Tag Archives: Charlotte Tilbury

Event: Charlotte Tilbury Takes Canada

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June 2015 marked the entrance of Charlotte Tilbury into Canada and there were a LOT of us that were excited. Charlotte Tilbury, touted as the world’s #1 make-up artist, is a British makeup artist that has spent 20+ years in the industry, working on notable clients like Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss. Her line of makeup was first launched in the United Kingdom in 2013, eventually made it’s way over to the US, and now finally, to Canada.

Outside Holt Renfew on Bloor Street (Toronto)
Outside Holt Renfew on Bloor Street (Toronto)

Charlotte herself was coming to Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street in Toronto to help promote the launch of her products and several of us beauty bloggers planned to attend the event. The event was open to the public and essentially a meet and greet.

The Charlotte Tilbury counter at Holt Renfrew
The Charlotte Tilbury counter at Holt Renfrew

At Holt Renfew, Charlotte Tilbury‘s new counter jumps out at you when you enter. It’s immediately to the right of the entrance doors and it’s breathtaking. You could easily sink a lot of time and money into this counter! Interesting to note, while the products are certainly expensive in Canadian dollars, they are actually cheaper if you buy them here, than overseas. Given the exchange right now, the Canadian prices are a far better deal. For example, the Bronze & Glow palette is $80 CAD. In the UK, it retails for £49. With the current exchange, that £49 comes out to just over $96 CAD!

In line to meet Charlotte
In line to meet Charlotte

I met several of my beauty blogging friends and we waited in line to meet Charlotte. Although it was busy when we got there,  there weren’t a ton of people in line to meet Charlotte. However, come 6 o’clock, the line quickly started to snake around the counters. I’ve not had much experience waiting in line to meet celebrities, but this was incredibly upscale: we were given little bottles of water, samples and asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding our skin type.

And the meet and greet has started!
And the meet and greet has started!

With great fanfare, Charlotte Tilbury and her team walked in right on time. There was some brief dance number as all the models dressed up in her looks paraded around, and then the CEO of Holt’s shared his excitement about having both Charlotte and her products on site. It was pointed out a few times that apparently the Canadian launch has outdone any other launch they’ve had in terms of sales. You go Canada, you spend that money! (I know I sure did!)

I’d like to think she was gasping at my expertly applied makeup. /brushes off shoulder
I’d like to think she was gasping at my expertly applied makeup. /brushes off shoulder

When we go the chance to meet her, it was pretty quick and quite a blur. She commented on my makeup saying I must be wearing the Glamour Muse quad (nope, was Vintage Vamp) and then pointed out I had the wrong lip colour on for the “look”. I think I *actually* said that I couldn’t afford all her products yet! Way to go Chelle, you stick it to her. /facepalm

Her hairrrr!
Her hairrrr!

I made brief small talk and stood awkwardly. She recommended some products of hers for me, then we took a picture and off I went. This woman is a total pro. She’s not only stunning to look at her (that hair, I mean really… LOOK AT IT) but she can seemingly navigate any kind of awkward conversation she gets into with a fan. Impressive, to say the least.

Money shot
Money shot

Smile! Dude… get your hand out of my shot. 😐

Meeting and greeting
Meeting and greeting

So all in all, it was pretty brief, but it was fun to hang out with my blogging buddies and coo over a makeup celebrity. I do really like the products I’ve tried from Charlotte Tilbury‘s line and I will be purchasing more in the future. If you want to check out the makeup look I did with The Vintage Vamp quad and the Bronze & Glow duo, you can see that here.

#tilburytaxi
#tilburytaxi

As we left Hot’s, we snagged a shot in front of the adorable Tilbury Taxi. I love these ladies – be sure to check them out as a few of them have done event recaps of the event as well (left to right):

What I Bought This Month: June 2015 Haul

Haul time! Behold, all of June’s goodies!

MAC – Reflects Red ($12 CAD)
MAC – Reflects Red ($12 CAD)

One of my lovely blogging friends (Julie over at Swatch and Review) managed to snag me a few items from the MAC warehouse sale this past month. I love, love, LOVE MAC‘s transparent/see-through glitters and she found me the one I was after the most: Reflects Red. It comes out a bit more pink than I was expecting, but it’s GORGEOUS! And it’s in the old MAC packaging so there’s even more in there to play with. Yay!

MAC – Reflects Blue ($12 CAD)
MAC – Reflects Blue ($12 CAD)

She also found Reflects Blue! I realize the colours can be kind of hard to tell, but once you get these glitters on the skin, they reflect the colour that they are, which makes for a really lovely shimmery edge to your look. They also look very, very vibrant when you put them over a black base – the colour pops a lot more then.

MAC - Objects of Affection Pigments
MAC – Objects of Affection Pigments

She also picked up a few pigments from the previous year’s MAC Christmas collection, but didn’t want them all, so I happily took the remaining ones.

MAC - Objects of Affection Pigments
MAC – Objects of Affection Pigments

I ended up with the shades Reigning Riches (glitter), Whisper Pink and Rose. Gorgeous, gorgeous pigments. I promptly pressed the two shades that weren’t the glitter. For a how to on pressing pigments, check out my recent post!

