Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Fair-Medium Cheek Palette Review & Swatches
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Fair-Medium Beautifying Face Palette ($75.00 for 0.35 oz.) required a particularly heavy-handed approach to really get through the stiffer textures used throughout the palette. They seemed like a hybrid, gel-powder based formula, but the textures were stiffer than that, really needing to be pushed and swirled to get coverage. For those who prefer sheerer coverage, it should be workable, as the shades remained blendable on skin, which was where texture mattered the most.
Ingredients
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium
PPermanent. $75.00.
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #1
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #1 is a light, pinky-peach with moderate, warm undertones and a satin finish.
Semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation
Firmer, stiffer texture made it harder to pick up product evenly
Applied evenly, blended out well
Long-wearing (8.5 hours)
Top Dupes
- Essence Shimmery Rose (P, $5.99) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Tarte Extraordinary (LE, $29.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Hourglass Incandescent Electra (P, $38.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Golden Peach (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Kaja Aura (P, $19.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Milani Luminous (DC, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Kink & Kisses (504) (P, $42.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Dior Rayonnante (330) (P, $48.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Warm (Winter 2016) Blush (LE, $60.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Hourglass Luminous Glow (LE, $40.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Ingredients
MICA, DIMETHICONE, SILICA, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, PEG-12 DIMETHICONE, POLYSORBATE 20, GLYCERIN, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, GELLAN GUM, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM CITRATE, XANTHAN GUM, TOCOPHEROL, [+/- TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), RED 30 LAKE (CI 73360), 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.
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #1
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #2
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #2 is a light peach with warmer undertones and a sparkling sheen.
Semi-sheer, buildable pigmentation
Denser, stiffer texture was hard to pick up
Once product picked up, applied evenly and blended out well
Long-wearing (8 hours)
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Beach Party (LE, $10.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Lightgasm Multi-Glow (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Spotlight (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- NARS Queen (LE, $38.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Sleek MakeUP Equinox (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Chanel Reve de Camelia (LE, $80.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Chanel Rosy Gold (30) (P, $58.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Hot Damn-oiselle D'Avignon (LE, $42.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar).
- Anastasia Forever Young (LE, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Ingredients
CALCIUM SODIUM BOROSILICATE, MICA, NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, DIMETHICONE, PEG-12 DIMETHICONE, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, GLYCERIN, POLYSORBATE 60, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, GELLAN GUM, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, SODIUM CITRATE, XANTHAN GUM, TOCOPHEROL, [+/- TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492), 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.
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #2
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #3
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #3 is a light-medium pink with moderate, warm undertones and a metallic sheen.
Mostly opaque color coverage
Smooth, moderately-dense texture, not quite as stiff as other shades in the palette
Applied evenly and blended out nicely
Long-wearing (8 hours)
Top Dupes
- Wet 'n' Wild Halo Gorgeous (P, $5.99) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- ColourPop Made Me Do It (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Cover FX Blossom (P, $42.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Ciate Moondust (P, $32.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- ColourPop Full Service (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Jouer Rose Quartz (P, $24.00) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Becca Hi Angel (LE, $38.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Violet Argente (Highlighter) (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Paradise Lust (Top) (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Dior Rising Star (09) (LE, $50.00) is cooler (95% similar).
Ingredients
MICA, CETEARYL ETHYLHEXANOATE, HDI/TRIMETHYLOL HEXYLLACTONE CROSSPOLYMER, GLYCERIN, POLYSORBATE 20, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, SQUALANE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRA-DI-T-BUTYL HYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE, CHONDRUS CRISPUS (CARRAGEENAN) EXTRACT, OCTYLDODECYL STEAROYL STEARATE, XANTHAN GUM, SILICA, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, TOCOPHEROL, [+/- TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492), 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.
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #3
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #4
Pillow Talk Fair-Medium #4 is a rich, vivid deeper pink with subtle, cool undertones and a satin finish.
Opaque pigmentation
Firmer, stiffer texture made it harder to pick up product evenly
Applied evenly, blended out well
Long-wearing (8.5 hours)
Top Dupes
- MAC Rosy Does It (LE, $30.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Coloured Raine Floral (P, $16.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Sephora Hey Jealousy (P, $14.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Lovestruck (Amber Allure) (LE, $38.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Lethal Cosmetics Pansy (P, $15.50) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Anastasia Basically (PiP, ) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Tuned In (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Clinique Berry Pop (03) (P, $21.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Seed U Later (DC, $12.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Kevyn Aucoin Grapevine #2 (PiP, ) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Ingredients
MICA, DIMETHICONE, SILICA, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, PEG-12 DIMETHICONE, POLYSORBATE 20, GLYCERIN, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, GELLAN GUM, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM CITRATE, XANTHAN GUM, TOCOPHEROL, [+/- TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), RED 30 LAKE (CI 73360), 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.
I really do WISH that she would have taken that bright rich pink and had it in the Medium to Deep quad, and the lighter peachy shade from that palette in this one instead. Two light leaning blushes for the Light to Medium quad would have made more sense, if you ask me
And then there’s the very strange texture to these that everyone has seemed to mention. Idk what’s up with that!
I 100% agree! That swap would have made both palettes so much better.
That just might have swayed me into a purchase.
Hi Nancy, I own both palettes and find that synthetic brushes worked best with the stiff blush formula. As I’ve been using them, I’m finding dense brushes with mixed goat hair and synthetic fibers are also picking up the shades nicely, so maybe the texture softens with use. We’ll see. The shade curation is more a warm palette and a cool palette vs light palette and deep palette. My skintone is light and I find the shades build beautifully. I’m really pleased with both palettes.
Thanks for the tip, Tracey! I’m waiting on the Fair-Light Palette to arrive and seeing the less than favourable reviews both here and on Sephora.com was making me nervous! I will try using it with a synthetic haired brush.
I hope synthetic brushes work well for you and you enjoy the palette, Sarah!
Somehow CT’s cheek palettes often miss the mark – either the formula or the shade choices. This one is the same – it’s the formula that is the problem. It is too expensive to have such misses.
At Charlotteās price point I expect a lot better. Really glad I passed on this.
So the blush that says pillow talk on it’s not the same as the shade in the permanent line? That’s odd! š
The original blush? They’re totally different formulas, so they’re not intended to be the same!
Doing a comp on the swatch gallery with a CT product can be downright baffling. No more pillows and āgasms and glows. Oy! šµāš«
When we were building the product database and things like that, we used NARS Orgasm to see if it would break things because of how many iterations it had, lol. We used MAC Eyeshadow as a listing for that purpose, too, since there were soooo many shades! (Now, I think ColourPop exceeds that!)
This palette is beautiful. I love the first blush shade in particular – a buildable dusty rose on my skintone. The highlight shades are easy to wear and I have find myself mixing a blush and a highlighter together for a quick glowy cheek. CT doesn’t make many cool toned cheek products, so I’m pleased to have this in my collection.