Charlotte Tilbury Blush: The Powders, Wands and Sticks to Know

Charlotte Tilbury Blush: The Powders, Wands and Sticks to Know

Charlotte Tilbury blush comes in powders, palettes, liquid wands and hydrating sticks, all built around a makeup artist's idea of a flush. Here is how I would pick between them, plus a few nude pink cousins from other brands.

Charlotte Tilbury spent years as a working makeup artist, assisting Mary Greenwell and then doing backstage and magazine work, before she launched her own brand in 2013 at Selfridges in London. Her whole idea is a makeup wardrobe, where products are designed to work together as looks. I think that shows most clearly in Charlotte Tilbury blush, because the same soft, rosy thinking runs through every format.

Start with the powders in this first row. The Airbrush Flawless Blush Blur is a pressed powder with medium coverage that is meant to leave a blurred, filtered veil of color for up to 16 hours. Pillow Talk Medium is a rosy pink with cool undertones, Ecstasy is a soft peach in a swish and pop glow format, and Pillow Talk Dreams is a deep burnt rose in a matte finish. The two compacts in Love Glow and Walk Of No Shame are more ways in. The Mini Hollywood Blush & Glow Palette is a mini, pocket size palette that pairs a blush shade with a highlighter and has squalane in it. There is also a Hollywood Blush & Glow Glide Palette in Tan Deep, and a Bronzer + Blusher Brush for blending.

A tip that works with any of them: swirl a small angled brush around the outer shade, glide it across the apple of the cheek and lift up and out.

Spec list collage for Charlotte Tilbury Blush: The Powders, Wands and Sticks to Know, with notes on Matte Beauty Blush Wand, Unreal Blush Stick, Airbrush Flawless Blush and Mini Hollywood Blush and Glow
Charlotte Tilbury Blush

Charlotte Tilbury powder blush, palettes and a brush

Wands and sticks for a fast flush

The second row is where I would send anyone who wants an easier hand. The Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wand is a highly pigmented matte liquid blush with a cushion applicator: one dot for a natural flush, two or three for more. Pillow Talk is a matte nude pink, Peach Pop is a matte nude peach and Dream Pop is a matte cherry pink.

The Unreal Lip + Cheek Glow Blush Stick is the opposite mood, hydrating and luminous, with hyaluronic acid and color that is described as lasting up to eight hours on cheeks and lips. Pinky Glow is a vibrant cool pink, Rosy Glow is a warm rosy pink and Berry Glow is a rich berry. The brand also suggests swiping a little across the bridge of the nose for a sunkissed look. The Beautiful Skin Lip & Cheek Glow in Paradise Pink Glow and the Lip & Cheek Glow in the 0.08 oz size are two more portable options.

Pairing tip: use a wand under powder for a matte cheek, and use a stick over bare or lightly moisturized skin when you want a bit of shine. Blend the dots quickly, because a matte liquid sets fast.

What I would skip: layering a glow stick over a matte wand in the same shade. The two finishes fight each other, so choose one lane per cheek.

Charlotte Tilbury liquid and cream blush

Nude pinks from other brands

Sometimes the right shade is already in the Charlotte Tilbury family, only with another label on it. These are nude pink and rosy blushes from other brands that sit close to Pillow Talk. Marc Jacobs Beauty Joystick in Shady Business is a rosewood nude cream stick with hyaluronic acid. Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks in Garconne is a pinched mauve stick with a natural finish. YSL Make Me Blush powder in Nude Lavalliere is a dusty pink satin that the brand says is waterproof. MAKEUP BY MARIO Soft Pop Powder Blush in Desert Rose is an earthy rose pink. VIOLETTE_FR Plume Blush in Rose Fume is a cool smoky pink that builds like a cream and diffuses like a powder. Prada Touch in Dahlia is a nude pink that goes on creamy and finishes soft matte. PATRICK TA Major Headlines in Not Too Much is a cream and powder duo in a soft rosy taupe, and Tom Ford Architecture Soft Matte Blush is another quiet option.

Tip: swatch two side by side on your jaw, not your wrist, since the jaw shows you how a shade sits against your neck.

What I would skip: a smoky or taupe shade if your skin is very pale. Reach for a rosier pink first.

Nude pink blushes in the same family

Picking your formula

Choose the formula before the shade. A pressed powder like the Airbrush Flawless Blush Blur suits long days and a brush. A Matte Beauty Blush Wand suits anyone who likes to dot and blend in seconds. A Glow Stick suits dry skin and lips that want to match. Then pick the color. Pillow Talk is the shade family the brand is best known for, with Pillow Talk Medium and Dreams covering lighter and deeper tones, and the peach options warm things up. Whichever way you go, a Charlotte Tilbury blush looks best when you place it on the apples and blend up toward the temple, then leave the rest of the face quiet.