Charlotte Tilbury Light/Medium (3) Hollywood Flawless Filter Review, Photos, Swatches
Light/Medium (3)
Charlotte Tilbury Light/Medium (3) Hollywood Flawless Filter ($44.00 for 1.00 fl. oz.) is a light-medium, orange-leaning gold with warm undertones and a luminous, glowing sheen. This shade definitely had more depth than Fair or Light (both of which were more close in depth), so for all-over use and mixing, it should be most appropriate for light to medium skin tones. I’m light to light-medium, and it warmed up my natural skin tone but not in a way that felt like I had just self-tanned, so I could get away with using this shade all-over for a slightly warmer look overall.
As a standalone highlighter, it gave a dewy, luminous sheen that was a pinch warm but not orange against my skin tone, which I was happy to see as the swatch had me concerned! The texture was smooth, lightweight, and spreadable with a thinner, gel-like feel that was emollient enough to slide well over skin but absorbed quickly and mixed well with moisturizer and foundation without significantly altering their texture or application. It applied well over my bare skin as well as patted on top of foundation. For more targeted application, I like using my fingertips, as I just find I get the best blend and least chance of movement in base products (in general, across liquid and cream formulations).
I also liked taking this particular shade along the perimeter of my face (like a bronzer), diffusing with fingertips or a lightly dampened sponge, and then layering foundation. It’ll be key to pick a foundation without full coverage if you want to layer this product underneath it or else the foundation will cover the majority of the effect (if using full coverage, I’d recommend mixing it in with the foundation or applying in top, as it’s still drying, and gently dabbing and blending on high points).
It wore well for eight and a half hours well as a standalone highlighter, and as a primer, it didn’t extend the wear that I could tell, but it didn’t shorten the wear either and definitely made my skin appear a bit smoother and glowier, just as it was marketed to do as a primer.
Top Dupes
- Smashbox Gilded Rose (LE, $39.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Zoeva Liquid Clock (PiP, ) is more pigmented (90% similar).
- Becca Royal Glow (LE, $38.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Scintillate (Illuminate) (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Becca Prosecco Pop (P, $41.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented, cooler (85% similar).
- Cover FX Sunlight (P, $34.00) is more pigmented (85% similar).
- NYX Daytime Halo (P, $6.99) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Tarte Exposed (P, $29.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever #02 (P, $39.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented (85% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Original (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% 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 (I'm wearing Fair mixed with my foundation here).
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).
