What is Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream?

Originally created backstage to prep and transform the look of models’ skin before fashion shows, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream is the brand’s award-winning, best-selling facial moisturizer. This cream is claimed to “flood your skin with moisture” to give you a glowing, dewy, plumper-looking complexion. So is Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream really as magical as it is claimed to be? Read on to find out!

What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2023?

Is Charlotte Tilbury Skincare Worth The Money?

A common question about this brand is if the products are worth the cost. Charlotte Tilbury products are expensive, for example, the CHARLOTTE’S MAGIC CREAM FOREVER 50ML is $180.

In our opinion, Charlotte Tilbury products aren’t worth the money, simply because there are other skincare brands that offer similar products that are less expensive.

One brand is Carrot & Stick, a clean skincare brand that perfectly balances the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science.

Carrot & Stick intro bundles deliver great value for money because you can bundle 3 full-size products worth up to $240 for $88.

What’s Inside Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream?

The key ingredients in Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream are claimed to be hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E, camellia oil, rosehip oil, shea butter, aloe vera, and frangipani flower extract. 

However, we’d like to point out that all of these “key” ingredients are present in very low concentrations (less than 1%). We know this by looking at the ingredient list (which is in order of descending concentrations). All of these ingredients are listed after the preservative phenoxyethanol, which cannot be used in concentrations more than 1%. 

So let’s discuss the real key ingredients that you’ll find in the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream formula. After water, the next eight ingredients are either emollients, humectants, or formulation enhancers.

Emollients
The formula contains high concentrations of emollients like C12-15 alkyl benzoate, vegetable oil, isononyl isononanoate, and ethylhexyl palmitate. Emollients work to soften and smooth the skin while also acting as occlusive agents.

Upon application, occlusive agents form a protective film on the surface of skin, which helps to prevent evaporation of the skin’s natural moisture. Over time, this increases skin hydration by causing buildup of water in the stratum corneum (the uppermost layer of skin).

We recommend Carrot & Stick The Moisturizer because the active complex of bio-ferments supports more efficient absorption, while plant-based emollients promote overall moisture retention.

Humectants
The humectants in Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream include butylene glycol, glycerin, and a small concentration of sodium hyaluronate. So what exactly is a humectant?

A humectant is a hygroscopic substance that has a molecular structure with several hydrophilic (water loving) groups. These hydrophilic groups hydrogen bond with water, essentially “grabbing” it and holding it on the skin. Since humectants slow water from evaporating in the epidermis, they help to keep the skin hydrated.

Humectants also provide temporary anti-aging effects because the extra hydration is extra volume, which effectively plumps out the skin and makes lines and wrinkles less noticeable. However, this effect is transient — as soon as the moisture content in skin decreases, lines and wrinkles will return to normal size. 

Vitamin C
We’ve been hearing for years that Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It’s a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.

Vitamin C also helps fade dark spots, evens out skin tone, and increases radiance. As if that wasn’t enough, research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis.

It’s true that vitamin C is included in Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, but there’s a very low concentration of this ingredient.

But our favorite antioxidant serum is Carrot & Stick The Concentrate. It contains a multitude of plant and marine antioxidants to help defend against visible aging and free radical damage. Use it every morning.

Vitamin E
Similar to vitamin C, vitamin E helps to protect the skin from free radical damage that can lead to signs of aging. In addition, vitamin E is known to strengthen the skin’s barrier function and helps to reduce transepidermal water loss.

However, once again, there’s a low concentration of this beneficial ingredient inside Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. 

We recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Cream for dry skin because it combines vitamin E with probiotics and soothing plant extracts to keep the microbiome balanced and skin looking hydrated.

How to use Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

The brand recommends applying the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream using Charlotte’s ‘Tilbury Tap’ 5-minute facial massage technique! Here’s how to perform this technique:

1. Using clean, dry fingertips, apply the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream starting from the lower cheek, sweeping cream out and up. 
2. Tap fingertips across cheeks avoiding eye contour. Place fingers under cheekbones, then smooth outwards and upwards along cheekbones. 
3. Define your jawline by gently pinching chin with your fingers, moving up your jawline in one sweeping motion. 
4. Smooth your forehead by starting in the middle of the forehead and massaging in circular motions moving out to the temples. 

Since Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream is packaged in a glass jar, its active ingredients are vulnerable to oxidization, so be sure to store your product away from sunlight and heat.

Where is Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream sold?

You can purchase Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream online or at select retailers in the U.S. and throughout the UK. Many retailers in the U.S. include major department store chains, such as Nordstrom, and also beauty suppliers like Sephora. There is a list of retailers available on the company website for both U.S. and UK customers. If you’re looking for where to buy Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream online, you can do so directly on the company website and from third party ecommerce websites, such as Amazon, eBay, Sephora, and more. Due to the high cost of the product, it may be a good idea to avoid third party sellers, as at $100 per 1.7 ounce jar, there is great incentive for unscrupulous individuals to create counterfeit versions of the product.

What is the Charlotte Tilbury return policy?

The Charlotte Tilbury return policy states, “We are committed to providing premium customer service to our customers and accept returns free of charge. If you receive products from charlottetilbury.com that do not meet your expectations, please return the unused or gently used products within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. Items returned more than 30 days from purchase will receive a store credit if within 60 days.”

Is Charlotte Tilbury cruelty free?

Charlotte Tilbury is a cruelty free company. The brand does not test finished products or ingredients on animals, and neither do their suppliers. Charlotte Tilbury skin care products are not sold in mainland China, where animal testing is required by law. 

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream reviews

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream reviews on the brand’s website are overall very positive, with the product receiving an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars after more than one thousand customer reviews.

Positive reviews point out that the texture is very thick and rich, however, it does not leave a greasy feeling on the skin. One very positive Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream review says, “I have been using this cream for a few months now and I won’t be looking anywhere else for my moisturiser in the future! I have dry and sensitive skin, with the first signs of fine lines and this cream works wonders for my dry skin. Although the cream is rich, it is absorbed quickly unlike other creams where I have found I have to wait for it to sink in before I can apply makeup. Combined with the night cream, I found that right from the first use, even deeper lines were significantly reduced and my skin looked brighter.”

Negative reviews for the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream seem to be the complete opposite of the positive reviews, with many consumers pointing out that this makes skin oily and can even clog pores. Other reviewers mention that they did not notice any results after using this cream, saying that Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream is simply not worth the hype. For example, one negative Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream review says, “I bought CT magic foundation and primer and love both of them so I thought I would try the magic cream for my dry skin. It is just awful. So greasy and it doesn’t soak into my skin at all. I tried using under my makeup today and the makeup is just sliding off my face is so greasy. Also the overwhelming smell of roses sticks with you all day. Also my pores have seemed to reappear after only one use.”

What are some alternatives to Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream?

If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin. We recommend this cream.