A new Charlotte Tilbury product is always accompanied by much fanfare. Today's launch is absolutely no exception to that rule, and is possibly one of the most exciting of recent months – depending on your thoughts and feelings towards foundation, of course. Charlotte Tilbury herself, however, has referred to this product as her 'life's work', so, y'know, no biggie.
Joining the (already beloved ) Airbrush Flawless range is the Airbrush Flawless Foundation, which is available in 44 different shades. It had a waiting list of 17,000 before it had even arrived on (virtual) shelves, and it promises to 'reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 22 per cent after just 8 weeks.' Does it deliver?
The first thing to say would be that the shade range is genuinely impressive. Not only are there 44 different shades, they're also categorised by undertones and overtones, meaning that your foundation should match your skin perfectly in every type of light. The overtone of your skin refers to your general shade – fair, medium, tan or dark, for example – while the undertones refer to the more subtle aspects of your skin. If you have cool undertones, you'll have hints of blue, light pink or red, while warm undertones include yellow, peach and gold. Neutral, meanwhile, means that you might have a mix of both warm and cool undertones, or you can't really detect any at all.
Aside from the shades, the foundation makes a whole lot of promises. For one, it claims to 'stay all day and all night,' as in keeping with many long-wear products of a similar ilk. Having tested the Airbrush Flawless foundation, however, I can attest to the fact that this did not budge – not even during a heatwave. The formula is fairly thick but it can be buffed easily if you want more of a sheer coverage, which, as an advocate of water-based, lightweight formulae, I found somewhat relieving.
The staying power is but one of the promises, however. The others are a bit more complex. For starter's, Charlotte Tilbury has joined the current trend of combining make-up with skincare, offering Airbrush Flawless Foundation as a hydrating product, too. The brand states that when tested on over 650 different women, skin moisture levels were boosted by 216 per cent in 1 hour and, while I can't give you stats as specific as that, I can say that my skin didn't dry out at all, as it often does under thicker foundations. Natural ingredients have also been used to combat pollution, as well as something called AirCoolTM, which promises to leave skin feeling fresh (I found that this really did happen).
Then, we come to the suggestion that the foundation reduces the appearance of wrinkles. It contains Magic Replexium, which during clinical trials was shown to reduce the visible signs of ageing by 22 per cent over an eight week period. The concentration of Replexium is two per cent, which, according to Tilbury, is as much as you would ever put in a serum – hence why she refers to this product as a 'make-up/skincare hybrid'.
Available to buy now, this is certainly one of the first major products leading the way in a new wave of beauty innovation. The future undoubtedly lies in products that combine all the benefits of your favourite skincare with the properties of make-up, and with Airbrush Flawless Filter Foundation, Charlotte Tilbury has a head start. Don't be put off if you're normally a fan of lightweight, sheer foundations, though – this is a really versatile product that feels much lighter than the coverage it provides.
SHOP: Charlotte Tilbury, Airbrush Flawless Foundation, £34
Charlotte Tilbury, Airbrush Flawless Foundation, £34
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