Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Quad Review & Swatches
Pillow Talk
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Quad ($52.00 for 0.18 oz.) is a new set of rosy neutrals with two mattes and two shimmers that’s supposed to be a permanent extension of the Pillow Talk family. Nordstrom gets first access to the release beginning today (for this as well as the Pillow Talk blush, which I reviewed late last year). It’s a drier, dustier set of shades, and the monochromatic nature of it didn’t come together as well as I expected as they shades ran too much into each other. If the last shade was a few shades deeper, it would have made the quad more versatile and more likely to work across skin tones. The frostiness of the first shade didn’t jive as well with the mattes, and it all ended up looking dusty on my lid.
Look Using this Product
Pillow Talk
LELimited Edition. $56.00.
Pillow Talk #1
Pillow Talk #1is a soft peach with strong, warm orange undertones and a frosted sheen. It had good pigmentation with a soft, lightly dusty texture that was a little thinner than ideal (particularly for using over bare skin but fine over primer). The eyeshadow blended out easily–a little too readily–and had a drier look on my skin. It wore well for seven and a half hours on me before fading noticeably.
Top Dupes
- Milani Champagne Wasted (PiP, $5.99) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Ciate Dainty (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Foil Eyes 2 #1 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (95% similar).
- Buxom Champagne Buzz (P, $12.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Laura Mercier Rosegold (LE, $23.00) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- NARS Alhambra I (PiP, $19.00) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- LORAC Soft Pearl (PiP, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Chanel Les Indispensables #4 (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Seductive Beauty (Brighten) (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Viseart Rendezvous (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Ingredients
Talc, Mica, Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Zinc Stearate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Silica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium Edta, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Carmine (Ci 75470).
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.
Look Using this Product
Pillow Talk #1
LELimited Edition.
Pillow Talk #2
Pillow Talk #2 is a muted, dusty coral with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque color coverage that was hard to really build up, even over primer. The consistency was soft, silky, and slightly dusty, which ensured it was blendable on my skin but seemed too thin (wasn’t the most flattering finish on my skin). It stayed on well for seven and a half hours before it started to fade on me.
Top Dupes
- Clarins Flame #4 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (95% similar).
- Haus Labs Blush Matte (P, $24.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Love Eyes (Smoke) (LE, ) is lighter, warmer (95% similar).
- NARS Orgasm III (LE, $19.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Fantasy (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Sistina (PiP, $8.00) is darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Labyrinth (P, $4.50) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Day Eyes (Smoke) (LE, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Gea (PiP, $8.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Huda Beauty Nude Medium #4 (PiP, ) is brighter, warmer (95% similar).
Ingredients
Talc, Zinc Stearate, Dimethicone, Mica, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Silica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium Edta, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, [May Contain/Peut Contenir (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Carmine (Ci 75470), Ultramarines (Ci 77007)].
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.
Look Using this Product
Pillow Talk #2
LELimited Edition.
Pillow Talk #3
Pillow Talk #3 is a light, rosy copper with flecks of copper and gold sparkle. It had semi-sheer pigmentation applied dry and more semi-opaque coverage when applied with a dampened brush, but it needed to be used more heavily (with a tacky base/wet brush) to yield opaque coverage. This is the “pop” shade, which is intended to work best with fingertips/wet brush for greater “intensity.” (Read: you MUST use fingertips or a wet brush to achieve decent results.) There was some fallout when I blended out the shade on my lid, though only a minimal amount during wear. The base color lasted nicely for seven and a half hours on my lid.
Top Dupes
- Viseart Coy #12 (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever D750 Frosted Peach (P, $17.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Kaja Sun-kissed Tan (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- MAC Wisecrack (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Bare (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Skinny Latte (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Too Faced Honeymoon (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- NARS Maximum Pleasure (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Mamacita (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Sunny Side Up (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Ingredients
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Talc, Diisostearyl Malate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Hydroxystearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Tetrasodium Edta, Silica, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492), Carmine (Ci 75470), Copper Powder (Ci 77400).
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.
Look Using this Product
Pillow Talk #3
LELimited Edition.
Pillow Talk #4
Pillow Talk #4 is a medium, rosy brown with warm undertones and a matte finish. The eyeshadow had good color payoff in a single layer but was hard to build it up, even over primer. The texture was soft, slightly dusty, and blendable, which gave it a thinner, drier feel overall. It wore well for seven and a half hours on me before it started to fade a touch.
