely! I like the versatility of this tinted product because you can easily adjust the color your foundation for the different seasons but its still sheer enough that it won't dramatically change your foundation! Plus the added bonus of a bit of light coverage is always nice!

BOOST IT! 

I initially found it a bit silly to apply this product on top of my foundation as a highlighter but after trying it out, I'm in love! This product gives a beautiful and natural glow but is still quite noticeable, which I love! It just brings a beautiful natural radiance to your cheekbones and high points when wearing a satin or matte foundation. I can see myself using this product as a daily face illuminator and I am tempted to buy a lighter shade for this purpose because it looks so beautiful! 

BLING IT! 

So, I feel like many people will think this is too glowy to be used alone but I disagree, I love the level of glow this product provides. I think it looks very fresh and luminous. It really does remind me of a runway or red carpet glow. I often just spot powder around my nose, under my eyes, and a bit on my forehead with a very lightweight translucent powder. The blurring and perfecting effect is so real! As you blend this product into your are skin, you will see it blur and brighten your complexion, very much like a filter! With my skin, I feel very comfortable wearing this product alone with a bit of concealer for the under eyes. The coverage is very sheer, like a primer infused skin tint but because the "filter" effect is so strong that imperfections and discolorations are noticeably reduced! I was recently very sick and I was looking pretty ragged but after applying this product, you would never have guessed my illness was taking a toll one me! My skin looked so healthy, radiant, and perfected! I just wore this with a bit of an under eye corrector all day and I was amazed about how perfected and radiant my skin looked!

THE BIG QUESTIONS

Is this an illuminating primer?
Yes and No, essentially it can be used as a primer but if you're expecting any sort of oil control, it won't give that to you. When it is used as a primer, it it is more of a tinted, smoothing, and illuminating primer.

Is there a difference between this product and mixing an illumintaor with your foundation? Very little, this product has a bit more blurring and perfecting properties to it than just a foundation with an illuminator but if you use a fuller coverage or have a good skin texture, it won't make a huge difference. It does provide a smoothing and blurring effect that most illuminators don't provide.

Is it worth it? 
I think this product is worth it if you are going to be using it alone as much as the other methods of uses because I think this product is something truly unique when applied on its own. The effect it provides by itself can't be compared to any primer, illuminator, or skin tint on the market. I think that is what makes it so special. Of course it can be used so many ways, which makes it really nice and versatile but it is most impressive when used on its own. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

The packaging is a heavy glass bottle with a big doe-foot applicator, which I personally find to be poor packaging. There is a small dip or well on the top of the doe-foot applicator that holds a bit more product but doesn't make a whole lot of difference in my opinion. It feels very luxurious and looks beautiful however, I don't think it is that practical. The stopper in the opening of the bottle prevents a lot of product from being easily removed from the packaging. I seem to only get a bit at a time and I continue to dip back into the bottle which is not only unsanitary but quite annoying. The other problem I foresee coming is eventually it will become extremely difficult to remove product from the bottle as you use it more. Normally with plastic packaging, you can cut it open and scrape out the remaining product but with a thick glass bottle, obviously that isn't going to happen. The only way I can see you being able to get product out as it runs out is to keep the bottle in a tilted position, remove the stopper, and get a makeup spatula to try and scoop it out. I don't understand why this product couldn't come packaged in a squeeze tube or include a pump. It is possible the formula may be too thick for a pump, but the packaging leave much to be desired. I hope this is something that will change in the near future.

On to the formula of this product, it is on the thicker side, almost the texture of a light cream foundation. It spreads and blends into the skin very easily and evenly. As you begin to blend it onto your bare skin, you can see it's blurring and light reflecting effect! It's really remarkable and innovative! It offers a very sheer but buildable coverage and it even covers discoloration and redness! It really does perfect the skin and offer a beautiful glow! The light reflecting properties diffuses discoloration, redness, and dullness! This product actually does EXACTLY what it claims, it looks like there is a filter on your face! There are many ways to use this product but I think my favorite is using it on it's own or with a satin finish foundation on top. I feel like these two methods really amplifies the "filter finish"! Like I had said earlier, I was quite sick and looking very sickly and this product made my skin look so healthy and perfected! I couldn't believe that I was only wearing this because my skin looked so good! This product has really surpassed my expectations and I plan on purchasing a few more shades for highlighting and for summer when my shade will change. I highly recommend this product, particularly to those who are looking for a sheer and glowy perfecting base product! This product is truly a flawless face filter!

See it in action in the following looks: 10 Lazy Luxe Product Look and The Ultimate Glass Skin No-Makeup Makeup Look 

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2 Comments

  1. Thanks so much for the review. I thought it was me who found the packaging/applicator horrible! Apart from the awful unsanitary issue, I don't know how you were even able to blend it -- I gave up, couldn't get enough product out to work it into my foundation. I'm taking it back and will let the sales associate know my thoughts...and then some!

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    1. No problem! Yes! I can't stand the packaging, it is literally the most poorly throughout packaging ever! I love the product but unfortunately the only way I can get product out of the bottle is to constantly dip and swipe, and dip and swipe, until I have enough product to cover my face... It's honestly gross how unsanitary it is. Not to mention annoying!

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