Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish Powder Review & Affordable Dupe

A flawless base is the key to a flawless face, so does this ‘flawless finish’ powder from Charlotte Tilbury live up to it’s name. We’ll see….

Firstly, I think that it is safe to saw that Charlotte Tilbury is the queen of naming make-up products, it is like click-bate, only in real life. Her brand and her make-up promise a Hollywood glamour, so what person could say no to that?

As you all know, if you have read my previous reviews on Charlotte Tilbury cosmetics,  I have been slightly skeptical in the past if the make-up is worth the hype and the price tag. When it comes to the ‘Flawless Finish’ powder, however, I think it is worth at least some of the hype.

I’ve had dry skin pretty much all of my life and so I thought pressed powders were useless and just made my skin look drier. Recently, my skin has been entering a more combination phase and this has turned me into a lover of pressed and loose powders. For my skin type currently, I think that this Charlotte Tilbury powder is nearly the perfect match.

My Thoughts 

• Firstly, I just have to mention the packaging. Although this probably adds to the high price point, I don’t really mind. The packaging is luxurious and sleek in style. Also there is a decent sized mirror in the compact which is very good quality. The mirror always comes in handy for freshening up and blotting throughout the day.
• The powder is so so smooth. If you do not need this in your life, trust me, do not go into the store and swatch it because it is so soft that you will definitely want to try it out, this is the reason I bought it.
• Technically speaking, the powder is very finely milled so it melts into the skin very easily and doesn’t give you that obvious powdery look. The finish of this is more of a satin rather than a matte.
• It is versatile in the sense that it can be used as an all over face powder and an under-eye setting powder. Since it is so finely milled and soft I find that it is gentle under my eyes and doesn’t exacerbate under eye creases.
• There is a 30 month expirey date on it, so you can expect it to stay in good condition for longer.
• I love this powder, but I do not love the shade selection. I just don’t think that 3 shades is enough. Fortunately for me, shade 1 suits my natural skin tone and I get to enjoy using this powder, but I think that there is definite room  and need for expansion in the shade range.
• Let’s be honest here, it is expensive. €42 for a face powder is steep. Even though I do kind of think it’s worth it …..

However, have no fear. There is no way I was going to write a nearly glowing review on a luxury powder without giving a comparable affordable dupe.

The Wet n Wild ‘photofocus Pressed Powder’ is all-round an excellent powder. It also just so happens to be pretty comparable to the Charlotte Tilbury powder and it is €5.

Comparisons

• The Photofocus powder has a better shade range as there are 6 shades in this range, but it is still definitely lacking in at least one more lighter shade and much more deeper shades also, but it is better than 3.
• This powder is also nice and soft and can be used all over the face or under the eyes.
• It isn’t as buttery soft as the Charlotte Tilbury one in the sense of how it sinks into your face, but it is definitely close.
• There is no mirror with the photofocus powder so if you are touching up throughout the day you would have to find a mirror in a bathroom somewhere, or just go in blind.
• The biggest difference between the two has got to be the price. There is a massive €37 between the two.

Overall

If you are looking for a good powder that will set your face nicely, but you don’t want to spend big money I would go for the Wet n Wild powder.

On the other hand, if you are looking for luxury and convenience and don’t mind spending a pretty penny, the Charlotte Tilbury powder really is excellent.

What are your favorite drugstore dupes for luxury make-up?

Talk to you all soon,

Much love,

Laura x