Top Dupes
- Wet 'n' Wild VI Purple #1 (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Thick (LE, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Shell Yeah (LE, $4.50) is darker (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Izzy (418CM) (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Sephora Boots (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Kaja Brownie Bite (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Morphe Buns (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Smashbox Throwback (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Huda Beauty Caramel Brown #9 (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Shooting Star (PiP, $4.50) is lighter, brighter, warmer (85% similar).
Ingredients
Talc, Zinc Stearate, Dimethicone, Mica, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Silica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium Edta, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, [May Contain/Peut Contenir (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Carmine (Ci 75470), Ultramarines (Ci 77007)].
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.
Thank you for your review! What strikes me most is how different the swatches are from the official Tilbury site. The shades there looked lighter. I always find the ‘pop’ shades to be the weakest in her quads (too dry and too much fall out), I was surprised when she released the two pop palettes at the end of last year.
Well, I think she and Tom Ford both think it’s the magical component of their quads since they continue to include them in just about every quad, LOL. I wish they’d reformulate + innovate so that they were more naturally adhesive or maybe use finer sparkle and more base pigment.
It’s nice….but I seriously just don’t get the hype surrounding this quad. I’m not sure if it’s because others are using this with primer or are just enjoying the simplicity of it? Probably both. I could see using 3 of its shades for a monochromatic, simpler look for business or for others who need a quick, easy look. Plus having that singular pop for day into evening usage.
If someone is fair to light and likes their very warm-toned neutrals, I could see it being a handy go to – especially for someone who is only looking for more muted looks or likes to pat a little sparkle on top. I think it could have still had a bit more contrast, though, and still been as easy to use, since the formula was easy to sheer out.
Absolutely agree that #4 ought to have been deeper, Christine! Then, even someone of my own color or deeper could have enjoyed it. Fortunately, I do have that very similar color story in last spring’s Smashbox x Vlada palette!
I really love the rosy tones, but you’re right, Christine: it could use a deeper matte to really give some dimension. I did notices on the CT website that this particular palette is promo’d with women of very light skin tones (most of her website product shots seem to be that way.)
Yeah, I don’t know how well this will work on medium or darker skin tones. I felt like it was close to washing me out, and I’m more light to light-medium.
Celestia, I hate to say it, but I think part of the reason why I have yet to buy CT, is because I feel like the brand caters primarily towards the lightest of the light and not towards those who are my color or deeper.
*Celesta, not what autocorrect put in its place! Sorry about that!
LOL no worries! If you enjoy these types of tones, tho, Nancy, try the Lorac Pro Palette 4! Same types of tones but WAY more depth and dimension. And the shimmers are lovely too. 🙂
You raise an excellent point. I’m medium/tan and a lot of her products don’t work well for me, but I am a sucker and fall for the hype; then learn the hard way despite her excellent marketing I need to look past the hype and glossy packaging/words. There are a couple of things I have found re the brand overall: they champion ‘beauty for all women/ give women the right makeup and they can take over the WORLD, darling/ this is universally beautifying!’ But the products themselves fall short. The complexion products took ages for the range to be extended, I still don’t have a decent match for concealer, the filmstar bronze and glow took forever to be released in a deeper shade. The majority of the LE eyeshadow palettes (legendary muse, both the flawless filter colour ways, pillow talk) are very light. I bought the one marketed to darker skin tones and the colours barely show up on me at all. Her matte revolution and pillow talk lipstick ranges also are woeful in terms of mid tone and deeper nudes. Another thing that irks me is the lack of representation in her content- most everyone is pale with light hair and eyes. A quick scroll through her youtube videos shows maybe 20 black women amongst the 274 videos currently uploaded. That isn’t even 1%?!! Sorry for the essay, you voiced something that had quietly been bubbling away at the back of my head and obviously I had a lot of feelings on the subject!!
Agree with all of the above, although 20 out of 274 is a little less than 10%, which they might think is representative but isn’t when you consider the wide shade range even among caucasian women. If I were more tan, this quad would be useless on my otherwise NC15 skin. Also, this makes me look like a sleepless rabbit – it’s got a significant pink/red undertone. I had to return the new Huda nude palette recently partly for that reason (and also, the useless chunky glitter shades and a concealer which was going to mop up glitter and shadow in no time).
