Charlotte Tilbury’s Luxury Eyeshadow Palette | The Rebel

Amidst a sea of large eyeshadow palettes, the humble quad stands out. It’s a sort of gem of the past that, for the most part, only designer and drugstore cosmetics brands still embrace. It’s a shame. Tiny palettes have so much to offer. They are easy to travel with, limit indecisiveness, enhance an existing eyeshadow collection without adding a bunch of shades, and they sometimes offer a unique pairing of colors that you might not otherwise consider.

Yet, there’s always been a stodginess about eyeshadow quads. Oddly, both high- and low-end brands tend to include those lousy foam-tipped applicators or tiny, plasticky brushes within these palettes. It’s not the fact that these applicators don’t work that bothers me; it’s the unused space. Space that could otherwise go toward more product.

But then, there’s Charlotte Tilbury. Bringing class to the average quad. No janky applicators here! I received CT’s Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in The Rebel as a gift from my husband a while ago, but I wanted to share it here for a couple of reasons:

1. We really are bombarded with extra-large palettes, so I’m finding smaller ones to be quite refreshing.
2. It’s green! And green is going to be big this year, as I mentioned in my 2019 trends post.

Actually, it already is. I’ve noticed a lot of green-centric palettes, particularly with indie brands. It’s pretty cool that CT was already offering this color, but in a very wearable form.  

The Details
This palette costs $53.00 and contains 5.2 grams of product. It includes four shades, and comes in CT’s signature burgundy-brown packaging with gold detailing and a mirror that extends to the edges of the compact. It arrived without a dust cover and does not come with an applicator.

The Shades
Every CT Luxury Eyeshadow palette contains the same four shade names: Prime, Enhance, Smoke, and Pop. It’s like a luxury version of those drugstore palettes that walk you through the application process (see Wet n Wild’s Color Icon Eyeshadow Quads). Here’s a breakdown of the shades:

• Prime – A beautiful champagne shimmer that is more shimmery than it is pigmented. It imparts a natural glow to the eyelid, inner corner, and brow bone that replicates light reflecting off the skin.
  
• Enhance – A metallic jungle green that looks equally cool packed all over the lid or smoked out under the lash line. It takes a little work to build up, but the result is beautiful and lasting.
• Pop – A glittery olive. Oh, how I love this color! Press it all over the lid or the outer corner for nighttime glamour. The base of this shade is fairly sheer, so the color is mainly imparted through the glitter.
• Smoke – A murky teal that’s perfect for deepening the outer corner of the eye or adding a pop to the lower lash line.

Here’s the look I created with these eyeshadows:

My Thoughts
Here’s the deal: I really like this palette and am glad to have it in my collection. These eyeshadows are lovely, and their most outstanding quality is how effortlessly they blend out individually and together. You can tell these shades were made for each other both color- and formula-wise. They are very long-lasting and maintain good pigmentation throughout the day. All qualities I’d expect from a luxury brand.

However, these eyeshadows do take time to build up, and the Prime shade in particular can be a source of frustration. Like many shimmers, it applies best with your finger, but this has caused it to form a slightly hardened surface over time from the oils on my skin. It is a beautiful shade, though. There is a bit of fallout to the eyeshadows as well. Not surprising with greens, but something to think about when spending this much money.

So, is it worth $53.00? Personally, yes. I enjoy having these reliable greens in my collection, and I often pair them with other eyeshadow palettes. But, it’s also a lot of money for four eyeshadows. Yes, they work well, but you’re also paying for the name. I’m ok with that because I really like CT as a makeup artist. If you’re not, then this might not be the palette for you.

Have you tried any CT products? What were your thoughts?

xoxo Kelli