Deputy Editor Niamh Devereux brings an exclusive look at Charlotte Tilbury’s freshly reformulated Magic Cream
Indeed, Tilbury tends to pepper her conversations with the endearment ‘darling’ more than you might expect. It’s January, and I find myself seated across from the beauty powerhouse in her London headquarters for an embargoed preview of the updated Magic Cream — and she’s practically bubbling with excitement. Thirteen years have passed since the beloved cream first hit shelves; it was originally dreamed up by Charlotte while she was a makeup artist backstage with models and celebrities.
Her blend of hydrating vitamins and oils earned the nickname ‘Charlotte’s secret cream’, a remedy she relied upon to replenish dry and flagging skin during the whirlwind of Fashion Weeks or just before red-carpet appearances. Today, the brand states that one pot is sold globally every minute. So I wonder: if it wasn’t broken before, what justifies changing it now? Charlotte explains that the very reasons she first created the cream are more pressing than ever.
“We have less sleep, more screens, more stress, harsher water, higher UV levels, not to mention more actives and aggressive treatments,” she tells us. “The needs of our skin have greatly evolved and I wanted to work alongside leading scientists to really innovate and supercharge the formula, to protect the skin barrier and reverse the signs of ageing – basically, I call it my Death Becomes Her cream, because it’s like a miracle in a jar. It has been ten years in the making.”
This is a big claim – as are the comments from the clinical trials of over 250 people who tested it over eight weeks. 4/5 of that group likened the cream to a “face lift in a jar” and noted it improves the appearance of hydration, glow, plumpness, redness, uneven texture, firmness, elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles, lift and neck lines. Basically, everything you’d ever look for in skincare.
Director of Scientific Development Jonathan Reynolds tells us that these results are mainly thanks to a plant found in the Mediterranean: The Trachelospermum ‘Star of Ibiza’, which is, ironically, where Charlotte grew up. She laughs that it couldn’t have been a more fateful coincidence.
Jonathan explains that, in a skincare-first and exclusive to the brand, stem cells were isolated from this plant (referred to as the Eternal Jasmine Youth Plant™ by team Tilbury) and used to create a powerful blend of over 100 peptides. This advanced peptide complex is infused through the reformulated Magic Cream, along with skin barrier strengthening Ectoin, recently deemed “the most underrated skincare ingredient” by British Vogue. Charlotte describes it as a gladiator, shielding skin cells and making sure they are constantly hydrated, while the peptide complex is like Jane Fonda gearing up for a collagen workout.
With all this hype, I was determined to put the new formula to the test for eight weeks, like the clinical trials. While my mother has been a repeat customer of the cream for the past few years, I hadn’t used it for an extensive period before. Whenever I had applied it, I noted the instant glow it gives and thought it to be an excellent base before applying makeup. But this time I made a commitment to apply it twice a day for the past two months.
And honestly? I can say I’ve seen a huge improvement in the texture of my skin. Since Christmas, it had been particularly dry and dull, while fine lines have been increasingly visible in the past couple of years. The texture and finish of the cream feels the same as it did before; Charlotte says she wanted to ensure you would not be able to notice the difference between the original in application.
While I’m not certain I look as though I’ve undergone a facelift, my skin is undeniably softer, smoother and visibly radiant. And this isn’t merely self-praise; I’ve been wearing less makeup because I feel more confident about my complexion, and colleagues and friends have remarked on the healthy glow. When I do apply foundation, it glides on more evenly and doesn’t settle into fine lines or parched patches the way it used to.
Having endured a miserable psoriasis flare-up around this time last year, this level of skin confidence feels extraordinary. The cream isn’t fragrance-free, and I worried it might irritate or trigger breakouts, but it didn’t—besides the occasional hormonal blemish over the last two months. Given the premium price, I plan to switch to once-daily use going forward, but I will continue to use it. I’ve also persuaded my mother, who is in her sixties, to try the new formula, and she has been slathering it on, reporting improved hydration and bounce. The claims are bold, but the results aren’t lying, darling. (And yes, I couldn’t resist slipping in one more.)
€97 for 50ml, charlottetilbury.com
