Tried & Tested

On trial: Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Water Cream – an honest review

On trial: Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Water Cream
Gilly Ferguson,-Contributing Editor

Promising ‘your best ever skin’, how does this gel cream moisturiser measure up?

The stakes are sky-high for Charlotte Tilbury’s NEW Magic Water Cream

Why? Charlotte Tilbury MBE knows how to concoct a beauty bestseller (or five). From magnificent makeup buys adored by A-listers to unlocking the secret to celebrity skin, Tilbs has more than earned her place in the beauty haul of fame. 

Now Charlotte Tilbury’s new Magic Water Cream joins an iconic line-up (think Pillow Talk, Beauty Light Wands and the OG Charlotte’s Magic Cream), with millions of us pinning our hopes and creams on this launch, united by our quest for a moisture-maxing, skincare miracle.

What is Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Water Cream?

Combining ‘magic and science for your best skin ever’, this feather-light, fragrance-free gel cream promises to unlock 100 hours of hydration with every application, for instant skin revival.

How? Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream is loaded with ingredients including Hydagen™ and beta glucan (moisture-locking), plus peptides and niacinamide (to blur pores and even skin tone).

Who’s it for? Thirsty faces – Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream is best suited to normal and oily-combination skin types.

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image of a Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

What will it do for your skin?

Drench, revive and improve. Listed skincare benefits include:

  • Pores – appear reduced by 54% in 28 seconds*
  • Redness – appears reduced by 100% after 4 weeks*
  • Skin tone – appears 69% more even after 28 seconds*
  • Skin texture – appears 74% smoother after 28 days*

*Tested on 33 people. 

How to apply Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream for the best results

  • How much? A hazelnut-sized amount.
  • How often? AM and/or PM.
  • Where in my routine? Apply post cleanse/serum – and pre-SPF.
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What’s the difference between Magic Cream and Magic Water Cream?

Ten years on from its launch, Charlotte’s Magic Cream remains a brand bestseller – boasting a thick, decadent and ingredient-rich formula packed with plump-effect peptides and SPF.

Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream is fragrance-free and gel-based – almost weightless in comparison, and ideal for sensitive skin types and anyone who favours refreshing, feather-light formulas for a burst of instant skin-soaking hydration.

The metrics that matter
Value for moneyAt £79 it is a luxury, yes, but a little goes a long way, and subsequent refills are priced at £69.
EfficacyMy skin slurped it up! Instantly – and undeniably – dewy and hydrated/healthier-looking after two weeks.
ConsistencyWith my acne-prone combination skin (and a preference for fast-absorbing, bouncy-gel-light formulas that glide on), Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream is the dream – plus it’s fragrance-free, a bonus for sensitive skin.
image of a Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream
image of a Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream
Before and after

Does Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream live up to the hype?

Yes, yes! A thousand times, yes!

Do you need a new gel-cream moisturiser in your life and/or routine? That’s between you and your skin but… should you? I can honestly say this is – hands down – the best gel moisturiser I have ever tried (and tested) and my sun-scorched skin has never been happier, nor more glass-like and glowy. I’m talking celebrity gloss with a nod to donut glaze. Even my makeup sits better. 

Skin-soaking, quick-drying and with a satisfying sheen, use it to wake up your makeup, or for a splash of hydration before bed. IMHO? This is sorcery in a pot. 

Charlotte Tilbury limited-edition kit

Pick up the limited-edition Charlotte Tilbury kit

To celebrate the launch of Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream, Charlotte Tilbury has released a limited-edition skincare kit – available to John Lewis customers for £120 (worth £141), while stocks last. Charlotte’s 4 Magic Steps to Hydrated, Glowing Skin kit includes: 

 

box

Travel-Size Glow Toner 30ml

box

Travel-Size Collagen Superfusion Facial Oil 8ml

box

Charlotte’s Magic Cream 30ml

box

Full-Size Magic Serum Crystal Elixir 30ml

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