But mostly I’m just disappointed at this quad for the price point and inaccurate YT reviews about it. The same youtubers who complain about the lack of shade range in foundations said nothing about the lack of depth and usability for anyone darker than light.
LilyM, everything you pointed out about CT’s branding are things that I’ve noticed as well. All valid points. Seems as though she does indeed lack inclusion of anyone Medium or beyond. The only exception may be those Cat-eyes e/s singles from a few years back, which would have worked on anyone and everyone! Her brighter and more colorful lipsticks, too. Unfortunately, that’s where the brand’s inclusiveness ends. Hers is not the only brand guilty of excluding us, but it is one that does so in a way that makes it a brand that only barely gets my attention for that reason.
My first reaction was super positive — I am a very fair toned, warm neutrals-liking person. And I’ve been interested in rosier, warm neutrals; I have enough oranges and browns to last a few lifetimes.
But then “drier” and “dustier” gave me negative flashback memories of Bobbi Brown’s Antique Rose that I tried to make work and eventually pitched. So I am holding out to see how it feels when I can swatch in store, and I’ll check out the dupes also.
Hi AB,
I bought the Charlotte Tilbury quad Vintage Vamp about 2 years ago now. It was a big deal to buy one of her quads and I picked it up in Vancouver, BC while visiting there. I have used it twice and both times it was dry, dusty, blended to a murky mess and just wasn’t anything I want to use again. Other than her lipsticks, Hollywood Filmstar and her pressed powder (which I will never stop griping about the fact that it doesn’t come with anything to apply it with), I think her products are over-hyped and over-priced.
I have fair, neutral skin and green eyes. Palettes overwhelm me with too many choices, but I like the idea of one that will give me a limited number of easy options. I also like a monochromatic vibe, though the Pillow Talk lipstick washes me out. I might be THE person this palette was made for! I’m going to at least check it out.
Not for me – the finished look would be “eye irritation” because it’s all so pink.
Wayne Goss just did a make-up tutorial with this quad (if I’m not mistakes) and these eyeshadows look so different applied on that girl… they looked way more orange and rosy than the swatches and especially in the pan (just like you describe them). These kind of shades would never be for me, these kind of shades give me also the “eye irritation”, “haven’t slept in days” look.
It’s so odd when some shades/tones look amazing on some people, but terrible on others. 😀
I really like the color combo here. Reminds me a bit of Naked 3
Do you recommend any of her quads?
There’s none that come to mind, though I’m sure there were a couple that were decent – I have not tried all of the quads to my memory (which is terrible, so there’s that!).
Thanks for reviewing this – money saved! I don’t understand the hype around Charlotte Tilbury quads, all the swatches I’ve seen have been pretty underwhelming.
I find this quad a tad dull and boring. The shades are pretty similar to each other and lots that are already in the market. Definitely not worth the money.
When Mel Thompson reviewed this when it was first released she really liked it and I had it on my buy list. But after reading your review Christine it’s an easy pass. ??
I bought this quad when it first came out, then as a LE, I also bought the lipstick and the blusher.
I agree with your review, Christine. It’s not bad, but it’s not amazing in any way, and it should be as it’s quite expensive.
I rarely use any of the Pillow Talk products though the quad is good for the days when I have no inspiration and just want an easy no-brainer eye makeup.
I quite dislike the blush, for me it’s more of a bronzer, I use it as eye shadows on days when the inspiration is even lower than the eye shadow quad days 🙂
The lipstick is quite nice, though.
Glad I wasn’t the only one who didn’t feel like it was great!
The three darker shades are just too similar, even with one being a very shimmery shade. There not enough contrast here for my taste. If they’d one of the mattes a a lot lighter or darker, or at least made one a satin, it would have helped.
It seems like every YTer and influencer I’ve watched in the past few months have raved and raved about this palette to the point that it seemed a crime not to purchase it. Now I’m not sure what they were all on about.