Mary Kay - Juicy Guava Duo (free - swap)
Mary Kay – Juicy Guava Duo (free – swap)

All of the remaining items came from a CBB swap we had mid-month. I was able to ditch even more products that I wasn’t using in favour of trying out some new things. First up was the Mary Kay cheek duo in Juicy Guava. I had seen this one on a few blogs and the brightness of the blush really drew me in. I’m not excited by the lack of outer packaging, but maybe I’ve got a spare palette I can pop this into.

MAC Pressed Pigment in Warming Heart (free – swap)
MAC Pressed Pigment in Warming Heart (free – swap)

One of the first items at the swap I spotted was this MAC pressed pigment in Warming Heart. I have no experience with MAC’s pressed pigments so I wanted to give this one a shot.

Revlon HD Pink Ruby (free – swap)
Revlon HD Pink Ruby (free – swap)

I dove for this one when I realized no one was touching it. I have no experience with the new Revlon HD glosses, but this looked like a dupe for Adorned, a previously limited edition shade by Revlon in a formula that has now been discontinued. This gloss is incredible to look at and I swear it’s the exact same shade as the old one. This is HD Pink Ruby – a bright fuchsia filled with glitter particles. Seriously stunning!

Maybelline Color Elixir in Breathtaking Apricot (free – swap)
Maybelline Color Elixir in Breathtaking Apricot (free – swap)

Fundamentally, I’m not a gloss person. They just really annoy me. My hair gets caught in them, they wear off too fast, etc. etc. And yet… they always look so damn stunning in their packaging. I had held off for… well I guess a year or more now, on ever buying aMaybelline Color Elixir because I just wouldn’t get enough use out of it. But if it’s FREE, who am I to say no? Breathtaking Apricot is a lovely orange coral and I’m interested to see what all the fuss was concerning the Color Elixirs.

Revlon Moisture Stain in Shanghai Sizzle (free – swap)
Revlon Moisture Stain in Shanghai Sizzle (free – swap)

Another type of lip product I hadn’t sunk any money into yet. This is Revlon‘s Moisture Stain in Shanghai Sizzle. I love that it’s super bright, so I get to try out a new formula with a shade I really enjoy. These were also huge last year but I never took the plunge.

Julep Polishes (free - swap_
Julep Polishes (free – swap)

Hmmm nail polish. I’m not a huge nail polish wearer. Even though I’ve stopped playing Ultimate Frisbee, I’ve still been left with absolutely mauled fingernails that break and chip constantly. But these Julep polishes were lovely and no one seemed to want them. The top one is a glitter called America and the bottom reminds me of a shade of polish I got at Sephora (back in the early 90s, in Limoges, France when the franc was still the common currency) – it’s a lovely pearlescent shade with blue/green reflect.

False lashes (free – swap)
False lashes (free – swap)

There were a lot of false lashes on the table at the swap, so I grabbed a few pairs from brands I’d never used before. I don’t use lashes often, but it’s nice to have them when I do want to wear them. That Kiss pair on the right though… that looks so natural I could probably get away with that on a daily basis.

Nail strips (free – swap)
Nail strips (free – swap)

Again… not a nail person, but these looks fun. I’ll have to let my ratty nails grow out a bit before I can try these.

Physicians Formula – Nude Wear trio (free – swap)
Physicians Formula – Nude Wear trio (free – swap)

This trio of powders from Physicians Formula was left in a massive box (with bag that I promptly gave away). I can see why no one took it too – the box these three powders comes in is ENORMOUS. It’s larger than any compact I own – like it’s literally box height. Ridiculous. This isn’t travel friendly, or even user friendly. I’m going to have to depot them if I have any hope in hell of wearing them. I do love Physicians Formula products though so I’m happy to get to try these Nude Wear powders.

MAC - Mini Pigments
MAC – Mini Pigments

And lastly, I got handed some lovely MAC pigments that I will no doubt be pressing shortly. And glitter, yes! MORE GLITTER!

Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp ($64 CAD)
Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp ($64 CAD)
Charlotte Tilbury – Filmstar Bronze & Glow ($80 CAD)
Charlotte Tilbury – Filmstar Bronze & Glow ($80 CAD)

Of course, I ALSO picked up two very lovely Charlotte Tilbury items, but you can read more about that in a dedicated post I had earlier this month: Charlotte Tilbury Launches in Canada.

Phew, that’s it! Loads of products, and it would’ve been a low spending month… but thenCharlotte Tilbury happened and that stuff, while gorgeous, is still insanely expensive! And yet… I want more.

Charlotte Tilbury Launches in Canada (Review, Swatches & Look)

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June 2015 saw the launch of Charlotte Tilbury products in Canada and my god was I ever excited. If you’ve been lurking around the internet for a while, you may have seenCharlotte Tilbury products popping up on blogs and YouTube since late 2013. It first started in the UK, then spread to the USA. Now, finally, Canadians can pick up her products without ordering from overseas! For the month of June, all sales on charlottetilbury.com/ca/ will have free shipping!

