Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellness. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Mamamia's Senior Health and Beauty Writer reviews Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer.
Look, I just want to preface this by saying I'm not much of a bronzer girl. They scare me. A lot.
And they would scare you too, if you had an old photo like this:
...
...
NEEDS MORE BRONZER.
I just... I can't.
What's that? How did this girl end up being a beauty editor? We're not sure.
What I *can* say is that it was a shimmery Chi Chi Cosmetics bronzer. Applied over the entirety of my face. With the force of Satan.
Watch: 'I tried the lube makeup trick. And the results kinda surprised me.' Post continues below.
Fast forward a decade or so, and you have one poor lamb that would rather look like a potato than dip her toes back into the bronzer game.
But then *insert tear-jerking montage* I discovered cream bronzers! And bought the right shades! And started (carefully, VERY carefully) navigating the world of bronzers once again.
The joys!
One of my favourites? Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer. If you aren't familiar, it's an easy-wearing formula that's super creamy, blends well, and comes in handy stick packaging – so it's really simple to get the placement right. Thank goodness.
Now, because of *gestures back to photo*, once I find a bronzer I really like, I tend to stick with it.
Meaning? When new ones launch, I'm not too keen on jumping ship.
But then... our gal Charlotte Tilbury launched a new Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer. And I'm not sure if it's because it's getting all these five star reviews, the hype on TikTok, or the fact that I really love a lot of CT products (hey Beautiful Skin Foundation) – but I wanted to get my hands on it and put it on my face.
At $75, it's pretty darn spendy for a bronzer. So, you'd want to expect some pretty good things in order to justify the price, yeah?
Well, because I don't want you to spend a lot of money on sub-par beauty stuff, I thought I'd try it and tell you my very honest thoughts.
We'll start with the basics, shall we?
Charlotte Tilbury Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer is a face and body cream bronzer that comes in four different shades – fair, medium, tan and deep.
On the website, it says the formula is a skincare/makeup hybrid (we love to see it) that contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin D for beautiful, healthy-looking skin.
It promises to blur, hydrate and add a natural wash of colour to your complexion, while improving the look of your skin in the long-term.
Sounds like a good time!
Here's what it looks like from the outside:
Oooo!! Image: Supplied.
And the inside... can we please just take a moment to appreciate just how pretty this texture is?
I'm drooling. Image: Supplied.
Ugh. Could spread it on my toast.
It kinda looks like a mousse, hey? Which is confusing, because it goes on like a cream formula?? But actually kinda sets like a powder???
SO MUCH TO EXPLAIN. NEED TO SIT DOWN.
But first, let's quickly talk about the packaging.
It's weighty and gold, feels fancy in your hands, and has a good-sized mirror that looks like it would be the perfect size for doing your makeup on the go.
Now, the formula. It's described everywhere on the website as a cream formula – and while it does feel like cream, it leans more towards a powdery/matte kind of texture once it's applied to the skin.
Here's what it looks like on my hand:
Image: Supplied.
Really good! I have to say, the formula itself is bloody gorgeous – it's incredibly easy to blend (literally melts into the skin) and feels light/cloudy/like a dream.
I have the shade '2 medium', but would probably lean more towards the '1 fair' shade. In saying that, I still found the colour to be pretty dingin' perfect and seamless on my skin.
Unlike many others I've tried, there's not a sniff of orange-tone with this guy, and I feel like it gives my face that little bit of natural warmth it's needed since 1991, without looking too heavy or dramatic.
It has a beautiful matte finish (no shimmery/glittery BS), which is closer to a powder than a cream, in my honest opinion. I also like how it doesn't look the slightest bit cakey or muddy on the skin – even with me wearing a slightly darker shade than I'd usually go for.
I did find that a little goes a really long way with this formula – it's pretty pigmented, so don't get too excited.
I applied it directly to my skin using this little CT brush – you can buy this as part of a kit with the bronzer – but any brush or sponge will get the job done.
Image: Supplied.
I focused on areas where the sun naturally hits, such as cheekbones, forehead, nose, and jawline, and lightly buffed it all out using an upward motion, blending it into the skin.
To give you an idea of the finish, here's what my face looked like after applying it:
Pls excuse the intense eyes. Image: Supplied.
Image: Supploed.
What do we think? Apart from the turtleneck, she kinda looks like she's been hanging out near Positano, no? Instead of sitting on the sofa watching Outlander because it's been raining for 567 days?
Just for reference:
We love a happy ending. Image: Supplied.
A vast improvement, wouldn't you say?
In a tortoiseshell, I'm honestly really impressed with this formula. And I really don't think you'd be disappointed if you splurged on it.
I love how it looks on my skin, and also feel like it's one of those products that lasts the distance, too (it survived a hectic walk in the rain, and my face didn't look like poo at midday).
It's expensive, but for the quality and texture of the formula, and the amount of product you get in the package, she'll last you for a while. I reckon it's worth all the hype.
Okay, the deets! The all important deets.
You can buy Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer for $75 in store and online at Mecca or online at charlottetilbury.com.au.
Have you tried the new Charlotte Tilbury bronzer before? Or do you want to try it? What are your thoughts? Share them in the comment section below.
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Feature image: Mamamia; Supplied
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