Naya

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Color Corrector, Review

Dedicated to all of my human-pandas

Foreword

When you are "blessed" with hereditary dark circles, there is only one thing to do: find the best color corrector possible. As a reviewer, I’ve noticed that most brands overlook this product category. Yes, they offer us the most full-coverage concealers, but! If you are a panda like moi, then you know concealer alone won’t cut the mustard. Thankfully our dearest Charlotte Tilbury came out with a collection of correctors and after playing with mine for a while, I am ready to spill the tea. Curious? Then please keep on scrolling.

About the Product

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Color Corrector (32 USD; Made in Italy) claims to be a full-coverage corrector that conceals pigmentation, all while brightening the appearance of the under-eye area.

Shades: available in four shades to suit different skin tones (from light pink to deep papaya).

Packaging: it goes without saying – Charlotte Tilbury has the most stunning, luxurious packaging out there. To me this corrector looks like the baby of Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder. Dainty yet sleek with a handy little mirror inside. You get 2.5g (0.08 o.z.) of the actual product in each compact, which is a hair more than what you get from other brands.

Formula, Texture: Magic Vanish Color Corrector is gluten-, cruelty-free (amen!). It is free of most well-known harsh chemicals and has no scent either. Highlighted ingredients are Flavanoids (to reduce puffiness), Carnauba Wax (to allow silky-smooth application) and Mica (to enhance skin’s luminosity).

While this is a cream formula, I find that it is neither too buttery/waxy nor overly stiff to the point where it barely delivers any pigment. It is a perfect in-between: smooth, pigmented and easy to blend.

Application, Wear: I find that warmth of your fingertips helps you achieve the most flawless application, where you can perfectly blend or move the product around. Although it appears full-coverage at first, once you start blending it – the coverage sheers out, so you might want to add more product to areas that need it most. This formula is incredibly lightweight in feel and behaves well under other makeup products. Little goes a long way.

Magic Vanish Color Corrector sets to a natural, borderline satin finish; make sure you work one area a time, because it will dry down relatively quick. Once it is fully dry, it does not feel/look emollient anymore. I personally find that I do not need to powder my under-eye whenever I use it (my skin is dry), but if you have a slightly more combination, oily skin and tend to experience creasing or even mascara transfer – definitely set. This corrector wears well throughout the day with minor creasing, which is nothing a gentle pat or a cotton swab won’t fix.

How To's

tip #1

If you are a human-panda, you have learned the hard way that using a light-toned concealer only turns your circles into a gray mess. Truth is, dark circles will differ in color from person to person, so one size most certainly won’t fit all. My biggest tip would be to choose your shade not only according to your skin tone (light, medium, deep) but more so in line with the tone of your dark circles.

While I have a light skin tone, my under-eye is a Tim Burton’s dream. The lightest shade of Magic Vanish Color Corrector is not rich enough to counteract my dark circles. This is why I picked one shade darker called “Medium”, which is designed for light/medium complexion and is a touch more saturated. You can still see some “peachiness” on the skin, which leads me to my second tip.

tip #2

Now, I am sure many of you know that correctors go under concealers. Corrector is designed to neutralize and camouflage undertones, which is why it is essential to layer a brightening concealer/foundation on top of it to achieve the most perfect result. Corrector first, concealer second.

Concealer-wise, you can either go for something that matches your foundation or a shade lighter for that added boost of brightness. My go-to is Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer, because it is both hydrating and long-wearing. Work in thin layers and blend in-between (set if needed).

Verdict

It is soon to say whether Magic Vanish Color Corrector is husband material, but so far I am into it. I have been a loyal fan of Tarte Cosmetics Colored Clay Under Eye CC Cream for many moons now, which is a product I still adore and highly recommend to those of you with dry under-eye, but Charlotte darling – you created something special here. Starting from the packaging, all the way to how it looks and wears, it is easy for me to say that this is a stellar product. While it might not be as full-coverage as the brand suggests, this bad boy enhances your pandas without accentuating texture or drying your skin out, which is something so incredibly hard to come across in this corrector-lacking makeup world that we’re living in. I also think this is one of those unicorn formulas that will work for all skin types; naturally if you are more dry, hydrate well (I can’t rave enough about Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream which is what I use) or if you are more combination/oily, set under-eye with powder (again, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder is a great option; review here). I give this new product my A+.