Charlotte Tilbury Medium (4.5) Hollywood Flawless FilterCharlotte Tilbury Medium (4.5) Hollywood Flawless Filter ($44.00 for one oz.) is a light-medium peach with strong, warm orange undertones and a luminous, glowing finish with wonderful pearl. The consistency was smooth, fluid, and lightweight, which spread it readily across more significant areas of the face (like for all-over application) but still worked well if patted on top of the strategic regions to highlight.
The latter yielded more coverage–medium or so–while mixing it with other products naturally sheered out range, so the tone was more noticeable than the depth. It worked well as a highlighter, lasting for eight and a half hours before fading a bit, and helped foundations apply more smoothly when mixed in or used underneath (but didn’t shorten or lengthen their wear).
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like the scent).
- Charlotte Tilbury Tan (5.5) (P, $44.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Tarte Exposed (P, $29.00) is shimmery and and lighter (90% identical).
- Charlotte Tilbury Medium (4) (P, $44.00) is shimmery, lighter, and cooler (85% similar).
- L’Oreal Golden Hour (P, $14.99) is shimmery and and darker (85% similar).
- Laura Geller Gilded Honey (P, $26.00) is darker (85% identical).
- Kaja Dreamy (P, $24.00) is more shimmery (85% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Tan (5) (P, $44.00) is shimmery, brighter, and warmer (85% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Light/Medium (3) (P, $44.00) is shimmery, lighter, and cooler (85% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Fair (2.5) (P, $44.00) is darker and warmer (80% equal).
Formula Overview
$44.00/1 oz. – $44.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to be a “customizable complexion booster” that can be used as a primer, highlighter, or mixed with base products. The line includes seven shades, like a typical foundation or concealer range. Still, they have sheerer coverage and fine pearl, so there is some flexibility, though, for added luminosity (but not altering color) all over, one would want to choose a shade closer to their skin tone.
It has a jumbo-sized, doe-foot applicator, which I preferred for spot highlighting and priming, but it isn’t as functional for mixing with base products (compared to a pump). The lighter shades look very similar when mixed with foundation or layered under it, so the shade range is more flexible than it might seem (for some skin tones).
The texture was smooth and lightweight, like a thin gel-based primer in feel, so the product quickly spread across my skin for an all-over application (worn as a primer, per the brand), making my skin look radiant. I can see one person finding that finish to look “oily” and another person to feel like it seems beautifully glowing–it’s very bright on its own, so I’d recommend strategically applying it over bare skin, like a very diffused highlighter, or mixing it in with moisturizer if you’re someone who wants glow but not full-on dewiness.
I also liked to gently swipe the product using the included doe-foot applicator on the high planes of my face, diffused and blended (over a greater area than I would have if using it specifically to highlight my cheekbones), and gently dabbed foundation over it. I recommend using a sheer to medium coverage foundation over full coverage because full coverage will work better when mixed in. Otherwise, the coverage level will tamp down the luminosity quite a bit.
As a standalone highlighter, it gave me a lit-from-within-glow luminous but not tacky or truly glossy; it just looked dewy on my skin. It worked as well over bare skin as it did blend on top of foundation for me. It lasted for nine hours on its own with minimal fading and no migration as a cheek highlighter. It seemed to help my makeup go on more smoothly as a primer, but I didn’t notice any extension of wear (but no shortening either);. However, the brand did not claim to extend longevity, only that it would improve the finish and give skin a glow (so I didn’t rate it down for not developing the wear).
Browse all of our Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter swatches.
Ingredients
AQUA/WATER/EAU, HYDROGENATED DODECANE, MICA, GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, SQUALANE, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, ISOAMYL LAURATE, HYDROGENATED STYRENE/ISOPRENE COPOLYMER, SODIUM CHLORIDE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, HYDROXY ACETOPHENONE, POLYGLYCERYL-4 ISOSTEARATE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE SUCCINATE, GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS, HOYA LACUNOSA FLOWER EXTRACT, [+/- IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE (CI 77163), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891)].
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists areas available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you’re purchasing or the brand or retailer’s website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