Apparently this palette and the Pillow Talk blush are now part of the permanent collection
I bought this palette and the blush when they were first released. While I wish there was greater contrast between the shades, I was disappointed by the bottom left “pop” shade. It’s so sheer that it didn’t add anything to the look, so now I reach for a Bobbi Brown Luxe Metal eyeshadow to ‘pop’ the palette. I wouldn’t recommend it for someone who wants an easy look; I find Exagger-eyes a better option. I’m glad I have it though, of the eyeshadow and blush, the blush is the star for me. (I have no love for the Pillow Talk lipstick, it looks horrendous on me.)
Wayne Goss did a tutorial using the collection and made the following observations: “it’s quite a strange palette Pillow Talk because the shades are quite light and unless you’re quite fair, the colours don’t really show up and they have quite a pink base to them so they do, generally, tend to suit cooler skintones.” His makeup look was beautiful.
Im very pale and Love warm toned eyeshadows. I bought it last summer (when it was still LE) and I have hit pan on all the shadows! It’s my everyday life saviour, makes you look great, best version of yourself. I recommend applying a glitter glue under the pop shade- it prevents fallout throughout the day. I would 100% repurchase and now I can because It’s permanent! Yay! They blend themselves and the colours are incredibly flattering on pale skin with blue eyes.
I was never drawn to this one because a full-on midtoned peachy pink eye is not something I can pull off on my brown eyes. For blue-eyed peeps who can’t get enough of that look I guess it’s nice if not rather boring. I did however buy her Exagger-eyes palette (the Victoria Secret look one I think ??) and I REALLY love that one. It’s more orangey, but still brown, and has a little color variation in the highlight and pop shades.
I actually like her Pop shades and find them easy to use—just slap it on at the end. When quads have a really dark 4th color I feel pressured to use it and it often makes a look more complicated than it need be. So with her palettes if I feel I need more depth I just pair it with an eyeliner.
This reminds me of the Huda nudes palette, which I already own, so I will be passing on this one. Thanks for the review and swatches!
The illusion of scarcity, combined with some of the rave reviews I’ve watched or read, was getting to me yesterday when I got the email from Nordstrom about the Pillow Talk availability, and I almost ordered the whole Pillow Talk collection. I’m so glad I pulled the reins and just ordered the blush. This review makes me realize how much I absolutely don’t need this quad. I’m excited for the blush though. Thank you!
I’d love to see your take on the CT quads Christine like you did for the ND palettes, using the massive library of shadow singles from like CP and SG. I feel like quads don’t get put together with the thoughtful consideration they need to have to make them worthwhile.
I have done many, many iterations of quads in the past with existing shades – ColourPop (I think over 50 quads between two posts), MAC, Anastasia, along with various pre-made palettes (which I shared possible combos as bundled into core quads) – https://www.temptalia.com/tag/makeup-look-inspiration/
Oh sweet, I’ll check them out!
All. Too. Similar. You really have to try to make a quad internally redundant — that should only be a problem with larger palettes.
Christine, your review is basically on par with the lone 1 star review I left on the Charlotte Tilbury. That glitter shade is useless and was gone within an hour. I gave slightly lower marks but it was colored by my immense disappointment (as this was my first palette from the brand) and the insane price point for such a mediocre product. I found it lacked depth/dimension on my NC15 lids, so I can’t imagine this is useful to anyone with a complexion even slightly darker than light. Considering this was the eponymous palette from her most popular lipstick shade, this was a tremendous disappointment and ensured I’ll never purchase a shadow palette from the range again.
I really love this palette, it has become my go-to for an every day look, but I agree that the darkest shade isn’t dark enough. If you like a very monochromatic look and rosy warm tones then this might be for you. I usually add a little of the darkest brown shade from the CT Sophisticate palette for a little more depth in the outer crease. I get compliments on this look all the time, but it does require using a darker shade from another palette to achieve.
It looks a bit like the viseart theory siren palette. What are your thoughts?
https://www.temptalia.com/palette-vs-palette/?palette_1_search=Charlotte+Tilbury+Pillow+Talk&palette_1=364886&palette_2_search=Viseart+Siren&palette_2=329395
Ugh I knew it looked familiar. I got Siren on sale @sephora but have yet to use it..
I’ve been using this palette for the past week and I’ve been absolutely loving it! I’m fair with warm/olive undertones. It’s definitely not the most stunning palette I’ve ever owned, however it’s perfect for early mornings when I need something simple before work, and it blends beautifully!