London-born celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury is known for delivering red-carpet-worthy glamour to legions of loyal followers—or “darlings,” as she calls them—through her eponymous makeup and skin-care line. One of the “stars” of the lineup is the award-winning Magic Cream Moisturizer ($100). A jar of the stuff sells every minute, and many of its fans (including Charlotte herself), have been so pleased with the facial product that they didn’t want the rest of their bodies to miss out.
“So many people used it not only on their faces, but their arms, shoulders, and legs,” says celebrity makeup artist (and Charlotte’s niece) Sofia Tilbury. “Charlotte herself would carry a travel-size Magic Cream with her to moisturize her hands on the go, and she even released her XL 150 milliliter Magic Cream jar to supersize everyone’s skin care.”
For years, Sofia says fans have been asking Charlotte to create a body cream with the same transformative benefits and instant glow of the moisturizer. Well, “darlings,” the wait is over thanks to the newly launched Charlotte Tilbury Magic Body Cream ($65). The cream hydrates, smooths, and lifts using the same hero ingredients as the iconic moisturizer—along with some new additions to the formula.
“We worked closely with the labs to formulate a body cream that could give the same effect that Magic Cream is loved around the world for: immediate skin revival without being heavy or greasy with a hydrated, nourished, radiant glow from head to toe,” says Sofia. “Magic Body Cream has the same Magic 8 matrix as Magic Cream including hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E, and shea butter, plus new body-targeted actives to help reduce the look of stretch marks and cellulite for brighter, tighter, more toned-looking skin over time.”
In just eight weeks, the cream is clinically proven to make skin look and feel 40 percent firmer thanks to ingredients such as caffeine, known to tighten and brighten skin, and Algaktive Uplift Technology, derived from an antioxidant-rich algae.
Part of the cream’s (literal) magic is it delivers certain results really quickly. “Magic Body Cream boosts hydration in just 28 seconds thanks to hyaluronic acid to effectively deliver water to the skin and instantly hydrate it, whilst the shea butter and oils in the formula act as smoothing emollients that help to soften the feel of skin to lock in that hydration,” says Sofia.
The cream’s delivery of immediate benefits—nearly all testers agreed it instantly shaped the appearance of body contours—made it a celebrity staple even before the official release. “We’ve been using it on every runway and red carpet in secret for months from Paris Fashion Week to the Golden Globes and all our celebrity clients, from Lily James to Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, are obsessed,” says Tilbury. (Just days after launch, the cream was sported by celebs on the Oscars’ red carpet as well.)
What happened when I tried it
The cream comes in a rose-gold accented tube with instructions to apply daily using “Charlotte’s magic massage technique”—placing the product on the palm of your hand and applying in upward, sweeping motions. The cream is lush but not heavy, so it goes on more smoothly and evenly than many creams I’ve tried. Within seconds of application, the promised “magic” occurred. The cream created an ever-so-light layer on my skin that made it feel supple and soft, with just the right hint of glow. I literally kept touching my arms throughout the day because I loved how buttery-smooth they felt.
After a couple weeks of using the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Body Cream, my skin continues to feel smooth, moisturized, and firmer, and I’m looking forward to seeing if further use will improve my cellulite. One side note: If you use the cream daily, you’ll likely go through the 200-milliliter tube within a month, so how often you apply might depend on your skin-care budget.
Even if you’re not walking the red carpet, you can do what I’ll be doing—using the cream to bring a little “magic” to your skin on the nights you want to shine.
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