Charlotte Tilbury Starlight Eyeshadow Quad Review & Swatches
Starlight
Charlotte Tilbury Starlight Eyeshadow Quad ($52.00 for 0.18 oz.) is a new, limited edition that consists of four, sparkling shades of “pops.” The brand typically launches quads with one “pop,” and the holiday quads feature all “pops.”
The brand recommended to use the formula with fingertips, if using it dry, for “intense color pay off” or wet to “unleash the intensity and vibrancy of the shades.” I found that they very much needed to be used with a dampened brush or fingertips to get decent coverage and application with minimal fallout. You’ll also want to use an adhesive spray to minimize fallout over time, though the sparkles seemed to be flatter and adhere better to my lids compared to rounder glitter particles.
Ingredients
Look Using this Product
Starlight
LELimited Edition. $56.00.
Starlight #1
Starlight #1 is a light-medium, golden beige with warm, yellow undertones and a glittery finish. It had nearly opaque coverage applied dry with fingertips and opaque coverage applied with a dampened brush. The texture was lightly creamy, almost “wet” to the touch, that was denser but picked up decently with a flat, synthetic brush. It had a very wet-look shine to it when applied to my brow bone and inner tearduct. It lasted well for eight hours but had light fallout over time, though it wasn’t bothersome to my eyes.
Top Dupes
- Dior Golden Reflections #3 (LE, ) is lighter, cooler (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Space Cowboy (DC, $20.00) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Secret Garden Rendezvous #1 (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Boutonniere (LE, $6.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Zestful (PiP, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Astral Solstice (PiP, $25.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Water Dream (P, $12.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Sailor (P, $6.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Opale (P, $45.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Bao Bao's Jewels #1 (LE, ) is 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, Ci 77499), 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
Starlight #1
LELimited Edition.
Starlight #2
Starlight #2 is a soft, light-medium taupe with warmer undertones and cooler, silver sparkle. It had sheer coverage applied dry with fingertips and semi-opaque coverage when applied with a dampened brush–but it was significantly lighter than the color appeared in the pan. The texture felt drier to the touch, and it was stiffer to work with so it had to really pressed and pushed onto my lid to go on evenly. It was easiest to apply with fingertips and accept lower coverage. This shade wore well for seven hours and had noticeable fallout (though less than expected for no adhesive base).
Top Dupes
- Phytosurgence Oxidized Olive (P, $17.07) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Anastasia E2 (Norvina Vol. 2) (LE, $12.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury The Rock Chick #3 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Sediment to Be (PiP, $4.50) is cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Cliff Jumping (DC, $8.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Somber (P, $5.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Chanel Elemental #3 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Moonlit Violet #1 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Give Me Glow Lavender Taupe (P, $7.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Risky Richez (PiP, ) is cooler (85% 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, Ci 77499), 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
Starlight #2
LELimited Edition.
Starlight #3
Starlight #3 is a medium, olive green with warm undertones and a sparkling, gold finish. The pigmentation was medium when applied dry with fingertip and opaque when applied with a dampened brush. The texture was denser but did not feel “wet” or cream-like, which made it harder to apply evenly on my lid, especially around the edges; the amount of sparkle helped to camouflage the unevenness from a normal viewing distance, though. It stayed on well for seven and a half hours before fading a bit but had light to moderate fallout.
Top Dupes
- Sydney Grace The Scoop (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- MAC Omigaud It's Gold (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Guerlain Shalimar (Bottom) (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Sunbeam (P, $6.25) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Estee Lauder Bitter Clove (LE, $45.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Lisa Eldridge Titania (P, $27.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- NARS Fallen Star (DC, $25.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace The Scoop (DC, $8.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Chanel Mediterraneen #4 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Sweet Lucy (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (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, Ci 77499), 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
Starlight #3
LELimited Edition.
Starlight #4
Starlight #4 is a medium taupe-brown with warm undertones and finer sparkle over a satin finish. The texture was firmer but felt like it had a bit of slip, which helped it to adhere more evenly to bare skin, though it looked a little patchy along the most diffused edge in the close-up photo (couldn’t see it in person!). It had good pigmentation when applied dry with a fingertip and was opaque and deeper when applied with a dampened brush. This shade lasted well for seven and a half hours with slight fallout over time.
Top Dupes
- Tom Ford Beauty First Frost #4 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Fleur Neige (Cream Color) (LE, $45.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Low (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- NARS Madrid (P, $22.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Too Faced Leopard (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Daydreamer (PiP, $4.50) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Gilty Pleasure (PiP, $25.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Giorgio Armani Halo (2) (P, $36.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Chanel Elemental #3 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Spacetime (P, $22.00) is more shimmery, darker (85% 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, Ci 77499), 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.
I bought this and I do love it. What I do is rub some mixing medium between my fingers and rub them in the shadow while still wet and press it on the eye. Works fine, maybe a little fall out while applying but none during wear and they last great. #2 the blue color is actually my favorite! #3 is the least dazzling. I wouldn’t try to apply these with brushes so it’s more like a one-all-over color or a finishing touch over a Smokey eye kind of thing.
What blue? I don’t see a blue in this palette.
2 nice shades out of 4 makes this quad one great big ‘nope’. Very peculiar shade pairing, too. Nope, nope, nope.
Am I not surprised…I thought it was weird she released two Pop palettes, considering the pop shades are the worst in her palettes! Dry and major fallout!
What a disaster from CT! This could have been a gorgeous, more cool toned quad if only CT had stuck to shimmers and a matte shade. Using the sparkle element has completely ruined this quad. I am so disappointed.
Wow, so disappointing. I do love her Stars in the Eyes palette, however. Glad I passed on this, & her other pop shade palette, that sold out.
I love the concept and the color story of this quad but at this price tag… I don’t want to bother too much.
Like I will happily use a glitter glue if it allows me a dazzling finish, but it should work on its own. And fallout during wear is a no go for me. I don’t want to have to worry about my makeup while wearing it.
Easy pass, thank you for the review Christine!
These colours look so desirable but they’re so appallingly bad. When companies like CT (or Tom Ford, Hourglass, etc.) with sky high prices, start releasing really sub-par products, I think they often do serious damage to their reputations. I’m so glad I have dupes for these shades. At this price point (and $66 in Canada), I don’t think anyone should have to resort to the sort of faffing around that Ginny detailed in order to get good performance.
I’m disappointed in this palette. I skipped the first palette of pops because I liked the colour story of this one better….but a C+? Don’t think I can purchase it.
Regardless of the review, your eye look is absolutely stunning! Sparkling but wearable, and those two adjectives do not go together often enough for this sparkle-lover. Thank Zeus for dupes, and thank you, so much, for the Looks page, which I use on an almost daily basis!