Charlotte Tilbury knows a thing or two about creating beauty products guaranteed to attract millions of fans. From the brand's Hollywood Flawless Filter Foundation, £39 – dubbed the 'Paris filter in a bottle' – to the skin-perfecting Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Cream, £54, which at this point really needs no introduction, these are products which don't just generate hype, they also produce five star reviews across the board. The latest addition to Charlotte Tilbury's brimming beauty roster is not necessarily new, but that makes it no less exciting. The brand has upgraded its award winning Hollywood Contour Wands, £30, with not one but five brand new shades.
Originally available in just two shades, Fair Medium and Medium Deep, the once limited shade range somehow didn't stop the wands from becoming a huge success. That's possibly a result of their unique take on sculpting. For one, the easy-lock cushion applicator allows for fool-proof, fuss-free, no-mess definition wherever needed, including more intricate areas like the nose. Then, there's the formula itself. Its weightless, almost whipped texture is pigmented, buildable and blend-able, meaning you can customise your contoured look in a way that suits you best. And, whether you're using it on top of liquid or powder products, it settles into skin flawlessly – we did say fuss-free, didn't we?
The newest shades to join the ranks build on this legacy, but this time with careful consideration of the undertones and overtones in a diversity of skin tones, to help everyone find their perfect match. In fact, according to Charlotte Tilbury herself, 'You can now choose from seven perfectly balanced shades for the easiest, most natural-looking contour of your life! Never muddy or ashy, they flatter in every light to give you my natural, soft-sculpt effect! Created using my award-winning formula, everyone, everywhere can get sculpted cheekbones in seconds!'
Now available in Fair, Medium, Tan, Tan Deep and Deep, this extension of shades may be later in the day than we'd have liked but is still very welcome indeed. After all, Tilbury has been sculpting the famous faces of A-listers for 30 years by way of lighting and shading tricks and, cottoning on to people's hesitation towards contouring, Tilbury was able deliver an innovative solution in the form of a new contour wand make-up category. The newest upgrade to the category comes hot on the heels of the brand's newest campaign: Legendary. For a Reason, which is really Tilbury's rebuttal to the many dupes of her products now in existence. 'They can try but they cannot deny, my legendary beauty icons are undupable,' she said.
Just how good are they? We put the new Hollywood Contour Wands to the test to find out.
Shop: Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Contour Wands
www.charlottetilbury.com
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'I am absolutely and unequivocally wedded to my Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer, so know that it takes a lot for me to look in another direction. That said, on days where I need a quick and simple soft sculpt that doesn't require the same hard work of a cream bronzer, this wand comes in very, very handy. While it won't pack the same punch as a heavy duty, cream formula, it wins on ease and comfort. Super lightweight and almost serum-like in consistency, it imparts a sun-kissed glow that settles into the skin with an undetectable, velvety finish. I've landed on Medium-Deep as my every day shade as well as the new shade Tan for days where I need a deeper sculpt.'
www.charlottetilbury.com
Cassie Steer, acting beauty director, says: 'Memories of over-complicated Kim Kardashian-style contouring techniques in the 2010s (that I knew I would never attempt) swore me off anything resembling sculpting for a good couple of decades but, like everything she does, Ms Tilbury has made it easy. Thanks to the new shade range (Fair for me) I’ve found that I can gently coax the illusion of a little more elevation from my cheekbones and I even use it down the sides of my nose for some undetectable honing. Still not something I’ll do every day but consider me converted.'
www.charlottetilbury.com
Rachael Martin, beauty editor, says: 'A make-up artist I am not, so it's fair so say that the idea of sculpting my round face fills me with dread - "mucky" is the word that comes to mind when I'm met with a flashback of a recent attempt. But that's where Queen Charlotte works her wizardry. Her Hollywood wands are, quite literally, magic. And fool-proof too. Three dots in the hollows of my cheeks and blended out using the warmth of my fingertips reveal...dare I hope...cheekbones? A little goes a long way for a subtle sculpt, but it's easily buildable if an Hadid-esque chisel is more your thing.'
www.charlottetilbury.com
**Renee Washington, fashion and beauty assistant, says: '**A word of warning: a little goes a long way with this, the pigment is so rich and the formula is runny. I learnt that the hard way when I squirted a huge blob on to my bare face. But, what I did gather from this is that it's buildable, easy to take off, and looks good on fresh skin. I will say I’m not really a huge fan of the applicator, and I found applying to the back of the hand before applying to the face worked best for me. I repeat, a little goes a long way.'
Sameeha Shaikh is Grazia's beauty writer, working across all categories to bring you insights on the latest trends, industry news and the products you need to know about, viral or not (most probably viral).