Charlotte Tilbury Smokey Eye Beauty Instant Look in a Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Smokey Eye Beauty
Charlotte Tilbury Smokey Eye Beauty Instant Look in a Palette ($75.00 for 0.77 oz.) contains three eyeshadows, two blushes, and a highlighter. For the right person, the color scheme and quality-level might work out, but I think the palette itself is a little disjointed–it’s warm-toned but then two of the eyeshadows are more muted and neutral. I also think the jump from the mid-tone brown to the black eyeshadow is quite a bit and felt like I desperately needed more shades in-between to make the palette work cohesively on my coloring (this did not impact the rating–just detailing my personal experience using the palette overall). I think going for light-medium and medium-to-dark neutrals and then having the black might have made it more versatile.
Ingredients
Smokey Eye Beauty
LELimited Edition. $75.00.
Smokey Eye Beauty (Brighten)
Smokey Eye Beauty (Brighten) is a light-medium peach with warm, beige undertones and a pearly shene. It had semi-opaque pigmentation with a soft, blendable consistency that was just a smidgen powdery in the pan. The eyeshadow stayed on well for seven and a half hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Chanel Tisse Vendome #2 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Dior Cuir Cannage #2 (PiP, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- NARS Shade IV (LE, $25.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Viseart Kifu (PiP, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Dior Parisian Sky #2 (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Sephora Ribbon (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Anastasia Treasure (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Amberluxe #1 (PiP, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Fallen Angel #1 (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- MAC Just Gleaming (PiP, $20.00) is lighter (95% similar).
Look Using this Product
Smokey Eye Beauty (Brighten)
LELimited Edition.
Smokey Eye Beauty (Enhance)
Smokey Eye Beauty (Enhance) is a medium, taupe brown with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. The texture was soft and silky but a touch powdery. It had opaque pigmentation that applied evenly to bare skin and blended out without issue. It wore well for seven and a half hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Sydney Grace Cherish (Deep) (PiP, $5.25) is lighter, cooler (95% similar).
- Natasha Denona Fay (462CM) (PiP, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Zoeva Lost in Thoughts (PiP, ) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
- LORAC Unwind (PiP, $19.00) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop I'm Sure (LE, $4.50) is lighter (90% similar).
- Lethal Cosmetics Wilted (P, $6.50) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Chanel Deep #4 (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Imperial (LE, $4.50) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Chicana (PiP, $4.50) is darker (90% similar).
- Smashbox Taupe (P, $22.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Smokey Eye Beauty (Enhance)
LELimited Edition.
Smokey Eye Beauty (Smoke)
Smokey Eye Beauty (Smoke) is a deep black with a matte finish and neutral undertones. It had good color payoff that was buildable to full opacity with just a touch more (not even a full layer). The eyeshadow felt finely-milled and velvety in the pan, which was nice as it did not have any powderiness and proved to minimize fallout. It lasted well for eight hours before fading noticeably.
Top Dupes
- KVD Beauty Devotion (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Let's Do It (P, $4.50) is darker (95% similar).
- Inglot J325 Pitch Black (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Sephora Obsidian (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- L'Oreal Noir C'est Noir (P, $5.99) is darker (95% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Nocturne (P, $8.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Supernouveau #4 (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Makeup by Mario Master Mattes #12 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- NARS Loverboy (DC, $25.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Milani Naughty-Night (PiP, $5.99) is darker (95% similar).
Smokey Eye Beauty (Smoke)
LELimited Edition.
Filmstar Bronze (Original)
Filmstar Bronze (Original) is a medium, taupe brown with subtle, warm undertones and a natural finish. It had a soft, silky consistency that was easy to work and blend out on the face. The pigmentation was opaque and was easy to control for sheerer coverage. The color stayed on well for eight and a half hours on me.
Looks Using this Product
Filmstar Bronze (Original)
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Smokey Eye Beauty (Cheek Swish)
Smokey Eye Beauty (Cheek Swish) is a muted, medium peach with subtle, warm undertones and a soft sheen. It had good color coverage that applied smoothly and evenly to the skin. The texture was soft enough to blend out easily but did not kickup excess product in the pan. This shade wore well for eight hours on me.
Top Dupes
- MAC Nude Pink (LE, $35.50) is darker (95% similar).
- bareMinerals The Spring Fling (LE, $22.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- ColourPop Tick (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Sephora + Pantone Universe Coral Pink (LE, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- bareMinerals The Summer Fling (LE, $22.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Cover FX Soft Peach (Left) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Shy One (LE, $24.00) is darker (95% similar).
- LORAC Prism (P, $23.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Gretel (Light) (DC, ) is brighter (95% similar).
- Tarte Breathless (LE, $29.00) is darker (90% similar).
Smokey Eye Beauty (Cheek Swish)
LELimited Edition. $40.00.
Smokey Eye Beauty (Cheek Pop)
Smokey Eye Beauty (Cheek Pop) is a muted, medium coral with warm undertones and a matte finish. The texture was quite powdery, so it was more prone to sheering out on the skin (especially if your skin is normal or drier). It had semi-sheer to semi-opaque pigmentation that lasted for seven hours on me.