There’s zero disputing her products are exceptionally highend. The price tags alone were enough to curb my spending and I ended up purchasing only two products (however, my mental list of what I “need” continues to grow longer and longer…). I hope you enjoy reading about what I’ve picked up. There’s also a full look at the bottom of this post that features both products.

Charlotte Tilbury – Filmstar Bronze & Glow ($80 CAD)
Charlotte Tilbury – Filmstar Bronze & Glow ($80 CAD)

The one thing I knew I wanted without a shadow of a doubt from Charlotte Tilbury‘s line was the Filmstar Bronze & Glow. At $80 CAD, this is by far the most expensive single item I own in my makeup collection. (Hilariously, given the current exchange rate, this is actually cheaper to buy in Canada than in the UK! So that means… it was a total steal right? ) The packaging feels and acts luxurious – it opens and snaps shut with a solid click. It’s slightly weighted, but this is a plastic compact and not a metal one. And it’s just stunning to look at. This is the kind of item you want to proudly display on your vanity.

Charlotte Tilbury – Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Charlotte Tilbury – Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Inside the compact are two shades intended to sculpt and highlight your face. There’s also an enormous mirror on the inside which is massively appreciated.

Charlotte Tilbury – Filmstar Bronze & Glow swatches
Charlotte Tilbury – Filmstar Bronze & Glow swatches

The Sculpt shade has an orange tinge to it, and there’s some shimmer. I would recommend using this as a bronzer instead of a contour because it does wonders to give you a sunkissed glow. (As a note, I’ve seen it look far cooler toned on other blogs, but when I tried it out it definitely came out more warm.)

The Highlight shade is a fairly standard gold shade that will give a beautiful sheen to the high points of your face.

Neither product has particles of glitter, they are both infused with a sheen. It’s also worth noting that these are incredibly pigmented and buttery soft. I made the mistake of jabbing my brush into the Sculpt shade the first time I used it and I picked up WAY too much product. Go gentle and sweep lightly into the product to pick some up!

Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp ($64 CAD)
Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp ($64 CAD)
Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp
Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp

Just look at that stunning quad. I mean come on… doesn’t that just look and feel fancy?

Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp
Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp

Three of the shades are buttery soft ranging from satin to shimmer. The fourth shade, the gold, is basically a glitter topcoat. It’s described by Charlotte as a “Pop” shade – intended to glitter up your look and make it more nighttime appropriate. (If that matters to you that is, I’d wear it during the day regardless.) The Pop shade is definitely chunky and a bit awkward to work with. I couldn’t decide if using a brush or my finger was best.

Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp swatches
Charlotte Tilbury – The Vintage Vamp swatches

I do feel the Enhance and Smoke shades are far too similar to each other. They look completely identical on the eye. However, they are both lovely shades and ones I’ll get an immense amount of use out of, so it’s not really a downer for me. However, if you’re looking for more definition, the two deeper shades in this quad won’t offer much difference in depth between the two of them.

Wearing The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad and Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Wearing The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad and Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Here’s the look I came up with! There’s no denying that this is a sultry look, and I’m impressed with how easy it was to create. I wasn’t sure how well the champagne-pink shade would work with the gold topcoat, but I’m happy to report that it seemed to meld together seamlessly. These aren’t necessarily colours I would think to throw together in a look, so I’m glad they put them together for me as it forced me to try something different.

Wearing The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad and Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Wearing The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad and Filmstar Bronze & Glow

We may be on the brink of summer here in Toronto, but I love how autumnal this made me feel. The dark berry lips with the intense eyes is something I would wear regardless of the season. Heck, I think I’ve even already figured out what my Christmas makeup is going to be this year! (As ridiculous as that is to say in June!)

Wearing The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad and Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Wearing The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad and Filmstar Bronze & Glow

The shot above shows a bit more of the Sculpt and Highlight shades from the Filmstarpalette as well. The highlight is gorgeous, although not too intense. The Sculpt shade is heavily applied at the backs of my cheekbones and I like how it transitions my blush to back of my cheekbone.

The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad
The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad
The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad
The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad

Read on for full details on how to achieve this look.

The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad – tutorial
The Vintage Vamp eyeshadow quad – tutorial

Eyes

  1. Enhance shade all over the lid.
  2. Smoke shade on the outer corner and pulled through the crease. This shade is also used to line the entire lower lash line.
  3. Prime shade on the brow bone (lightly) and on the inner tearduct (heavily).
  4. Pop shade applied to the inner half of the lid on top of the Enhance shade.

I used MAC‘s Blacktrack fluidline to create the wing and Marc Jacobs‘ Highligher Gel Crayon in Blacquer to tightline both waterlines. I applied CoverGirl‘s Clump Crushermascara to my lashes and threw on a pair of Ardell Demi Wispies false lashes as well.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Bronzer: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (Sculpt)
  • Blush: Clinique Cola Pop
  • Highlighter: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (Highlight)
  • Lips: Too Faced Melted Berry

If you’re in Toronto, Charlotte herself will be at Holt Renfrew on Bloor on June 24, 2015 between 6 and 8 pm. I’ll be there with bells on!