The Ultimate Luxury: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Charlotte Tilbury. You hear that name and immediately think… makeup artist…. beauty expert…. or, if you’re like me, you think: luxury makeup brand! Here in the U.S. we haven’t had reasonable access to the relatively new line of products in the past. That’s all about to change via Nordstrom and Beautylish. Nordstrom is having their anniversary sale right now and as part of that they launched an exclusive set. Our first taste into the line was actually my most wanted item: the Filmstar Bronze and Glow palette. Nordstrom offered the palette with the corresponding Charlotte Tilbury brush (more on that later).

Naturally, I jumped at the chance to finally try the brand (right after handing over that forkload of cash- RIP wallet).

The palette had a nice weight and feel to it and certainly looks every bit as expensive as it actually is. The rose gold packaging is a nice, elegant touch.

Inside you will find a large mirror and two very finely milled powders, silky to the touch and very pigmented.

I was immediately taken with the bronzer or “sculpt” shade. It’s effortless on my skintone, adding just the right amount of bronze and shade to sculpt my cheek bones and give my face a bit of color.

The highlighter is certainly pretty in its own right. It’s not chunky or glittery, just a nice smooth glow.

The next thing I had to do was compare these shades to products I already owned. Would they prove to be *that* special?

Swatches L-R: Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight, Lorac Perfectly Lit in Spotlight, Charlotte Tilbury Highlight, Charlotte Tilbury Sculpt, Becca Duende Bronzer, Bobbi Brown Bronzer Natural 1

The highlight shade struck me as being not all that unique when I first swatched it. Though it does impart a lovely, believable glow, it’s not exactly ground-breaking either. The LORAC Spotlight highlight is very, very close- ever-so-slightly darker.

The bronzer is a bit more unique. It’s like a mix between two of my favorite bronzers, Becca Duende and Bobbi Brown Natural 1.

As for the brush (not pictured here), well, if you watched my latest video you understand my thoughts here. But to summarize: it’s cheap, reminiscent of a craft store brush and I wouldn’t have paid $5 for it had I had the chance to test it in person. So there.

My first impression of the Charlotte Tilbury brand is mixed at best. The brush was an utter failure. The Filmstar Bronze and Glow palette is nice to have and looks lovely to the eye. I can’t help but think the price tag overshadows what you actually get here and therefore cannot give it my highest recommendation. For now, it’s merely nice to have, but not a must. I will keep you updated if my opinion changes once I have had a few weeks of using it.

Have you tried the Charlotte Tilbury line? If not, what would you love to try if given the chance?