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Inner Blush (PiP, $12.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- Patrick Ta Do We Know Her (Powder) (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop To the 10 (P, $12.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Too Faced Apricot in the Act (Blush) (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Tarte Unleashed (LE, $29.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Kevyn Aucoin Pink Sand #3 (PiP, ) is brighter, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Like Me, Love Me (P, $29.00) is brighter (90% similar).
- Milani Petal Primavera (P, $7.99) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- LORAC Enchanted (LE, $23.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Honey Thief (P, $22.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
Smokey Eye Beauty (Cheek Pop)
LELimited Edition. $40.00.
Gold Bar
Gold Bar is a light gold with warm, yellow undertones and a sparkling, metallic sheen. It had nearly opaque pigmetnation with a fairly soft, blendable consistency that sat well on the skin and did not emphasize my skin’s natural texture. This shade wore nicely for eight hours on me.
Top Dupes
- LORAC Daylight (P, $23.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Anastasia Sunburst (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Becca Moonstone (P, $19.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Linda Hallberg Cosmetics Virgio (P, $21.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- ColourPop Thimble (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop School is Fun (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Anastasia Moonstone (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- ILIA Decades (P, $34.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- Smashbox Glow (LE, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Sun Ceremony (LE, $2.99) is warmer (95% similar).
Ingredients
Mica, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Squalane, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Dl-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Xanthan Gum, Silica, Dicalcium Phosphate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, [+/- Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77499)].
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 agree with Christine that this seems disjointed. I can’t see myself being able to get a nice smokey eye look from these shades.
Conceptually, though, if all of the shades were perfect for my skin tone (and if it wasn’t so expensive), it would make a nice little travel palette.
I know that for me creating a gradient from light brown to true black is more complicated than it’s usually worth (I’d rather put a few mid and dark tones between the two).
If I could hand out the award for “Most Boring Palette of 2017” , this would be it! It does have nice quality, but it’s also extremely limited in its demographic that it *may* appeal to: lt.-med. or paler skintones. Even then, though ???
I’d be curious to hear from those who love it what their skintone/undertone is and what their makeup style is like!
I love it! But you are right, Christine. I have very pale skin and I prefer a neutral palette for my daytime makeup. I also do ,y makeup on the go those this palette really works for me. I use the 2 lighter eye shadow shades to shade my eyes, and then use th black as a Smokey liner
I couldn’t agree more, Nancy.
I have this and enjoy it. I’m quite minimalist for day to day makeup, as I’m a mother of two small children. This makes makeup on the go very easy, and the quality is good. I have a fair, olive complection as I’m a Cuban American woman. I’m about an NC20 usually, to give you an idea. This is definitely limited to a certain range, and I absolutely can see why it seems boring to some. Clearly there’s nothing revolutionary here in terms of colors. I use the cheek colors and bronzer on my eyes, too. I’m happy with it.
Happy to hear it’s working well for you, Jocelyn! I could definitely see it be an easy palette for someone, so thank you so much for sharing your coloring with us!!
This looks really “meh” to me, and not just because some of the colours are those that don’t work for me. If I were spending this much, I’d want to feel more excited about it.
You definitely should love it for the price point!
I would go for something like this if all the colors were perfectly suited to my taste. It would be like a running late/emergency palette. I’m very pale like NC5, and this would technically work on me but I’m not into the colors. It all seems redundant as the two Cheek colors are similar, the eye and face contours are similar, and the eye and face highlights are similar.
I like the concept, and though the palettes seem a bit pricey (even for CT), I have enjoyed past ones for their ease of use!
I don’t really like this kind of palette – for a start, none of the eyeshadow shades are ones I would use, nor the bronzer and highlighter either.
But I do agree with Christine, the black eyeshadow shade is way too dark. A taupe would make made the eye section better.
Anyway, only a certain demographic could utilise this palette.
I have Mac NC15 skin tone, greenish eyes, darkish hair. I bought this on impulse when it was first released. I’m quite happy I have this. I agree it is expensive for what it is, but I do enjoy the bronzer, blush and the highlighter. It’s a good palette to have. I like to use it with all my shimmery and glittery palettes, a good companion palette.
I have this and love it. It’s really fast and easy to work with. I’m pale NW20….and don’t like to do complex eye looks. It works out nice for a two color look and I use the black for liner. The blush is a perfect color and the pop really does pop on my skin. It suits my needs perfectly and I will probably get another palette in one of the other color schemes.
I have that palette and I actually like it. I have a very warm light-medium skintone (about NC25). I mostly bought it for traveling as I wanted to reduce the amount of products to bring with me and I found that the black can be easily sheered out so I can create looks of various intensity. I am still unsure if I should have bought the beauty glow palette instead. Something I don’t like is how easy it is to have bits of the highlither in the black. But I love how compact it is. And the two blushes looks similar but they still appear different on my cheeks. They are meant to be worn using CT technique “swoosh and pop”. You apply the first shade on the cheek and the pop colour on the apple of the cheeks.
Nice palette, but I feel some ‘stepping stone’ colours have been missed out – going from warm to neutral and then black in one go doesn’t quite seem right somehow, you need something to make it all gel together.
I have the ‘natural’ version of this palette and i really love it. I use it on days when i go to to gym before work and need to get ready there. This one is a bit too close to it for me to justify purchasing. I agree that the black seems a bit harsh.
The concept of the palette is great for that purpose, and I have liked the last one I tried more (I believe the quality was higher).
What a natural palette! Some of the colors look really nice!