Charlotte Tilbury Light (2) Hollywood Flawless Filter Review, Photos, Swatches
Light (2)
Charlotte Tilbury Light (2) Hollywood Flawless Filter ($44.00 for 1.00 fl. oz.) is a soft peach with warmer, yellow undertones and a soft, luminous sheen. It performed very much in line with what it was supposed to; it worked well as a luminizing primer and helped my foundation apply more smoothly and last a little longer while illuminating the skin as a separate highlighter.
As a spot highlighter, patted onto the tops of my cheekbones, it applied evenly and smoothly with noticeable glow and luminosity and had excellent blendability over base products. It wore well for eight and a half hours as a cheek highlighter. It had medium, buildable pigmentation when I applied it that way, but it was a very fluid product (almost like a very fluid gel, because it wasn’t quite as watery or as thin as a typical, liquid highlighter). It felt like a thinner primer more so than a liquid highlighter.
The product can easily be sheered out for all-over use on the face as primer–and it did smooth out pores and made my skin look slightly more even as light bounced off of it–or mixed in with foundation to add a bit more glow to the foundation’s finish. If using it as a primer, I would do so with a more buildable coverage foundation, otherwise I’d mix it in with a higher coverage foundation to get a visible effect. It has a jumbo-sized, doe-foot applicator, which I preferred for spot highlighting and priming but isn’t as functional for mixing in with base products (compared to a pump). I find that the lighter shades (Fair, Light, Light/Medium) look very similar when mixed with foundation or layered under it (I’m wearing Fair mixed with my foundation here).
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- NYX Crystal Glare (P, $6.99) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Phytosurgence Mirrored Moonlight (P, $26.01) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Coloured Raine Selfie (P, $25.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Lisa Eldridge Crystal Nebula (P, $38.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Givenchy African Light Gold (LE, $41.00) is more shimmery, less pigmented (90% similar).
- NARS Rêve Salé I (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Becca Champagne Pop (P, $41.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- Natasha Denona Light (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- LORAC Daylight (P, $23.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented (90% similar).
- Makeup Revolution Liquid Euphoric Gold (P, $9.00) is warmer (90% similar).
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 more typical foundation or concealer range, but 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 actual skin tone.
It has a jumbo-sized, doe-foot applicator, which I preferred for spot highlighting and priming but isn't as functional for mixing in with base products (compared to a pump). I find that 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 easily spread across my skin for an all-over application (worn as primer, per the brand), and it made my skin look radiant. I can see one person finding that finish to look "oily," and another person to feel like it looks beautifully glowing--it's definitely very radiant 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 swiped the product on 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 something full coverage, because full coverage will work better when it's 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 that was luminous but not tacky or truly glossy, just looked dewy on my skin. It worked as well over bare skin as it did blended on top of foundation for me. On its own, it lasted well for nine hours with minimal fading and no migration as a cheek highlighter. As a primer, it seemed to help my makeup go on more smoothly but I didn't notice any extension of wear (but no shortening either); though the brand made no claim about it extending longevity, only that it would improve the finish and give skin a glow (so I didn't rate it down for not extending the wear).
Browse all of our Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter swatches.
Ingredients
Aqua/Water/Eau, Hydrogenated Didecene, Mica, Glycerin, Propanediol, Squalane, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Isoamyl Laurate, Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glycosaminoglycans, Hoya Lacunosa Flower Extract, [May Contain/Peut Contenir (+/-): Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as 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.
Too funny! I ordered this just this morning with a Nordstrom Note I had. I recently bought the foundation and have been happy with it in my rotation. Kind of so-so with the other CT primer I’ve been using – it’s fine but not “stellar”. Happy to see you gave this a good review!
Hope you enjoy it, Michele!
The effect this gives to your face is very softening and lit from within. Really nice effect! If (or when) I ever manage to use up all of my bottle of MJ Dew You Dew Drops….who knows? This could be an excellent option.
Dew Drops would definitely be more intense, I think, overall!
Thank you for reviewing this Christine! Do you think it could work as a product you wear all over on its own on a good skin day? I’ve been on the hunt for a lightly tinted product that just gives that ‘healthy’ look to the skin when I don’t feel like wearing a full face of makeup.
You definitely can, but it will make you very glowy… which some may find veering on the border of dewy, you know what I mean? You might try just hitting the high points of the face or mixing in with moisturizer 🙂
Yeah there’s a fine line between a healthy glow and over-the-top shine… maybe I’ll mix it in with a tinted moisturiser or pop over the top as a highlighter. Thanks for your advice 🙂
No problem! I feel like one person could totally rock it and love it and another would feel like it’s oily, so definitely experiment 🙂
I’m grabbing the fair shade. I’ve read a lot of good comments regarding this product. I’ve also been meaning to try her setting powder.
I hope you love it, Wendy! 🙂
I have this in my Beautylish cart and keep hemming and hawing about it, but I think now I’m going to go ahead and get it. I’ve never tried anything CT before!
I’m surprised at how much I like this product. I wear it over moisturizer, before foundation. If I apply it on top of foundation, I place it in areas where there will be no colour applied as I find it absorbs colour products. As a luminizer the effect is beautiful.
Interesting to hear about how it absorbs color products – when you say that do you mean it deepens them or eats them so they aren’t showing? LOL!
Hi Christine, it eats them so they aren’t showing. I literally applied it over blush (experimenting with it as a topper) and I saw the blush shade disappear. At the counter, the MUA applied it to the upper cheek area as a highlighter and when I checked the effect, I noticed the blush near the upper cheekbone has noticeably faded. I love applying it to my cheekbones before applying foundation knowing how gorgeous it will look when I add blush to the area.
Thank you for sharing, Tracey!!
I think it is almost the same with Burberry Nude Radiance.
Does this differ in any appreciable way from Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight (liquid), which you raved about equally when you first reviewed it? That, along with Tom Ford and Becca, is among my most-used highlighter to mix with foundations OR use the exact ways this product is described, although since I use a duo of Becca primers, I’m pretty “glowy” (shiny?) without anything added to my foundations. And some foundations/bases, after all, have shimmer in them.
The finish of this is dewier/wetter looking when applied on its own or on top of product (instead of mixed).
Hi! for a MAC NW 20 skin tone, which shade of this filter would you recommend? the 2 light or the 3 light/medium?
My skin also has a big tendency to redness and irritation.
Thanks a lot! love your website
I think 2 is fine!